...thinking of science fiction television programs, one usually thinks of aliens, space ships, and laser blasters, this tends to shed a more childish light on the genre and most people tend to dismiss it as being no more than mindless entertainment. While there has certainly been a surplus of the campy science fiction shows on the air, some shows have used the science fiction genre to tackle serious social issues as well. This essay will take a look at two shows 54 years apart and will analyze how both use social concerns of the time period and create memorable narratives that speculate about human behavior and interactions. The first show this essay will look at is the generation defining classic The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), and the second show is a modern cult hit from the United Kingdom Utopia (2013-2014). //Through a comparative analysis of the episode “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” from The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) and “Episode 5” of the British cult hit, Utopia (2013-2014) this essay illustrates how the science fiction genre can be and has been used generation after generation to highlight certain social issues. Whereas The Twilight Zone uses America’s anxieties of communism and consumer culture to cause paranoia in the early sixties, Utopia uses big business, government conspiracies, and overpopulation in a plot that stirs up concern for the environment. Ultimately this essay will illustrate how social issues lay the foundation for a compelling science fiction narrative...
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...Joanna Russ argues that science fiction is didactic and that it focuses on the collective rather than the individual hero while, Samuel R. Delany argues that science fiction is a distortion of the present. However, they both argue that science fiction must be learned, interpreted, and critiqued differently than other literary texts because it has its own unique conventions. Joanna Russ’s argument that science fiction in didactic and that it focuses on the collective rather than the hero is in a plethora of works from Delany to H.G Wells. When specifically focusing on the idea that science fiction is didactic we can look at Einstein Intersection which, like most of Delany’s works, teaches us about racial/ethnic differences but, within this novel...
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...E. O. Wilson is quoted saying “Science and religion are the two most powerful forces in the world. Having them at odds is not productive.” Religion is found everywhere. Religion is defined as “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe” (“religion”). Everyone puts their faith and trust into something. Most people would not put the idea of religion and the genre of science fiction in the same category, but these two ideas are intertwined. In Charles Darwin’s book The Origin of Species, he stated that creation was “originally breathed [to life] by the Creator” (Connor 368). Even a well-known scientist such as Darwin included ideas of religion in his theories. Science fiction has elements within that can...
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...Mars: The Continuing Frontier in Science Fiction Just as, early American settlers viewed land West of the Mississippi as, ‘free land as far as the eye can see’, early science fiction writers created a Mars that was ‘ripe for the taking’ in their many stories of colonization. The Frontier Myth is from the idea that early settlers viewed uninhabited land as free to whoever wants it, a first come, first served mentality attached with unlimited opportunity. Well, as my dear father told me long ago, nothing in life is free. Of course the Frontier Myth doesn’t account for who or what was there before the ones doing the taking. Therein lies the problem. Or for many early science fiction writers- a great story idea. Fuelled by real scientific observation, starting with Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli and his 1877 “discovery” of canals on the planet Mars (which later was rejected as part of the natural landscape by better technology) to the 1960’s and 1970’s NASA programs Mariner and Viking. Specifically because of the real science behind Mars exploration, authors like; Philip K. Dick, Martian Time-Slip, Greg Bear, Moving Mars, and Kim Stanley Robinson with Red Mars, all explored very scientific, but humanistic stories with themes of the political, economical and social effects of colonization on Mars. One interesting aspect of Mars literature is the use of environmental similarities of globalization here on Earth as a reflection in the colonization of Mars stories....
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...In a rapidly growing technological society, it is common to find ourselves integrating the newest fad into our lifestyles. In J.G. Ballard's dystopian science fiction society, living in a high rise is the latest craze. However, like many new inventions, it has flaws. Many of the residents are growing furious of inconveniences such as the lack of working elevators, electrical power, and clean water. Since the building is not subject to the same regulations as the outside world, there are many residents who are committing violent acts and vandalism to demonstrate their frustration. To survive in this hostile environment, the residents either decide to join the resistance or accept these living conditions. Ballard concentrates on three main resident...
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...Skin Discussion An interesting thing to mention is that some products of this type gain lawsuits for false advertising towards consumers. They even get discontinued since no one buys their products. They usually have some sort of bogus claim saying it is clinically researched or not tested on animals in an effort to sway the consumer to buy their products and not their competitors products. That would be a no-no. Their advertisement was not different. There is always small print at the bottom and disclaimers saying that you have to use at your own risk. Sort of like at the end of the terms and conditions that you must consult your doctor before during and after usage. They also claim to be the top seller in their category. I think it is actually sorta sad that they say that they are already the top in their corner of the market. It is subjective really because unless they did trials or consumer market researching, they really don’t know a thing. People have to try the product first to see if they are going to like it at all in the first place. They also have all these fancy labels of being “approved” by professionals, etc. It’s just marketing simply put. The person in the ad could just be really young with amazing genetics. They get them young on purpose to push their product. They don’t say the truth on purpose. They are telling people to stay cool they have to buy the latest and greatest. They are essentially paid models. They do this on purpose and the average consumer...
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...літератури XX століття 4 Розділ ІІ. Айзек Азімов як представник жанру наукової фантастики 14 2.1. Життєвий і творчий шлях письменника 14 2.2. Особливості творчості письменника 18 Висновки 21 Список використаної літератури 22 Вступ Рей Бредбері стверджував: «Фантастика — це реальність, що нас оточує», вона «вчить мислити, а отже, приймати рішення, виявляти альтернативи й закладати основи майбутнього прогресу». Наукова фантастика стала одним з найпопулярніших жанрів XX ст. Історії про космічних прибульців і відроджених динозаврів з’являються на кіно- і телеекранах ймовірно частіше, ніж історії з реального життя, рекордними тиражами видаються книжки з поміткою SF (science fiction). Наукова фантастика у XX ст. – це не тільки різновид літератури, але й цілий рух, з періодичними виданнями, з’їздами любителів, бурхливими обговореннями новин. У чому ж секрет успіху фантастики, які струни в душі людини вона торкає? Розділ І. Наукова фантастика як жанр літератури XX століття Наукова фантастика (також НФ, англ. варіант sci-fi) (грец. phantastikos — той, що стосується уяви) — жанр у літературі й кіно; фантастика, в основі якої полягають роздуми на теми науки та нових технологій. Досить часто, вживаючи термін «фантастика», мають на увазі саме наукову фантастику. Термін «наукова вигадка» або «наукова белетристика», виник у 1926 році в Америці і був вперше впроваджений письменником...
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...C O V E R S T O R I E S R O U N D TA B L E C O M M E N TA R Y Transatlantic Divergence in GE/Honeywell: Causes and Lessons BY DONNA E. PATTERSON AND CARL SHAPIRO welcome, even when they are predicted to cause leading firms to gain market share. Second, the procedures in place in Europe contributed to the ability of the Competition Commissioner to block the proposed merger of GE and Honeywell based on dubious economic grounds and very weak evidence. In particular, the absence of timely and independent judicial review of the Commissioner’s decision that a combination is incompatible with the Common Market gives enormous discretion to the Competition Commissioner and to the Commission’s Merger Task Force. We discuss below how the interplay of these two trans-Atlantic differences led to the divergent results in GE/Honeywell. The EU’s Conglomerate Case A key driver of the proposed merger was the desire of GE and Honeywell to combine their complementary product lines in the civil aerospace industry.2 GE makes, sells, and services large aircraft engines. Honeywell, itself the result of a 1999 merger between Allied Signal and Honeywell, makes small aircraft engines, various avionics components, and other “non-avionics” components, such as environmental control systems, wheels and brakes, and auxiliary power units. At its heart, the merger was neither horizontal nor vertical, but conglomerate. In fact, the GE/Honeywell merger was remarkably “clean” in terms of horizontal...
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...think alike. They differ in the way they use the depths of their imagination in creating movies. America-based films are more insightful, clever, and charismatic to the audience, for it is being distributed across the world. The universal motion-picture industry of America is called Hollywood (Wikipedia.org). And having been able to reach a wide array of audiences, it has an immense power to influence them. There are a lot of film categories that are being specialized by Hollywood. One of the most popular is fiction. According to Wikipedia.org, “Fiction is a form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather imaginary”. People have embraced fiction films maybe because it seems like a new taste to the tongues of the audiences from different parts of the world. As time went by, Hollywood film makers tried incorporating fiction with science, and have clearly succeeded. Today, Science-Fiction films have become a massive hit to cinemagoers. Commonly known as “Sci-Fi”, this type of movie genre deals with depictions of phenomena that are not really accepted as truths, such as sorcery, alien worlds and extraterrestrial forms of life, extrasensory perception, and time travel. It also features spacecrafts, space travels, robots, and other forms of technology with a more futuristic element. One...
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...thriller, Science Fiction seems to fit it all in but still have its own unique identity. Is this why it appeals to so many? As Reported By ReJohnson. Looking around at movie advertisements shown on billboards, bus stands and television, it’s hard to miss the growing popularity of science fiction movies and books in modern society. Though still not as popular as genres such as Action and romance, many people have found an interest and love for science fiction. Over the past decade, there have been over 300 Science Fiction movies released. Statistics show that 5 in every 10 movies released in today’s society is science fiction. Many of them hitting the top ten list and have been nominated or have won major awards (e.g. Avatar which won 3 Oscars, the Golden Globe etc.). So why does it appeal to modern day audiences? It seems that in modern society, no matter how you look at it, Science fiction is a genre that can appeal to each individuals taste making it appealing to almost anyone. Though it is mainly based around an imagined future and scientific and technological advances, directors and producers have created a scale as to how ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ the science fiction movie is. While Hard Science Fiction focuses mostly on the speculation of the future as seen in the award- winning Matrix, Soft science Fiction focuses more on the entertainment of the audience and allowing them to escape from reality as seen in the X-Men series. One of the main reasons science Fiction appeals to...
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...over power the machines and regain our world. (The Terminator, 1984) The year today is 2015. We are all living outside of enslavement from machines and our world has not been destroyed by nuclear weapons. What you just read was the basis for the 1984 movie, The Terminator. Technology had been made too powerful, gained self-awareness, and took over the world. Thankfully, that is not our world. However, will it be in the future? Technology may not have progressed as fast and as far as the movie thought that it would by now, but it’s getting better by the day and it’s still possible that we could reach that point where machines become self-aware. With help from the Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction and the Cambridge Companion to Fantasy books, we will explore the connection between science fiction and the real world, analyze the uses of modern day technology, like that of the MonsterMind, and find the events in this movie may await us...
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...Isaac Asimov has distinguished himself as one of the most intellectual figure of science fiction for over five decades. Asimov was capable of stimulating generations of people to criticize and question science mysteries. He is also one of the most prolific writers of science fiction or any other genre. Young writers today still immolate his writing style and ideas. Isaac Asimov was born Isaak Ozimov in Petrovichi, Russia in 1920. In 1923, when he was three years old, he immigrated to the USA and settled in Brooklyn, New York with his parents, Anna and Judah and siblings, Veronica and Stanley. None of the resources shows why the family immigrated, but they were Orthodox Jews and there was great prejudice against Orthodox Jews in Russia, which led me to believe that this is the reason for their immigration. While Isaac’s parents continued to grow in their own faith, they didn’t force their beliefs upon their children, and in later years Asimov would claim he was an Atheist. Upon arriving, his parents opened a candy shop in Brooklyn, New York where young Asimov worked and where he became interested in the science fiction magazines that were sold in his parents store. Isaac was taught to speak English and only knew a few words in Russian. While Asimov was born on January 2, 1920 he started school when he was only five years old because his parents lied and said he was born in 1919, so he could start school a year early. The reason why his parents wanted him to start school early...
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...Year Nine English AEP Frankenstein/Science Fiction Essay (Reading and Writing Task) Topic: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the Science Fiction text that allowed all other examples of the sub-genre to follow. Discuss this proposition with specific reference to the Drama Script and Film versions of the novel, along with any other relevant Science Fiction texts you have read or viewed. * Your essay should especially consider Shelley’s context and that of other writers you refer to, as well as your own context as a reader. * You should make specific reference to the texts you are discussing via both direct (quotations) and indirect (explanations) evidence. * Be sure to plan your response so that each paragraph has its own unified idea. A sample paragraph structure might look like the following: 1. Introduction – Thesis: e.g.: “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the first text which uses scientific experimentation as the basis of its plot. In doing this, it paved the way for all Science Fiction which followed…” 2. Body P1 – Author context + sub-genre features – what changes have occurred over time as a result of context? Consider Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury 3. Body P2 – Discussion of Frankenstein 4. Body P3 – Discussion of other text e.g.: War of the Worlds (make some reference to Frankenstein as well) 5. Body P4 - Discussion of other text e.g.: There Will Come Soft Rains (make some reference to Frankenstein as well) ...
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...MECN1001: Critical Thinking Component Science Fiction Course reader Semester 2, 2015 “If science fiction is the mythology of modern technology, then its myth is tragic.” – Ursula Le Guin Lecturer and course co-ordinator: Ms Linda Mabin Linda.Mabin@wits.ac.za CM, 3rd Floor, East Wing, ADU (011) 717-7064 MECN1001: Critical Thinking Course Outline Science Fiction is a genre that is growing in currency around the world as a literature of cognitive estrangement, and one that has immense universal value because of this. To distance oneself from the ascendant structures of power is to perceive the world anew, filled with potential for change. For this reason, Science Fiction is a literature of immense value for a country such as South Africa. Approaching the challenges of a nation such as this requires an imagination trained to be meticulous in its logic, but unrestrained by the restrictions of present reality. Each tutorial activity is crafted to correlate with the concerns of the lecture material. Tutorials transpose the fundamental concerns dealt with in the subject matter of the lectures and ‘activate’ these ideas by having students demonstrate their knowledge not just in the form of individual written exercises, but through the vitally necessary process of engaging their tutors and peers in structured discussion. It is thus clear that the success of a tutorial is dependent on student participation, and as clear that the success of a tutorial depends on students being intrigued...
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...How the Future Predicts Science Fiction As the author David Levine said that prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. All of us and science fiction writers are hardly to precisely predict what will happen in the future. Why it’s difficult to precisely predict future? First of all, every science fiction writers have their individual experience and personal preference.Additionally,according to the history, we can make a conclusion that nothing will happened as like as before, our world is changing, our views of the future have changed over time. What’s more, science fiction writers aren’t futurists, they wouldn’t attempts to make some accurate prediction, so they prefer to based on the development tendency of the world and what people are concerned about right now to make some literary categories.Therefore,it’s the future that predicts science fiction. Science writers need not even be set in the future,they are just trying to write an entertainment and thought-provoking stories to attract people’s mind.they prefer to fall into one or more of the following literary categories,Cautionary tales,Thought experiments,Literalized metaphors and Explorations of new science and technology.To some extent,they are a batch of nonmalignant socialists.Because they have transmitted a mass of message which is conductive to our life.So it’s the future that predicts science fiction. Beside of these,each science fiction writers is an individual human being with...
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