(H) College Writing & Literature Science Fiction (H) College Writing & Literature

What is Science Fiction? A literary or cinematic genre in which fantasy, typically based on speculative scientific discoveries or developments, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets, forms part of the plot or background.

Fantasy vs. SF Fantasy can never happen, no matter how far science progresses. For example, there will never be flying unicorns even if we make great scientific discoveries, but there COULD be travel to another planet. Not all SF is very realistic, but it is in the realm of possibility.

Science Fiction is… Set in a world that differs from our everyday world in a way that importantly involves science or technology

Reasons for Science Fiction Often written as a warning about what may happen in the future if something in the current society doesn’t change (e.g. Farenheit 451). Is an expression of people’s feelings when a culture is undergoing a lot of changes due to scientific advances and technological developments, and expects to undergo more.

Common Elements of SF A setting in the future or on an alternative time-line A setting in outer space, or involving space travel or extraterrestrial life (ET) New scientific principles, such as time travel, telepathy, or telekinesis Advanced technology Novel methods of transport (i.e. flying vehicles or teleportation) Robots Holographs

Partner Activity With a partner, make a list of as many science fiction movies or novels as you can think of. Next, take note of which common elements of SF each one employs. Finally, take a guess on what current element of society each piece was criticizing or giving a warning about.

Aldous Huxley Mom died when he was 14 from cancer Lost much of his sight from a teenage illness At age 16, he went to prestigious Eton school and trained in medicine, the arts, and science. From 1913-1916, he attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he edited literary journals Considered a prodigy (intelligence and creativity)

Aldous Huxley Did not fight in WWI because of his eyesight Couldn’t go into medicine because of his eyesight, so he focused on writing Married Maria Nys in 1919, had one son - Matthew Published three books of poetry and short stories before novels 1st-Crome Yellow (1921) 2nd-Antic Hay (1923) 3rd -Those Barren Leaves (1925) 4th-Point Counter Point (1928)

Brave New World: Historical Context Many men died in WWI (enrollment at Oxford was 3,181 in 1914 and 491 in 1917) Time of disillusionment and futility Britain’s foreign investments were depleted by war debts and loans Highest ever unemployment

Brave New World – Historical context 1908 - Henry Ford introduced the Model T 1914 - Opened his first electric conveyor belt assembly line in Highland Park, MI Electric light allowed shift work New technology made life easier and made death easier - gas engines were used to propel autos , but also to propel airplanes that dropped bombs in WWI

Brave New World Huxley was concerned about this new fast-paced world, and the loss of identity that might result. He was also a little disgusted with America and its commercialism, sexual promiscuity, and selfishness. This inspired a lot of the material in BNW.

Genre: Dystopia Utopia is an imagined place where everything is perfect. Dystopia is a negative utopia, where everything is bad. Huxley initially began writing BNW as a parody of H.G. Wells’ utopian novels.

Genre: satire Satire uses humor, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration and/or ridicule to expose and criticize perceived foolishness or corruption. Huxley was an accomplished satirist.