The Art of Sci-Fi
Marty Mcfly feels the warp of cold air shoot against his face. His stomach clenches into a knot, and a disturbing illumination of technicolor slips through his eyelids.
When he awakens, he is greeted by the sight of hoverboards, floating vehicles, and a lack of lawyers.
Welcome to science fiction.
Science fiction is a genre shaped by technological innovation and advancements, as a result of changes in different variables (social, economic, environmental, etc). It’s a fantastic opportunity for writers and film producers alike to be creative with their perception of a new world, and the genre has given birth to some of the most influential works in 20th century literature and film.
Growing up with Sci-Fi:
The 2nd century’s “True history” (also translated as “His True History” and “Real History”) is commonly cited as the world’s “first known science fiction story”. It was originally written in Greek by Lucian of Samosata. Its decorative use of exaggerated humor, tales of outer-space voyage, encounters with immortals and aliens, and giant spiders, parodied the style of travel tales.
Fast-forward approximately 8 centuries later to 1911. Hugo Gernsback, Luxembourgish-American writer and editor, had just released his debut novel into the market: Ralph 124C 41+: A romance of the year 2660.
A utopian future was blended with a romance between the two lead characters, Alice and Ralph. Combined with gadgetry and alien exploration, the novel became a hit and propelled Gernsback to become one of science fiction’s most influential advocates. The annual science fiction awards, “The Hugo Awards,” were later named after him, and in 1923, he officially launched the magazine bluntly coined, “Science fiction.”
Throughout the 40’s to 70’s, science fiction only skyrocketed its way into pop culture.
When World War II rocked the world, science fiction welcomed genetically-altered aliens and superheroes as a form of escapism and idealism, and often propaganda. From Captain America to Superman, Wonder Woman to Batman, science fiction made its way into the hearts of children, adults and the elderly alike.
In particular, icons like Captain America were created for the very purpose of
Though China was still in the process of shifting from its civil war to the Cultural Revolution, in which both non-revolutionary and original works were banned, some original science fiction literature still existed, mostly to promote the idealistic prospect of an entirely technologically and socially advanced China. Writers such as Zheng Wengguang were most famed for writing to this theme.
However, in 1978, the year that the National Science Congress deemed the “revival of science fiction literature in China,” Chinese writer Ye Yonglie’s children’s stories “Xiao LingTongs’ future travels,”《小灵通漫游未来》slowly begin to climb to prominence.
Science fiction continued on from the 80’s to the present day. Already a hot button in popularity from its inflation in the mid 20th century, sci-fi evolved into a major plot anchor in successful franchises. This includes: the James Bond series, Green Lantern comics, Back To The Future movies, Predator, Astroboy comics, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Firefly, video games such as Borderlands, etc. The list goes on, and in our current year of 2015, it shows little signs of coming to a close.
Sci-fi, and our fascination with it:
From personal opinion, society’s fascination with science fictions stems from one major factor: curiosity.
To be more precise: morbid curiosity.
Science fiction is often set against backgrounds of complete dystopianism (The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, 1984, Firefly) or utopianism (The Giver, Ralph 124c 41+: A romance in the year 2660). As such, curiosity towards these futures becomes the driving force behind a global fascination of the world of sci-fi.
It could be said that humans have evolved to develop curiosity as an innate tool of exploration in unfamiliar surroundings, developing neural pathway connections. The additional gained information leads to recognition of similar situations, allowing us to adequately react according to given information. Though the need for this survival instinct may be seem redundant in modern society, it has been suggested that certain traits such as this one may be inborn, and simply a part of human nature.
“Drive theory” is also worth mentioning. It suggests that curiosity is characterized as an internal drive that demands fulfillment, comparable to the need to satisfy our hunger and thirst. However, “Incongruency theory” may best explain our fascination with science fiction.
“Incongruency theory” shines a completely different light on why we are curious. Let’s say that the entire world consists of blue smurfs. Smurfs everywhere. All shades of blue, each smaller than a thumbtack, and this is how we have always lived. One day, a pink-colored smurf strolls into our village. How very peculiar.
Who is that strange pink creature?
Why is he here?
“That makes absolutely no sense!” you say. “You told me that the entire world consisted of blue smurfs! How could this be?”
Precisely.
The Incongruency theory deals with our confusion, and could very easily explain conspiracy culture concerning science-fiction factors.
It suggests we see and treat the world as predictable, which is why things that seem out of place or unnatural capture our interests. Such is the case for science fiction, where alien life and technological advancements are portrayed as if they were real. When placed into dystopian settings, this need may also be accompanied by a desire to emphasize with the characters, to feel as part of a community.
So to the pink smurf, we say “Hang on. That’s not quite right. It can’t be real-
Or is it?”
As with the fantasy genre, science fiction often creates vividly different worlds from the one that we know now. It offers a balance between realistic possibilities of technology that scientists across the globe would die to get their hands on, but retains that element of fantasy, open to escapism- common in utopian themed works.
During WWII, the Marvel comics superhero Captain America was created as the ideal American soldier. Injected with a serum, and armed with a shield created out of an Vibranium and Adamantium compound, Steve Rogers broke through enemy ranks and punched Hitler in the face, all to serve his country.
Through his character, Americans could escape the harshness of WWII itself and step into the shoes of Captain America himself. What fascinated most was the “Wow! Is that possible?” factor.
Was it possible to actually buff up from a shot of serum?
Was it possible to gain super strength?
How about an impenetrable shield?
And so we read on, escaping from reality- while still hoping for the possibility of a better future. Escapism is prevalent in science fiction because the alternate universes entrance people with their technological innovation and endless possibilities. When constructed well, sci-fi allows the reader or viewer to step into the shoes of its characters and travel to a better place.
It’s unlikely that you will ever lead the rebellion against the Capitol, build a super suit to escape Afghanistan, or travel the universe with an old man in a blue police box. But whether it be a thirst for knowledge, a form of escape, being jaded with reality, or acting out of simple human instinct, it can be said for sure that science fiction continues to beckon the curious worldwide, and will have left its influential mark on countless minds.
