Criticism Of Science Fiction

Science Fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that has evolved. This genre is used as a form of escape from the current living conditions, as it often reflects the current mindset of a society. Now, in contemporary culture the amount of utopian literature has decreased whereas dystopias proliferate. Many Science Fiction works depict different worlds set in some unforeseen future, where some form of humanity is lost. This paper will argue that Science Fiction is the best way for us to see our future and better reach utopia. First, I will define Science Fiction, and its role in our society. Then, I will compare the earlier works of the genre to the current rise in dystopian entertainment, and how it is based on society’s current issues.

Like I’ve previously stated, Science Fiction often reflect the author’s own refracted image of their hopes and wishes or fears (Claeys 167), and their writing depend on their optimism for the future. In addition, Science Fiction also reflect the current mindset of society. In the early 20th century, the genre had a more positive image of the future “in which scientific progress had made the world a better place” (Gunn par. 9). However, by 1950, “[t]he post-war period of rocket science, Cold War conflicts, and governmental hegemony created a hotbed for literature dealing directly with dissolutions ranging from personal to global issues…and [this lead to] utopias… steady decline” (Steble 91). The stories now implemented more dystopian concepts since science “was no longer the hero” (Gunn par. 9). Stories started portraying the degeneration of science and post-apocalyptic stories started to appear more heavily (Claeys

10). For example, zombie apocalypses are currently very popular, and this might be “because they represent the breakdown and rebuilding of society” (Klus par. 8). This is appropriate considering that we are living in a time where different communities are protesting against their own governments, there is a larger and noticeable gap between the rich and poor, and we are undergoing a global recession (Klus par. 8). Another example of how Science Fiction works are portraying our current situation are the multiple stories of natural disasters. There has been an increase of these types of stories because many fear that our world may be destroyed due to our neglect of earth’s ecosystems. Movies like The Day After Tomorrow depict a scenario where global warming and the willful ignorance of political leaders led to our earth’s demise (Claeys