Veldt Vs Fahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay

In literature there are over 20 different genres of reading, and each of them contains many similarities and differences. Science fiction, arguably one of the most popular genre’s, is also one of the hardest to understand, however there are certain elements/characteristics that can easily determine if a book is or is not science fiction. The characteristics that make up science fiction are, advancements in technology and the application of advanced technology. In books such as The Veldt and Fahrenheit 451 both technological advancements and there application play a crucial role on determining that these books fall into the science fiction genre.

Many genres other than science fiction, especially fantasy, contain technological advancements,

so what makes science fiction and fantasy different? The main difference is not the kind of technological advancements, but the way they are used/applied. The advanced technology that comes along with all science fiction novels has to be used by a human person, or it is not science fiction. For example, look at the book Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson is considered a fantasy novel but it contains many technological advancements. One advancement includes the pen-sword, a pen looking object only about 3 inches long, that can transform into a mighty 3 foot long sword. Because of the technological advancement Percy Jackson should be science fiction, right? Well not exactly the application of the technology in Percy Jackson does not follow the science fiction genre guidelines. Percy Jackson is a Demigod not a human therefore the application does not fall into science fiction guidelines making Percy Jackson a fantasy novel. If Percy was a human the book would most likely be science fiction.
The Veldt and Fahrenheit 451 are both books that can easily be mistaken for other genres besides science fiction, but through close examination one can successfully come to the conclusion that they are science-fiction books.

Starting with Fahrenheit 451, to determine that it is science fiction one must first find technological advances throughout the story. One large technological advancement seen multiple times throughout the story is the televisions the size of walls. Now that there has been a technological advancement found one must examine how it is applied to a certain character in the story. For the television walls in Fahrenheit 451 the people using them are fully human therefore the technological advancements and application of them make confirms that Fahrenheit 451 falls into the science fiction genre. Determining that The Veldt is science fiction can be a bit trickier because there are not as many technological advancements, however one major one is the actual veldt play room. This is a room where the walls become a hologram and the users can go anywhere in the world. Now that there is a technological advancement one must figure out how it is applied in the story. In The Veldt, the play room is used by normal human characters therefore one can come to the conclusion that it is a science fiction story based on the technology and the application of it to the

characters.
Both technological advancements and their application in the books The Veldt and Fahrenheit 451 are crucial elements that determine these books are science fiction. Though many books have technological advancements it is the way they are applied/used by human characters that make books like Percy Jackson not science fiction. One can argue technological advancements and there application in books are not the only thing that makes a book science fiction, and this is absolutely correct; however, these two elements are crucial when determining if a book is science fiction and should be used whenever trying to determine the genre.