Science Fiction as a Genre in Adolescent Literature

By Ken Keesee

Introduction

Science fiction is similar to fantasy in that it is set in worlds that generally do not correspond to present realities. Science fiction differs, however, in that the future realities it presents are often based on extrapolation from current scientific principles. For this reason, science fiction is sometimes referred to as "speculative fiction." Characteristically, it most often has its setting in the future. It deals with the impact of technology and science on humans, humanoids, or aliens. Science fiction similarly takes the real world as we know it today, with all its facts and natural laws, as its first postulates. Hence, speculation is engaged in and this speculation is always about the possibilities of the real world. The worlds that science fiction creates may be fantastic in result, but these worlds are not pure fantasy in themselves.

As a genre, science fiction has always had to fight for credibility. Most statistics say that only one in every two people like or even tolerate it. Similarly, reactions to science fiction tend to be polar; that is, you either love it or you hate it. Historically, the audience for science fiction has been further limited in its appeal being largely to young males.

Some credit for this limited audience is owed to science fiction's history in Hollywood. Science fiction started becoming tinsel town's "last frontier" as early as the 1930s. Movie studios tended (and still do) to pick up on things that sell. Finding a successful motif means replicating it ad infinitum, producing cookie-cutter copies until the idea is exhausted and the market is saturated. Hollywood did this early on with the Western. Once that genre was sufficiently worn out, movie producers turned to science fiction, essentially blending the two. Hence, we have the early Buck Rogers, comic strip farce where the good guy flies a spaceship rather than riding a horse, and the evil gunslinger becomes a ray-toting Martian. The result was science fiction without meaningful substance being pandered to large audiences.

Despite its low literary value, this early 20th century science fiction actually turned out to be prophetic. Buck Rogers type science fiction presented future realities with amazing technologicial advances, some being beneficent in nature and others being terrifyingly destructive. Shortly after this science fiction began reaching audiences, the outbreak of World War II occured, the conclusion of which ushered equally amazing technologies into the world; that is, the world quickly inducted into the atomic and information ages. So while the early Hollywood science fiction consisted of little more than shout-out action sequences, it did not take long for popular authors to recognize the potential of science fiction. These new 20th century popularists of science fiction would go back to the genre's roots.

The Origins of Contemporary Science Fiction

Science fiction can be argued to have very old origins, possibly even dating back to classical times. For instance, the classical writer Lucien was writing stories in the second century a. d. that involved travelling to the moon and finding people there. He used such fantastic settings to make astute but discrete comments and criticisms against society. He was a satirist and his work is no generally classified in the genre known as Menippean satire.

Meippean satire is characterized by fantastic and sometimes other worldly settings. It typically involves ludicrous circumstances and characters that are presented freakishly comic, almost alien manners. Modern examples of Menippean satire are Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, both of which may be argued to be ancestors of contemporary science fiction.

Despite its supposed historical deficiency in capturing female audience, it is ironic that the first distinct work of science fiction is going to be written by a woman. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818) is regarded by many as the first real science fiction work. The first American science fiction comes with Edgar Allen Poe's short story, "The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfaal" (1835). These works were literary in nature and science fiction still had yet to reach the wide audience.

The first popular science fiction writer was Jules Verne who wrote such well-known novels as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). All of these books reached wide audiences. Shortly thereafter, H. G. Wells continues to popularize the genre with his works, The Time Machine (1895) and The Invisible Man (1897). It is Wells who brings science fiction into the 20th century with his novel, The War of the Worlds (1898).

While the 20th century has the literary likes of George Orwell (1984 and Animal Farm), Alduous Huxley (Brave New World), and Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead), contemporary science fiction as a genre generally brings to mind only the popular writers. The four most-popular and well-recognized 20th century authors are: Isaac Asimov, known for his Foundation trilogy and his robot series; Arthur C. Clarke, known for his Rendezvous with Rama series and 2001, a Space Odyssey; Ray Bradbury, known for his Martian Chronicles; and Robert Heinlein, known for novels such as Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

What Makes for Good Science Fiction?

Critics are going to disagree naturally on what makes for good science fiction, and personal preference and experience are going to play a great part. Generally, the elements of plot, style, theme, and so forth must be fully developed. Foremost, however, one has to remember that science fiction is historically a product and a response to the new age of rapid scientific and technological development. As such, good science fiction with a conscience is going to promote new ways of looking at the human consequences and relation to things like industrialism, evolutionary theory, relativity, computers, the big ban, human presence on the moon and the possibility of alien intelligence. There is more to good science fiction than mere laser guns. Reading the good stuff, one should not get tripped up by photon torpedoes and space monsters. On the other hand, one should not get bogged down by beakers, wires and computer jargon, that is, the work should not be so loaded with techno-facts that the plot and theme becomes encumbered.

In summary, good science fiction will:

1. Make us consider the emotional, psychological and physical

effects of futuristic ideas, conflict and change.

2. Encourage us to keep an open mind to consider unlimited possibilities.

3. Provoke questions regarding other forms of life, thereby bringing

our own into perspective.

4. Stimulate curiousity and the capacity for invention.

5. Present the reader with moral and ethical dilemmas that to

some degree correspond to the real world.

What Makes Science Fiction Appeal to the Young Reader>

Science fiction is many times described as being a cross between the Romance and the Western genres. This may be a complaint that science fiction as a genre is not accorded the respect it deserves. On the other hand, this may be an advantage if science fiction can reap the benefits of both genres, capturing both audiences. It is noted that young women show more interest in Romantic literature while young men show more interest in the Western. There lies the possibility that science fiction, related to both genres, may hold something for both audiences. The reality, however, remains that almost twice as many males than females read science fiction, so the sales pitch is not that easy.

Science fiction appeals to the young reader foremost because it involves adventure. Through science fiction, the reader can explore those "strange new worlds" that she has never seen nor likely will ever see. In this respect, science fiction may be criticized as escapist. Rather than the humdrum world of today, the reader seeks to experience the new, better, or at least more exciting world of tomorrow. It is precisely the quality of escapism, however, that science fiction is popular.

Probably the best way to introduce science fiction to the young reader is through the short story. There are plenty of short stories out there. For instance, Isaac Asimov has published numerous collections of short stories (that is how he started his career). Norton Publishing puts out an anthology of science fiction that is similarly filled with short stories. Once you have introduced your theme through the short story, it is hoped that the genre will be more digestible to the reluctant science fiction reader. You can then sink them into a more complicated work.

Ken Keesee is an English major/secondary education minor at James Madison University.

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