How Great Science Fiction Works

Kick off your adventure into science fiction by clearly defining what science fiction is, and more importantly, what science fiction is not. Learn how science fiction is distinguished from - yet often confused with - other literary genres such as fantasy and horror. Explore what is often considered the first science fiction novel: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Look at some of the most important names in 19th-century science fiction, including Poe, Verne, and Wells. From the books and stories they penned, the 20th-century science fiction story emerged. Explore select works from each author, gain the context to better understand their writings and lives, and learn how they influenced what we know as science fiction today.

We commonly think of science fiction as dealing with the future, but there is a fascinating subset of science fiction that looks at the past. Learn how science fiction writers often mix real-life with fiction and invoke mechanisms such as time travel to explore alternate histories - looking at how the world might have been different had history gone another direction at pivotal points in our past.

The concept of alternate histories enables vast possibilities. Discover how many science fiction stories tackle massive timescales, taking us from the very beginning to the very end of the universe, and any time and place in between. Examine the ideas science fiction writers proposed about evolution, anthropology, physics, religion, mythology, and more.

One intriguing theme presented in science fiction is the concept of utopia and dystopia - and how remarkably similar these two seeming opposites can be. Explore the fundamental questions of "Can our lives be better?" and "Can our lives be worse?" Take an in-depth look at some of the most poignant portrayals of utopian and dystopian societies and the social contexts that inspired them.

Science fiction battled a long-standing bad reputation, born out of the "pulp era" in history. Survey the rise of pulp science fiction through serials, magazines, and short stories at the turn of the 20th century and through the 1950s. You'll gain an appreciation of the obstacles the genre had to overcome through this period in history.

After World War II, science fiction took a turn for the better. Learn how one pivotal magazine helped change the tide on science fiction and review the specific works, writers, and editors who contributed to the resurgence. Uncover some of the little-known gems that shaped modern science fiction by reflecting society's struggles, anxieties, and fears to capture a whole new audience.

Science fiction is known for distinguishing elements: artificial intelligence, time travel, aliens, outer space, and more. Delve into an iconic components of science fiction - the spaceship. Learn how the spaceship is portrayed in some of the most famous stories, as well as lesser-known works. Consider how stories of space exploration parallel and reflect the realities in which they are written.

Robots are a common theme in science fiction, but why? Professor Wolfe introduces you to Karel Capek, who adapted the word "robot" from a Czech word meaning "forced labor." Witness the evolution of this concept in science fiction throughout history - including the introduction of the android, existential questions about the nature of cyborgs, and the consequences of robots who think.

In 1950, the New York Times claimed that science fiction had graduated from pulp fiction to become respectable. Learn how this validation was brought to fruition, and see how T.V. and radio helped propel the popularity of science fiction novels. Examine influential authors of novels during this decade, with an in-depth look at Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth, and Arthur C. Clarke.

A key differentiator between fantasy and science fiction is that fantasy stories often take place in worlds, while science fiction stories take place on a planet. Thus, the theme of planets is common among some of the great science fiction works. Explore the use of planets in a variety of works. Focus on Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy and take a deep dive into Frank Herbert's vision.

Not all science fiction predicts technology-driven modern futures. Look at the stories over time that foreshadowed a desolate and bleak future, ravaged by environmental issues, plagues, or cataclysmic events. Examine the five components of apocalyptic stories, the various paradoxes the wasteland-style novels predict or reflect, and some stellar examples from this often bleak subgenre.

Ascertain how authors such as H. G. Wells took the subgenre of invasion tales to a new level by reflecting current anxieties. Also learn the truth behind The War of the Worlds hoax. Dig into themes such as genocide and racism and how they are depicted in science fiction novels including Orson Scott Card's Ender Game, Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, and Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

Delve into how science fiction approaches religion, from parody, to reimagining familiar biblical stories and characters in the scope of science fiction, to confronting existing religions and inventing new beliefs. You'll also explore the opposite scenario, in which science fiction is used by religious writers to reaffirm religious beliefs, such as C.S. Lewis with his Space Trilogy.

In order to make a mark on the literary world, science fiction needed to develop a substantial body of work. In the 1950s and 1960s, see how authors such as J. G. Ballard defined and contributed to the New Wave. Visit the anthologies of Michael Moorcock and Harlan Ellison to discuss whether they helped transform science fiction or reflected an existing shift that would have occurred regardless.

Aliens are another icon and staple of science fiction. Often depicted as hostile and representing the unknown "other" as well as our fears about ourselves, aliens have been examined (and have examined us) in a variety of stories. Journey through the portrayal of aliens in important works by Robert A. Heinlein, John W. Campbell, Jack Finney, Larry Niven, Stanislaw Lem, and Karen Joy Fowler.

Here you'll revisit the idea that science fiction often deals directly with the consequences of human actions, whether through robots who take over the world or massive storms produced by climate change. Starting with a common theme in many science fiction novels, bugs, Professor Wolfe walks you through works that feature - and often correctly predicted - environmental concerns and ramifications.

One stereotype science fiction still hasn't fully shaken off is that it is a predominantly male genre. This idea was so prevalent that female science fiction writers were often only successful when writing under a male or gender-neutral pseudonym. Look at how far the genre has progressed, with famous authors such as Doris Lessing and Margaret Atwood, and consider how much work remains to be done.

Throughout the 80s, the concepts of corporatization took hold in science fiction, while at the same time, with real-life technological advances, authors began to investigate the concern that we are not changing technology - it is changing us. Delve into the question, "Are we already living in the world cyberpunk writers predicted?"

Space operas - mega-adventures that span galaxies and many pages - introduce complex and layered narratives with complicated characters who are often not immediately likeable. Consider how these new space operas relate to - and differ from - classic space operas, and see how modern television and movies have captured mainstream success with the concept.

The artifact in science fiction is typically a manufactured item with value, power, or mystery, which can be as small as a subatomic particle or as immense as the wormhole from the 2014 film Interstellar. Explore how science fiction giants such as Arthur C. Clark, Larry Niven, Algis Budry, Gregory Benford, and others make use of the artifact.

A common setting for science fiction is the futuristic city. Compare two different interpretations of urban landscapes, looking first at the flying cars and enormous glass and steel buildings some stories envision, then the gritty, dark dystopia the cyberpunk era introduced. Also consider how depictions of the future cities address and reflect current anxieties.

Shift your attention to how science fiction grew through the last century into this one. Uncover how the genre has developed from having highly similar plots, audiences, and even authors, into a diverse field with international appreciation and ownership. Tour novels and stories featuring characters of all shapes and colors, written by authors of varying ethnicities, nationalities, and genders.

Science fiction is topping the best-seller lists, and many works of literary fiction now weave in elements that half a century ago would have been dismissed as science fiction. As more people realize that science fiction stories reflect the same struggles we are familiar with in literary fiction, Professor Wolfson shares his predictions of what this fascinating genre will continue to deliver.