As humanity entered the twentieth century a breakdown in social convention and the resultant blossoming of social ideas lead to the conception of a new literary sub-genre, soft science fiction. Inspired by works including “The Iron Heel” by Jack London1, it used the deficiencies and corruptions in both capitalist and communist culture to predict a dystopian future. These counter or anti-utopian societies often focus on the dehumanisation of the proletariat, and how the ruling class use fear and war to control those below them. Every novel is as dissimilar as the authors who wrote them, with both the tools of oppression and the extent to which they are applied differing greatly. Although the books also vary in the style they are written the inherent trends that connect the sub-genre are obvious. (129 Words)…
The Left Hand of Darkness was published in 1969, won both the Hugo and Nebula awards and is considered a monolith in feminist science fiction, as it dealt with an androgynous humanoid species. Overlooked and underutilized, science fiction as a genre largely originated from American pulp magazines, and became the underdog of literature despite its revolutionary potential for envisioning new worlds and other ways of living. The Left Hand of Darkness remains relevant in the world of literature, as science fiction continues to endure and evolve as a genre and the philosophy of transcending barriers and dualism continues to be timeless and universal. With that in mind, I will investigate the question: How does Ursula K. Le Guin explore dualism and wholeness in her novel The Left Hand of Darkness?…
When we got the task, I had no idea about what this book would go. The book seemed the most interesting between the other stories. After I have read “Brave New World”, I was happy to have made this choice because It was nice to read it. The book has a great story that is well written by Leonard Huxley.…
In "Rolls for the Czar," by R. Kinkead, and in "What is Intelligence, Anyway?" by Isaac Asimov, intelligence assumes different forms. The two types of intelligence referred to are book smarts and quick wit. In the first story, Markov the baker demonstrates quick wit, while in the second story, Isaac Asimov ironically does not.…
Social, moral and cultural concerns of an era often influence the composition of noteworthy texts that have lasting relevance. Two texts that demonstrate this are Aldous Huxely’s satirical trail-blazer Brave New World, and Stanley Kubrick’s screenplay, 2001: A Space Odyssey, composed simultaneously as the novel of the same title by Arthur C. Clarke. Both texts were influenced by major world events at the time and continue to be of significance today; Huxley by the assembly line production of the Model T Ford and Kubrick by man’s imminent departure to the moon the following year. Both texts are renowned for paving the way for the science fiction genre.…
When Isaac Asimov envisioned a world in which robots would be as common as humans, he determined all of the ethics and morals that would bind these smart machines with three rules: “1. A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction allow it to come to harm, 2. A robot must always obey a human, unless this conflicts with the first law, 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as this doesn’t interfere with the first or second law” (Asimov, 1941). These three statements were baptized as the Three Laws of Robotics, and to the day they serve as a standard for robots and a goal for artificial intelligence researchers. But as the Laws were created in a time when people thought that by 2015 visiting Mercury would be a routine…
In James Herrick’s “Scientific Mythologies”, Herrick explains how science and science fiction forge new religious beliefs among our culture. Science fiction has been growing in popularity among our society and has promoted young people to take action in attempts to solve and research these myths as we move toward the future envisioned in some ways by science and science fiction. The myths that shape the public imaginations today consist of the new products and technologies that are portrayed in various assortments of the media and the blending of facts with speculation and scientific research. Herrick proposes his thesis in summary “the Western world has turned away from traditional religion and become a place where science fiction and speculative…
In the fearful mindset of the Cold War, in the wake of loss and growth, both terrible and good, William Faulkner encouraged hope, and the enduring spirit of young writers globally. Through the utilization of driving questions and repetition, Faulkner gradually built an argument for hopefulness, amplifying his point with each passing sentence of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech.…
However, Erickson has done just that. Creating five masterfully written short stories that captivate and excite readers, drawing them in and never letting go. I’m not choosing a favorite, since choosing a favorite would be like choosing a child and I love them all. I would say they are like reading short “Twilight Zone” excerpts only a thousand times better, more into the depths of Wells and other amazingly great sci-fi authors. There is something here for everyone, intriguing storylines that create underlying meaning and complex realities that lead to thought-provoking equations making this one book that will remain with you long after you’ve finished.…
There are a great many books devoted to changing the way that people think about the world. Between the Bible to the textbooks found in every university library, books have been written to teach us about the way the world works, and how we should see it. There have also been many books written to intellectually remove people from the real world, and temporarily place them in more endearing or more interesting worlds. Brave New World, while a science fiction at it’s core, is not a book to keep you entertained. Aldous Huxley’s thought provoking and deliberately worrying masterpiece takes on the job of the former, more difficult challenge, attempting to change ones perspective.…
7 For All Mankind is one of the first luxury denim labels in the market, the name is based on the idea that the average person owns 7 pairs of jeans at any given time (often referred to simply as Seven, Seven Jeans or 7FAM), was created by two denim designers, Dahan and Glasser, who had worked in the apparel industry for years. The company was created in response to what they saw as a void in the contemporary denim market. Focusing on women's denim lovers, the company’s premium jeans literally exploded onto the scene, quickly earning critical acclaim and an immediate following for its innovative use of fits, fabrics, washes, finishes, attention to detail in denim, and the iconic swooping logo that adorned the product's back pockets.…
From an early age there have been three classes, which I could not wait to go to. These three classes are also the subjects in which I excel in which are English, History, and Mathematics. The reasons why I excel in these classes are because of my Grandma, utilizing my resources, and self motivation.…
The view that I have selected and decided to analysed, explained and defend is the materialist theory. The main reason for my choice of this view over the idealist one is that, in my opinion, empiricism shows us humans and provide hard evidence which I will detailed in this opinion piece that matter does exists and we are surrounded by it on a day to day basis. The great Philosopher John Locke express his opinion which I clearly agree with that our minds have no ideas and concepts when we are born, as such we develop and gain knowledge over time from experiences. Without experiencing sensation or reflection we generally would not be able to differentiate the differences between physical properties such as shapes, size, texture or colour. For…
! There would be no problem, ...if the human intellect were even, and like a fair sheet of paper with no writing on it.…
The science fiction is present in movies as Star Trek (2009) with their concept tries to influence in our thought. Create in our mind a wonderful world, dominated by…