NICC Library: Monthly Spotlight: Science Fiction

National Science Fiction Day

Noun & Adjective

Fiction or poetry depicting some aspect of current scientific knowledge
An apparently unlikely scientific theory or assertion
Fiction in which the setting and story feature hypothetical scientific or technological advances, the existence of alien life, space, or time travel, etc.
- esp. such fiction set in the future, or an imagined alternative universe.

Also known as Sci-Fi

To escape reality
Challenge assumptions that otherwise go unexamined
It shows where our society might have ended up, for better and for worse, had things been different.
With advancing technologies and realities, it helps explore questions.
Can plants seeds for great advancements
Can give us tools to interpret the world around us and investigate aspects of our lives that are too complex
It helps people change their perspectives

Science Fiction became most evident in the West during the Industrial Revolution
The term 'Science Fiction' was popularized, if not invented, in the 1920s
- Was also once called 'scientifiction'
Science Fiction became super popular in the '50s because of developments in technology
- think nuclear energy and space exploration
- The end of WW2 also helped
Fantasy is different than Sci-Fi because science fiction tends to have more questions of scientific and technological plausibility while fantasy doesn't (typically).
Science Fiction is considered to be a modern genre due to how young it is.
It's been argued that the inspiration for science fiction traces back to classical mythology
1926 magazine Amazing Stars is the first true science fiction magazine
- This was made by Hugo Gernsback
Hugo tried to trademark the term science fiction, and he paid writers so little that H. P. Lovecraft later nicknamed him “Hugo the Rat.”
- Jokes on Lovecraft because the most famous sci-fi writing award is called the Hugo
In the 1960s, James Tiptree Jr. penned sci-fi classics but was so secretive that people thought he was a spy
- At age 61 it was revealed that Tiptree wasn't a spy but outspoken feminist Alice B. Sheldon

First, there are two main types of Science Fiction:

Then you have some Sub-Genres:

The Creation Story
- When new things/people/creatures/places are made or explored
The Fantastic Voyage
- It's those brave, scientist-type explorers who go to where humans don't normally live
Domestic Science Fiction
- This is those new encounters- with new tech, other life forms, etc.
Space Opera
- Sci-Fi equivalent to historical epics
- Stories featuring vast distances involving many worlds and planets.
Cyberpunk
- This is your dystopian world, whether they are high-tech or trashpiles.
Steampunk
- Not to be confused with cyberpunk, but is usually set in a historical period (like the Victorian era) but with many technological advancements
Post-Apocalyptic
- The world was already destroyed by an apocalypse, and now your characters are living in it
Cosmic Horror
- As it sounds, it's your classic sci-fi definition, but with all the scary things happening to everyone

Information gathered from NBC News and The Collector.