Science Fiction: Discussion II

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is a portmanteau word formed from ‘cybernetics’ and ‘pun’ coined by author Bruce Bethke in 1980 in his 1980 short story ‘cyberpunk’. It is usually dystopian and makes use of themes inspired by cyberspace, IT, internet, AI.

Time Travel

This subgenre was popularized by HG Wells ‘s novel The Time Machine. It is riddled by logical problems like grandfather paradox.

Alternate History stories are based on the premise that historical events might have turned out differently.

Think: What could have happened if Germany and Japan won the Second World War?

Well, this in fact, is the theme of Philip K Dicks’s The Man in the High Castle.

Also reflect on telling titles like Murray Leinster’s story Sidewise in Time.

Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920-April 6, 1992) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry best known for his works of science fiction. Asimov is considered a master of the genre along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C Clarke. Together they are known as the ‘Big Three’. Asimov’s most famous works are the Foundation Series, Galactic Empire series and Robot series.

Think:  Back to Future

Interesting Quotes:

Rod Serling: ‘Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science Fiction is the improbable made possible’.

Science Fiction has antecedents back to mythology- Wikipedia.