In The Road to Science Fiction: From Gilgamesh to Wells, James Gunn put forth the idea that the Industrial Revolution sparked the change that needed to happen before science fiction could become a true genre. He wrote that people “had to adopt an open mind about the nature of the universe — it’s beginning and […]
In my research for this project, I’ve found a lot of different — even conflicting — definitions of science fiction. In fact, one author wrote, “A definition of science fiction can be attempted in twenty words and remain unachieved in two thousand.” Frederick Pohl claimed that “Science fiction is a way of thinking about things.” […]
I once had a dream — a science fiction fan community run convention for Sonoma County, where I grew up and was once living. Then I moved. But, while I still had that dream I wrote this “Keynote Address” for the first SonomaCon as one of my Toastmaster Speeches. Enjoy! Introduction Carma Spence will be […]
This essay was written for my “Science Fiction and American Culture” class. “Who Am I?” and “What is my purpose?” are questions often asked in art. The answers have taken the form of 2-inch think novels, 10-page short stories, and 2-hour films. The question has been cried out in sculpture, paintings, and music. Some say […]
This essay was written for a class I took called “Science Fiction and American Culture.” It was in response to three short stories and one novel: “Thunder and Roses” by Theodore Sturgeon, “The Roads Must Roll” by Robert Heinlein, “Coming Attraction” by Fritz Leiber, and The Space Merchants, by Frederik Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth. You […]
A Brief Overview of Common Subjects Machines Humankind and its relationship with machines (robots, computers, gadgets) is probably one of the most dominant themes in science fiction. From Don Quixote’s duel with a windmill to Sarah Connor’s flight from the Terminator, science fiction has often concerned itself with the gadgets we make and whether it […]
The following essay was a paper I wrote for a class I took called “Science Fiction and American Culture.” It compares Philip K. Dick’s novel Blader Runner, originally titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to the movie based on it, Blade Runner. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was first published in 1968. You […]
