I'm currently working on a thesis that seeks to discover some of the thematic similarities between modern Science Fiction and the romantic thoughts of Coleridge, Shelley, Wordsworth, etc. Here’s my working idea: (I'll try to cut it short...)
It seems to me that SF is often seen as being extremely sceptical about the human intrinsic worth. The human race always regresses in the future. When trying to discover mans place in the universe it always ends up as being very small. Either there are thousands of other superior races or the human race gets overrun by its own technology.
But is it possible to argue that in fact though all this, SF often just as well becomes a celebration of the one thing that we humans do seem to have that no other animal has: the imagination? It is after all the imagination enables us to write Science Fiction. And this imagination is inherent to man both in SF and romantic literature.
To the romantics the creation of a poem is a godlike ability. In SF mans creation is always monstrous and a result of mans yearning to become god. But isn’t it in fact two sides of the same coin? Is SF in fact not celebrating the uniqueness of mans intellect in much the same way as the romantic idea of the author?
The romantics were fascinated by the forces of nature, just as SF writers are fascinated by the abominations of Science. But is it not the same kind of fascination?
A long post I know If you come across any texts or have thoughts, ideas or comments i would truly love to know them. As I said this is just some of m initial working ideas.
Cheers!
It seems to me that SF is often seen as being extremely sceptical about the human intrinsic worth. The human race always regresses in the future. When trying to discover mans place in the universe it always ends up as being very small. Either there are thousands of other superior races or the human race gets overrun by its own technology.
But is it possible to argue that in fact though all this, SF often just as well becomes a celebration of the one thing that we humans do seem to have that no other animal has: the imagination? It is after all the imagination enables us to write Science Fiction. And this imagination is inherent to man both in SF and romantic literature.
To the romantics the creation of a poem is a godlike ability. In SF mans creation is always monstrous and a result of mans yearning to become god. But isn’t it in fact two sides of the same coin? Is SF in fact not celebrating the uniqueness of mans intellect in much the same way as the romantic idea of the author?
The romantics were fascinated by the forces of nature, just as SF writers are fascinated by the abominations of Science. But is it not the same kind of fascination?
A long post I know If you come across any texts or have thoughts, ideas or comments i would truly love to know them. As I said this is just some of m initial working ideas.
Cheers!