Is sci fi still sci fi without humans?

[rosella666]

And by humans I mean anything related to us; our situations, problems, culture, politics, economy etc. or even objects personified to go through human
situations (example Wall. E).

If we exclude all that, will a film/work or writing still be considered sci fi if it just has elements of science (space, planets, technology etc)
but no humans.?

 

[REBerg]

Wouldn't such works take the "fi" out of sci fi?

 

[rosella666]

Hmm.... you are right. But what if it was a story of a dog travelling through space trying to solve dog problems?

I know its a dumb example but what if it was a fictional scenario set in science but not involving anything human?

 

[Cathbad]

I don't know why humans would be a necessary factor?

 

[Harpo]

A story of alien races fighting a war with spaceships in the far future, using various fictional technology. No humans involved, but undeniably science fiction

 

[REBerg]

Hmm.... you are right. But what if it was a story of a dog travelling through space trying to solve dog problems?

I know its a dumb example but what if it was a fictional scenario set in science but not involving anything human?

That would take the human element out of the story, provided that the story was actually written by the dog.
I don't know how the human perspective can be neutralized if humans are creating the stories. If a non-human would present us with an independently written book or a film, would we able to understand or even relate to it?

 

[Cathbad]

That would take the human element out of the story, provided that the story was actually written by the dog.
I don't know how the human perspective can be neutralized if humans are creating the stories. If a non-human would present us with an independently written book or a film, would we able to understand or even relate to it?

One could have the story written by a fictional author, then list it as "As Interpreted By" the real author.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I see no prob with it at all.

 

[REBerg]

One could have the story written by a fictional author, then list it as "As Interpreted By" the real author.

Something like: John & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Human, by Marley, as told to John Grogan?

 

[rosella666]

Thanks for your insight and response guys, I need a topic for my term paper. The topic should be an argument about Sci-Fi and I have no topic so far (

 

[REBerg]

Seems like you could do a lot with the topic you presented -- pros and/or cons of human-free sci fi.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Thanks for your insight and response guys, I need a topic for my term paper. The topic should be an argument about Sci-Fi and I have no topic so far (

To answer your original question, there's quite a lot of SF that doesn't involve humans...but with a caveat. For example Iain M. Bank's Culture novels involve a universe that does have the Earth but, apart from one short story which is set on our world, none of his 'fleshy' protagonists are officially human. However they tend to be bipedal and human-like in their characters, so it's a bit of a cop-out.

As for a topic, how about:

Is Science fiction still relevant? You could possibly argue that our current world is more 'SF' than most Science Fiction, for example ideas on the frontiers of Science have far outstripped the imaginations of our SF writers (when it used to be argued that it was the other way around forty or fifty years ago) , and the pace of technology change is speeding by at an unprecedented rate. And if SF is still relevant, where does SF go now?

For the record I think it is

 

[rosella666]

Wow

To answer your original question, there's quite a lot of SF that doesn't involve humans...but with a caveat. For example Iain M. Bank's Culture novels involve a universe that does have the Earth but, apart from one short story which is set on our world, none of his 'fleshy' protagonists are officially human. However they tend to be bipedal and human-like in their characters, so it's a bit of a cop-out.

As for a topic, how about:

Is Science fiction still relevant? You could possibly argue that our current world is more 'SF' than most Science Fiction, for example ideas on the frontiers of Science have far outstripped the imaginations of our SF writers (when it used to be argued that it was the other way around forty or fifty years ago) , and the pace of technology change is speeding by at an unprecedented rate. And if SF is still relevant, where does SF go now?

For the record I think it is

Woah thanks! That is a relevant topic! Thankyou so much

 

[rosella666]

Seems like you could do a lot with the topic you presented -- pros and/or cons of human-free sci fi.

I had this in mind as well! Thankyou so much for the idea

 

[REBerg]

To answer your original question, there's quite a lot of SF that doesn't involve humans...but with a caveat. For example Iain M. Bank's Culture novels involve a universe that does have the Earth but, apart from one short story which is set on our world, none of his 'fleshy' protagonists are officially human. However they tend to be bipedal and human-like in their characters, so it's a bit of a cop-out.

As for a topic, how about:

Is Science fiction still relevant? You could possibly argue that our current world is more 'SF' than most Science Fiction, for example ideas on the frontiers of Science have far outstripped the imaginations of our SF writers (when it used to be argued that it was the other way around forty or fifty years ago) , and the pace of technology change is speeding by at an unprecedented rate. And if SF is still relevant, where does SF go now?

For the record I think it is

I would take it a step further and argue that science fiction is the most relevant form of fiction in today's world. Advances in science give sci-fi writers a more credible extrapolation points and greater chances of producing what might become solutions to the real problems we face as a species.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I would take it a step further and argue that science fiction is the most relevant form of fiction in today's world. Advances in science give sci-fi writers a more credible extrapolation points and greater chances of producing what might become solutions to the real problems we face as a species.

Whilst I agree with you, that the best SF really does look forward and can do so chillingly accurately, there is the point that a lot of mainstream SF can really be seen as so old-fashioned. Star Wars, which I think I a lot of non-SF peeps will point at as 'default SF' is weirdly retro. Notwithstanding the fact that it aped some of the characteristics of the 1930's Flash Gordon - X-wings dogfight like aeroplanes, star destroyers operate like naval battleships and some characters go into a gun fight with a space sword!

I remember going to see Star Wars in the cinema as a six year old in 1977, and at the time it was 'the future' (okay, okay, it was set a long, long time ago...but you know what I mean!). But having (possibly) grown up, my position has changed more to the opposite.

 

[rosella666]

You guys seem well versed in Sci-Fi!
Do you guys have any book/film recommendations that can be used to support these statements?
I love reading Sci-Fi literature and watching Sci-Fi movies so I will look forward to your recommendations
And don't worry, I will credit you guys in my term paper because you actually helped a lot

 

[chrispenycate]

It really depends on the definition of 'human' - but on a relatively strict limitation, two leap to mind:- John Brunner's 'Crucible of time' (where the characters are boneless, and inflate hydraulically, and have never come into contact with humans, and the Quintaglio Ascension series byRobert J Sawyer, featuring dinosaurs whose ancestors left Earth several tens of millions of years before humanity were evolved.
Obviously there are plenty more where humans are extinct, and their inheritors have the dialogue, and oodles more where a very small number of humans (frequently only one) are used as a reference for an alien society.

 

[rosella666]

It really depends on the definition of 'human' - but on a relatively strict limitation, two leap to mind:- John Brunner's 'Crucible of time' (where the characters are boneless, and inflate hydraulically, and have never come into contact with humans, and the Quintaglio Ascension series byRobert J Sawyer, featuring dinosaurs whose ancestors left Earth several tens of millions of years before humanity were evolved.
Obviously there are plenty more where humans are extinct, and their inheritors have the dialogue, and oodles more where a very small number of humans (frequently only one) are used as a reference for an alien society.

Yes. That was what I was going for, works of sci-fi with no humans and no personified characters going through human situations Thanks for the examples! I'll be looking them up

 

[chrispenycate]

Perhaps add some CJ Cherryh (she does a mean alien society) even if there is one human in the picture - try Cuckoo's egg or one of the Chanur series (no, not the nineteen volumes of the Foreigner series - the human is too central to the incredibly extended plot).

Incidentally, I've got the Brunner in my bookshelves, but not the Sawyers.