The nature and meaning of science fiction literature

[cyborg_cinema]

The "future" hasn't caught up with familiar science fiction props—such as cyborgs, time travel and alien invaders—just yet. But are robots, time machines and space monsters cliché?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Returning to this...

While I agree that the original definition may seem a very pan-genre requirement, the more I think about it, the greater the difficulty I have in applying this to other genres, such as fantasy, horror, and romance, and the more and more I see science fiction as being in the most unique position to apply it.

However, is this simply because I'm only able to think upon the stronger masters of SF, who are going to have a strong literary backbone in the first place - or is it simply that SF may deal with issues of relationships between humanity and space more literally, but not necessarily meaningfully?

 

[cyborg_cinema]

...from the introduction of Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness:

“Science fiction, is often described, and even defined, as extrapolative. The science fiction writer is supposed to take a trend or phenomenon of the here-and-now, purify and intensify it for dramatic effect, and extend it into the future.”

According to Le Guin, such extrapolation is “far too rationalist and simplistic to satisfy the imaginative mind, whether the writer’s or the reader’s.”

extrapolate: "to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information."

...without having her entire introduction, I think Le Guin is contradictive here. Since the "imaginative mind" drives scientific extrapolation, the imaginative mind has itself to blame for speculative fiction stories that are too rationalistic and simplistic to satisfy the imaginative mind.

 

[Arkangel]

Statement:

"Science fiction is primarily about exploring humanity's relationship with itself and in relation to the universe."

Storytelling throughout history has not been just for entertainment but also to start a debate, bring in a radical new idea and make people think, to spread a revolution in thinking. Sci-fi takes this to a new level. The statement is for the most part accurate. You left out god (this would only count if you do not consider universe as God). While being not religious and not completely scientific, I add the phrase "in relation to God."

Sci-fi explores a new level of experiences that relate to our life and culture here in the present time. What we do today reflect tomorrow and the speculative science of today a dull and boring technology of tomorrow. While fantasy does not deal with science they do deal with magic and most speculative science today looks like magic to most of us. And also lost science and technology are also termed as magic. But Sci-fi and fantasy are written on the same basic drive, to create a new vision and reality for the readers. They are both at the extreme end of the spectrum on a rainbow but are still on the same light beam.

Third question: This I do not understand and at a lost to answer.

I hope this keeps the ball moving. Did I stir any hornet's nest here? God is a very dangerous word to use in any forum.