The Evolution of Science Fiction (Feat. Lindsay Ellis) | It's Lit!

Summary

This script explores the evolution of science fiction, from its philosophical roots in the Enlightenment and Gothic fiction, to the industrial innovations of the 18th and 19th centuries. It highlights seminal works like Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and the contributions of HG Wells and Jules Verne. The script discusses the genre's mainstream emergence in the 1920s, its 'golden age' with authors like Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury, and the rise of cyberpunk and Afrofuturism. It emphasizes sci-fi's role in examining societal anxieties and technological advancements, inviting viewers to reflect on their favorite sci-fi books and desired themes.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The script laments the lack of futuristic technologies like flying cars and robot servants that were once imagined.
• 🤖 It raises philosophical questions about the potential consciousness and emotional capabilities of robots.
• 📚 Science fiction is a genre that explores future technologies and societal changes, often reflecting current anxieties and hopes.
• 📜 The script traces the origins of science fiction back to ancient myths and stories, such as 'Urashima Taro' and '1001 Arabian Nights'.
• 🏛️ The Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution were pivotal in shaping the modern science fiction genre.
• 📖 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley is noted as a foundational work of science fiction, exploring the moral implications of scientific discovery.
• 🌍 HG Wells and Jules Verne are highlighted as influential authors who helped define early science fiction with their focus on adventure and moral commentary.
• 💥 The mid-20th century, including World War II and the space race, saw a surge in science fiction's popularity and its exploration of dystopian futures.
• 🖥️ The rise of personal computing and the internet influenced later science fiction, which began to explore themes of technology's impact on society.
• 🌌 Afrofuturism is mentioned as a subgenre that brings more diversity to science fiction, focusing on the experiences of people of color.
• 📊 The script concludes by encouraging viewers to vote for their favorite books, suggesting the ongoing relevance and evolution of the science fiction genre.

Q & A

What are some of the futuristic technologies that the narrator expected but hasn't seen yet?

The narrator expected flying cars, food in pill forms, and robot servants.

What does the narrator suggest about the role of science fiction in relation to technology and society?

The narrator suggests that science fiction is a genre that explores the future, often worried about technological advancements and their implications on society.

Who is Isaac Asimov and what does he say about science fiction writers?

Isaac Asimov is a science fiction writer who stated that science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, but solutions to problems and catastrophes are not.

What are some examples of early science fiction stories mentioned in the script?

Examples include the Japanese fairytale 'Urashima Taro' and speculative elements from '1001 Arabian Nights'.

How did the Age of Enlightenment influence the development of science fiction?

The Age of Enlightenment elevated reason and empirical observation as the basis for human knowledge, which helped shape the speculative nature of science fiction.

What is the significance of the Industrial Revolution in the context of science fiction?

The Industrial Revolution brought about significant technological changes, providing a backdrop for science fiction to explore the impact of such advancements.

Who is Mary Shelley and why is her novel 'Frankenstein' considered an early work of science fiction?

Mary Shelley is the author of 'Frankenstein', which is considered an early work of science fiction because it explores scientific ambition, moral and ethical considerations, and societal anxieties.

What are the contributions of HG Wells and Jules Verne to the science fiction genre?

HG Wells contributed moralizing novels like 'The Time Machine', while Jules Verne pioneered adventure-driven romantic sci-fi operas.

How did the mid-1920s influence the popularity of science fiction?

The mid-1920s saw the rise of pulp magazines and novels, making science fiction more mainstream, though often associated with low art.

What major historical events during the mid-20th century coincided with the golden age of science fiction?

World War II and the Cold War, along with the development of the atomic bomb and the moon landing, coincided with the golden age of science fiction.

Which authors are mentioned as part of the next generation of science fiction writers after the golden age?

Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Orson Scott Card, Michael Crichton, and Octavia E. Butler are mentioned.

What is Afrofuturism and how is Octavia E. Butler associated with it?

Afrofuturism is a subgenre that explores African and African diaspora culture and history with a focus on technology and science fiction. Octavia E. Butler is associated with it due to her works featuring women of color as protagonists and exploring themes of race and identity.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Evolution of Science Fiction

This paragraph delves into the history and development of science fiction as a genre. It begins with a reflection on the unfulfilled promises of the future, such as flying cars and robot servants, and how these aspirations have shaped the genre. It then traces the roots of science fiction back to the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, highlighting the influence of Gothic fiction and philosophical concepts like utopia and dystopia. The paragraph discusses the seminal works of early science fiction authors like Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein', HG Wells, and Jules Verne. It also covers the impact of World War II and the atomic bomb on the genre, leading to the golden age of science fiction with authors like Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and George Orwell. The paragraph concludes with the rise of new subgenres and authors, such as cyberpunk, Afrofuturism, and the exploration of gender and societal issues in science fiction.

05:03

🌟 The Future of Science Fiction and Inclusivity

The second paragraph focuses on the increasing diversity in science fiction, emphasizing the importance of representation and different worldviews in enriching the genre. It discusses how science fiction has evolved from a genre rooted in fear of societal collapse to one that explores the nuanced relationship between humanity and technology. The paragraph also touches on how technology in science fiction can be a tool for social change rather than just a harbinger of doom. It ends with an invitation for viewers to share their favorite sci-fi books and desired themes, and promotes 'The Great American Read' series by PBS, which aims to determine America's favorite novel through public voting.

Keywords

💡Science Fiction

Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. In the script, science fiction is portrayed as a medium that explores humanity's anxieties and hopes for the future, often focusing on the implications of technological advancements. It's highlighted through references to classic sci-fi authors like Isaac Asimov and modern themes such as artificial intelligence and space colonization.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness, in the context of the script, refers to the quality or state of awareness, or the ability to experience thoughts, emotions, and sensations. It is used to ponder the hypothetical scenario where robots develop self-awareness, raising questions about their potential feelings and reactions to human society, such as using Twitter to express themselves.

💡Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment, mentioned in the script, was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. It emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism regarding traditional ideas and social structures. In the video, the Enlightenment is noted as one of the eras that shaped modern science fiction by promoting empirical observation and rational thinking.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution refers to the period during the 18th and 19th centuries where agrarian societies became industrial and urban. This era saw significant technological advancements such as the steam engine, which greatly influenced society. The script indicates that this period of innovation laid the groundwork for science fiction by showcasing the transformative power of technology.

💡Frankenstein

Frankenstein, or 'The Modern Prometheus,' is a novel by Mary Shelley that is considered one of the first works of science fiction. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, who creates a sapient creature from discarded body parts. The script uses Frankenstein as an example of early science fiction that explores the moral and ethical implications of scientific discovery.

💡Jules Verne

Jules Verne was a French author who is considered one of the 'fathers of science fiction.' Known for his adventure-driven, romantic sci-fi novels, Verne's works are characterized by their imaginative visions of advanced technology and exploration. The script mentions Verne as a pioneer in the genre, with his books sending readers on thrilling journeys beyond the known world.

💡HG Wells

HG Wells was an English writer who is also considered one of the 'fathers of science fiction.' His works often took a more cautionary and moralizing tone, exploring the darker implications of technological progress. The script contrasts Wells' pessimistic view of humanity's future with Verne's optimistic adventures.

💡Pulp Magazines

Pulp magazines, prevalent in the mid-1920s as mentioned in the script, were inexpensive publications that featured a wide range of fiction genres, including early science fiction. They were known for their mass production and low cost, which helped popularize the genre but also led to a focus on quantity over quality in storytelling.

💡Golden Age of Science Fiction

The 'Golden Age of Science Fiction' refers to a period between the 1930s and 1950s when the genre gained significant popularity and saw the emergence of many influential sci-fi authors. The script highlights this era by mentioning authors like Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov, whose works tackled profound questions about technology and society.

💡Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that features advanced technological and scientific achievements, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order. The script references Philip K. Dick as a popularizer of cyberpunk, where his works, despite technological progress, often depict a dystopian society with significant inequities.

💡Afrofuturism

Afrofuturism is a cultural movement that combines African diaspora culture, technology, and science fiction aesthetics. It is represented in the script through the works of Octavia E. Butler, who wrote about women of color in futuristic settings, thus contributing to a more diverse representation in the genre and exploring themes of identity and technology.

Highlights

Modern life's lack of flying cars and robot servants compared to sci-fi predictions.

The question of robot consciousness and their potential feelings about social media.

The inspiration behind science fiction, including hopes and anxieties about the future.

Isaac Asimov's view on science fiction foreseeing the inevitable but not the solutions.

The historical roots of science fiction in myths and fairytales like 'Urashima Taro' and '1001 Arabian Nights'.

The Age of Enlightenment's impact on shaping science fiction as a genre.

The Industrial Revolution's role in bringing technological changes that influenced science fiction.

Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' as a seminal work in the genre with its themes of science and ethics.

The emergence of HG Wells and Jules Verne as key authors in the development of science fiction.

The moralizing tone of HG Wells' work contrasting with Jules Verne's adventure-driven stories.

The mid-1920s as the period where science fiction began to go mainstream through pulp magazines.

World War II and the space race's influence on the so-called golden age of science fiction.

Prominent authors of the golden age such as Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and George Orwell.

Philip K. Dick's contribution to the cyberpunk subgenre and the societal inequities in his works.

Ursula K. Le Guin's exploration of a genderless society in her science fiction.

Frank Herbert's 'Dune' and its influence on memes and science fiction culture.

The impact of personal computers and the internet on science fiction, exemplified by Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' series.

Michael Crichton's cautionary tales about the dangers of irresponsible science.

Octavia E. Butler's significance in developing Afrofuturism and featuring women of color as protagonists.

The growing mainstream attention to diverse authors in science fiction.

The dual nature of technology in science fiction as both a tool for social change and a potential destroyer of societies.

Invitation to participate in The Great American Read to vote on America's favorite novel.

Transcripts

NARRATOR: Man, modern day to day life sure is dull.

Here I am sitting, in traffic during my commute.

And I'm like, where's my flying car.

I was promised flying cars and food that comes in pill forms

and robot servants.

And all I got was Twitter.

Where's my robot?

But with the question of where's my robot,

there also comes follow up questions,

like what if my robot develops consciousness.

Will the robots have feelings about Twitter?

What if the robot starts tweeting their feelings?

Such hopes and anxieties inspire the wide and wonderful world

of science fiction, a genre that is just as much worried

about the future as it is easier for the hurry up already.

We need to colonize Mars, stat.

In the words of sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov,

"science fiction writers foresee the inevitable.

And although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable,

solutions are not."

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Stories, tales, and myths from all around the world posing

speculative questions about technologies

have existed long before Ray Bradbury and Frank Herbert.

From the time-traveling Japanese fairytale "Urashima Taro"

to some of the speculative elements of "1001

Arabian Nights."

But there are a few eras that began

to shape what we've come to know as science fiction today.

First, the Age of Enlightenment, an 18th century

philosophical movement that elevated

reason and empirical observation as the nexus

for human knowledge rather than, say,

religious doctrine or monarchy.

Then there was the Industrial Revolution,

a period of innovation that brought

so many watershed technological changes to the world,

like steam engines and smog.

Throw in a dash of the hot new romantic subgenre

of Gothic fiction, add in a few still

popular philosophical ideas like the concept of utopia

and mankind's great fall, and you've

got the scene for the birth of a new modern genre

with what is widely considered its first prominent work, Mary

Shelley's 1818 novel "Frankenstein."

Shelley was partially inspired to write

this from the Prometheus myth in which a Greek deity steals

the forbidden knowledge of fire from the gods

and gives it to mankind.

And while a Victorian novel might not

be the first thing that springs to mind when we think

of science fiction, we see a lot of somatic hallmarks

of sci-fi within the text, such as science being limited only

by humankind's imagination, i.e.

Victor Frankenstein wish to end mortality,

the moral and ethical considerations

in the advent of new technologies,

and the rubric for science fiction

as an exploration of our anxieties

of the present and the future.

By the mid to late 19th century, we

see the emergence of two of science-fiction's

seminal authors, HG Wells and Jules Verne.

Jules Verne pioneered the adventure-driven romantic

sci-fi opera.

His most famous works are dashing adventures

that send us beyond the reach of the known world

before actual science had yet to catch up.

Meanwhile, HG Wells' novels are over here taking

a much more moralizing tone.

In "The Time Machine," humankind has

devolved into either childlike, naive beings

or complete monsters.

And eventually, Earth ends up as a dried out seasonless husk.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, HG.

By the mid-1920s, pulp magazines and novels are en vogue.

And it's here where science fiction really

begins to go mainstream, for better or worse.

Authors are paid by the word and rewarded

for quantity over quality, so science fiction is pretty much

grouped with other so-called low art,

like comic books and serialized romances.

But then World War II comes along,

and the United States falls into a decades-long conflict

with the USSR.

And the atomic bomb comes with all sorts

of horrifying existential implications.

Oh, and also we flew to the moon, NBD.

All of this coincides with the so-called golden age of science

fiction and its prominent authors, Robert Heinlein,

author of "Starship Troopers" and "Stranger

in a Strange Land," Ray Bradbury, author

of "Fahrenheit 451" and the "Martian Chronicles"

and a genuine cool dude, Isaac Asimov,

who focuses on artificial intelligence

and the ethical questions that come with that,

and George Orwell, whose "1984" is very worried

about the future, particularly the idea

of big brother using technology to keep us all in line.

From these inspirations follows the next generation of writers,

with Philip K Dick popularizing the nascent subgenre

of cyberpunk in which technology continues to advance,

but societal inequities continue to exist or even get worse.

Ursula K LeGuin pens one of the first mainstream

sci-fi books to explore a genderless society.

And frank Herbert gave us "Dune" and memes, so many memes.

The rise of personal computers, video games,

and the very beginnings of the internet

inspires Orson Scott Card, who's "Ender's Game" series, which

is one of my favorites, even though the author

of those books isn't, predicted all sorts of fun things

like how the internet would shape

the discourse and the gamification of warfare.

Then there's Michael Crichton, a commercial sci-fi writer

who often reads like a modern day Mary Shelley, in that it

warns of the dangers of irresponsible science,

except swap that creature out for dinosaurs.

And then there's Octavia E Butler,

the grande dame of this genre.

Her works like "Parable of the Sower," "Lilith's Brood,"

and the Patternist series all featured women

of color as protagonists, hitherto grossly

under-represented in the genre.

But Butler was seminal to the development of the Afrofuturism

subgenre.

Afrofuturism is, well, exactly what it sounds like.

Think the concept albums of Janelle Monae or Ryan Coogler's

"Black Panther."

Women and people of color have always

been writing science fiction, ahem.

But now they're getting more and more mainstream attention.

And more diverse worldviews just makes for a more interesting,

more dynamic fiction scape.

Science fiction may have its roots

in reactionary motifs and worries

about the myriad ways civilization might fall.

But there exists also a more nuanced exploration

of the human condition and its relationship to technology.

Technologies in fiction can just as often

be a tool to effect social change

as it is a scary thing destined to destroy

traditional societies as we know them.

Here's looking at you, HG Wells.

So what is your favorite sci-fi book?

What themes do you wish were more explored

in science fiction?

Be sure to leave us a comment.

The Great American Read is a new series

on PBS about why we love to read leading up

to a nationwide vote on America's favorite novel.

Who decides America's favorite novel, you ask?

Well, that would be you.

So head to PBS.org/GreatAmericanRead

to vote on your favorite book.

Check the link in the description for more details.

[MUSIC PLAYING]