Predictions of Science Fiction That Came True

Journal of Scientific Temper, 2019

The known in collaboration with the prevalent helps explore the variations of problems and helps derive the best possible solution from amongst the comprehensible ability of mankind. Nevertheless, this perception of the problem as well as the projected solution might not be the best-isolated pair if observed from a neutral window of infinite possibilities. The unknown, therefore, holds answers which must be explored. This paper attempts to elaborate the significance of investigating the Unknown or the Fictitious in the real world, considering examples, exemplars and prospects.

This introduction to a special issue of Thesis Eleven devoted to science fiction begins by exploring the way the genre has been handled by German and French critical theory and their Anglophone equivalents. It proceeds to a discussion of the historical sociology of the genre and, thence, to an account of what it terms the dialectic of science fiction endangerment. Finally, it concludes with a brief overview of the various contributions to the issue.

Vom Suchen, Verstehen und Teilen ... Wissen in der Fantastik., 2016

Knowledge is constitutive of the genre of science fiction – the genre that bears knowledge in its very name. This article discusses the two main ways in which knowledge appears in the genre – speculation and reflection – on the basis of two prototypical works: Encounter with Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It will be shown that both aspects are means of representing the central functions of science fiction, in that speculation on the one hand offers glimpses of possible futures and alternative histories, and reflection on the other hand stimulates further reflection on the conditions of (human) life through fantastic means. In this respect, science fiction in particular is engaged in a constant socio-political dialogue that goes beyond its fantastic character and points back to reality. This is a translation of an article that originally was published in German.

71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 2020

In this manuscript a follow-up to our 2019 study is presented, in which was argued that modern popular culture has the power to engage the public with space, and it is here in the nexus between science fact, science fiction, and entertainment that the majority of the public encounters space for the first time. A range of examples were presented to illustrate how the space aspect figures in particular contexts, and how these leverage the power of contemporary media and popular culture to engage the public with space in a more thoughtful way, with the use of space in popular culture, for example, supporting education, or allowing for the telling of stories and the exploration of various aspects of the human condition by providing a detached context for social commentary on politically sensitive issues. Here, we present three case studies with in-depth analyses on (i) the space activities of animals in African fairy tales in light of international space regulations, (ii) the role of 'good science' in the interplay between video games (as modern popular culture artefacts), space, and education, and (iii) how 'traditional' circus can be defined in space narratives, and how space narratives expand on and transcend the cultural imaginary of the circus and its comic protagonist, the clown, in particular. Together, these three case studies examine both educational and cultural aspects, and their connections to space activities, in unique ways, presenting the fruits of the collaborative energy of the co-constituted relationships of popular culture and outer space-the nexus of which emerges as a new conceptual space. The findings reinforce the importance of scientific education as it inspires and raises interest in our universe and environment, illustrate that video games as popular culture artefacts are also educational enablers of the next wave of space exploration, and highlight that space stories recognise the circus's role as a cultural agent. Together, they broaden our understanding of the various ways in which the public engages in space through culture.

Science and fiction, 2014

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

1998

NOTES AND MEMORIES ON SCIENCE FICTION GOODBYE TO EXTRAPOLATION (1995) SOME NOTES & MEMORIES ON DALE MULLEN'S MAIEUTICS (1998) D. Suvin, Parables of Freedom and Narrative Logics: Positions and Presuppositions in Science Fiction and Utopianism, 2 Vols. Ed. Eric D. Smith. Oxford: P. Lang, 2021. ch30

Event Horizon, 2010

sociology.org

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022

2017

CentraI to The Other Trans-Atlantic is the contention that kinetic art was a species of realism, reflecting the new socioeconomic realities emerging in the geographies considered by our project. In seeking to test the hypothesis that the pervasive curiosity, if not enthusiasm, for science and technology, as refracted through the lens of innovative artistic practices, led to the embrace of optical and kinetic forms, we,the editors, wondered if we might find correlating interests in other artistic languages and cultural forms. In trying to understand the way in which these forces (industrialization, scientific discovery, etc) changed everyday life and therefore shaped visual culture, we happened"pan two books, We Modern People: Science Fiction and the Making of Russian Modernity by Anindita Banerjee and The Emergence of Lain American Science Fiction by Rachel Haywood Ferreira. It became clear that kinetic and Op artists were applying in the visual field what Science fiction write...

1975

Four Worries on Science Fiction Contexts (1970-75) -Is the Publisher Always Right? (1970-72) -SF Writers, the Great Consensus, and Non-Alignment (1973) -On Tony Wolk in SFS #8: Does Criticism Have Premises? (1976) -SF and Pulp-Paper Publishing Practices (1974) D. Suvin, Parables of Freedom and Narrative Logics: Positions and Presuppositions in Science Fiction and Utopianism, 2 Vols. Ed. Eric D. Smith. Oxford: P. Lang, 2021. chapter 7

Arts in Context - Kunst, Forschung, Gesellschaft, 2020

Science fiction invents completely new worlds against the background of scientific research. This study is devoted to narrative approaches to this incessant toing and froing between stimulating speculation and probability. Science-Fiction erfindet vor dem Hintergrund von naturwissenschaftlichen Forschungen völlig neue Welten. Eine Untersuchung widmet sich den erzählerischen Herangehensweisen an dieses unablässige Hin und Her zwischen anregender Spekulation und Wahrscheinlichkeit.

Mito y ciencia ficción, 2021

The relationship between myth and science fiction is a complex one. Frequently, the boundary between these two correlates of our imaginary seem to blur; all the more since the beginning of the industrial revolution when the usual extraordinary scenarios of the mythical stories were also represented by science fiction. It seems as if the relentless progress of this genre threatened the existence of myth. This attempt of usurpation runs in parallel with the exponential advances in empirical science. A scientific study is therefore necessary to analyse its common features and determine its limits, especially within the context of the new society dominated by images.

Space and Culture, 2018

This article examines how science fiction literature illustrates that exploring the “space above” and journeys toward it necessitates engaging with different types of knowledge, not least scientific-technological and imaginative ones. Scholarship in geography and urban and social studies has recently experienced what has been called a “vertical turn,” that is, a growing attention to the third dimension of space, and researchers call for more interdisciplinary experiments and commitment. This article argues that fictional literature is a valuable source of inquiry and, moreover, that it is precisely science fiction itself that illustrates the need to draw on various types of knowledge in order to explore issues of verticality and the space above. It examines an early modern text from a period before technological ascent into space became possible and a 20th-century novel set at the beginning of the rocket age: Francis Godwin’s The Man in the Moone; or a Voyage Thither, written someti...