the history of science fiction adam roberts

Throughout my life, I’ve read voraciously, including classic science fiction, and I loved the writings of authors such as Ursula K. Political turmoil created excellent fodder for writers, and in France, the French revolution sparked a surge in science fiction novels. Roberts shows us how Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels and Voltaire’s Micromégas are classic science fiction in their world-building via the ‘voyage extraordinaire’ and speculation of the human condition. Science fiction came into its own during the Enlightenment-the time of Newton, the poetry of physics and the satires of Jonathon Swift and Voltaire. The blossoming of rational thought drove scientific discovery and the ‘what-if’ nature of science fiction, but the bonds of the Catholic Church had to be broken before free-thinkers could live without fear of excommunication or even death.

For without liberty to freely research and publish the results, which might infringe on the centrist power of the Catholic Church, then to speculate in a science fiction sense is also forbidden. As Roberts expounds on the absolute power grip that the Catholic Church had on every aspect of society, including the sciences, I realized that he was on to something. I hold some skepticism of his entire premise, but there are points in favor of his theory. Le Guin), and The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) dissect the extremities of the human condition, laying bare the diseased parts for all to examine.Īs the book proceeds, Roberts speculates that without the Reformation, science fiction might not exist. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley), 1984 (George Orwell), Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert Heinlein), The Lathe of Heaven (Ursula K. Likewise, many of the enduring modern science fiction stories delve into the psyche of society. And because of our lingering humanity, these Greek tragedies are still compelling. Particularly, the Greek tragedies were penned to magnify society’s ills and the weaknesses of the human soul. Roberts begins with a comparison of Greek mythology to science fiction by underlining how the human mind creates fantastical worlds in which to place heros and heroines into danger, both physically and morally.

His thorough research progresses from ancient times to the opening of the twenty-first century to build a comprehensive history of science fiction, including sci-fi magazines, artwork, cartoons, film and television. Sometimes history can appear to be dry after the astringency of the moment has passed, but I found Roberts’ book fascinating in his meticulous excavation of ancient literature to discover the bones of science fiction.

The history of science fiction adam roberts