What Is Science Fiction?
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If someone asked you to define science fiction, what would you say? There seem to be as many different opinions on the subject as tribbles on Deep Space Station K-7. To help get an idea of just what science fiction means to different people, I've put together a collection of five of my favorite definitions, as well as a few thoughts of my own.
Definition One:
"Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions."
This first definition was given by Isaac Asimov. It beautifully sums up my interpretation of SF, and consequently the aim of Science Fiction and Society. Of all the genres in literature, SF speaks to us perhaps better than any about who we are as social animals and helps us address our problems by allowing us to view them from outside.
Definition Two:
"Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together."
Ray Bradbury's definition captures one important aspect of SF, but fails to encompass the whole. Nevertheless, forecasting the future is something SF writers have long been fond of, and—especially in works of the first half of the 20th century—has fired the imaginations of generations of young scientists and explorers.
Definition Three:
"Science Fiction is the branch of literature that deals with the effects of change on people in the real world as it can be projected into the past, the future, or to distant places. It often concerns itself with scientific or technological change, and it usually involves matters whose importance is greater than the individual or the community; often civilization or the race itself is in danger."
This rather lengthy definition by James E. Gunn makes an important point: SF need not be set in the future. There is a common tendency to think that SF must be filled with spaceships, exotic aliens, and far away worlds. The fact of the
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