Unit 5 PROJECT
3. Science Fiction
What is the difference between speculative fiction and science fiction?
- Science Fiction can be difficult to define and it is often considered a genre within speculative fiction, however Isaac Asimov was reported to have said "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature that deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology.” Key characteristics of science fiction often include a society which is utterly altered by changes in science, technology, and automatism. People or their society are now almost unrecognizable to today because of the changes technology has had on them.
- Spec-fi, however, is a wider umbrella genre that includes science fiction but taps into more possible sub genres not limited to science. Fantasy, supernatural all fall under Spec-fi. But the idea behind spec-fi is to put our world as more or less the same as it is now- with one or two massive key differences.
- To distill it down and slightly oversimplify it:
Spec-Fiction could happen today If… and; Science-Fiction might happen someday If…