Sci-fi and changes on society

Essay by LordSaibatCollege, Undergraduate November 2007

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Tobias Mccurry

Professor Kimberly Jacobs

HM 214

Sci-fi Essay

Sci-fi and changes on society

November 2, 2006

Sci-fi Essay 2

Sci-fi and changes on society

"It is often said that science fiction is the literature of change. When a culture is undergoing a lot of changes due to scientific advances and technological developments, and expects to undergo more" (Treitel 1). A large part of science fiction appeal lies in its ability to convince the audience of the believability of the world it portrays (Fuller 1). "Science fiction looks backward as much as forward and its usefulness lays not so much in predicting the actual future as in exploring our reaction to possible futures" (Marvel 2). Fantasy and other realities are sometimes included in science fiction. In American literature many writers expressed their ideas of future advances in technology, events or future events, society and future societies in imaginative stories, poems, periodicals, films, and television shows.

Television shows and movies today have depicted imaginative technological advances "that makes people hope for based on present-day science but haven't developed yet" (Treitel 2). For example, in the show "Knight Rider", Michael Knight works for a government operated business that owns a car named Kit, which has a mind of its own. Kit could drive by itself, think for itself, and talk by itself. At that time a self-driving car was just an idea but now engineers in Germany are designing a truck that can drive on its own. The truck followed the paint marks on the side and middle of the road (Ahern 1). Also Avis Rent-A-Car is equipping their cars with "yellow page" maps. If an individual gets lost, a computerized voice tells he or she which direction to go. Movies have been known to make a person think; could this really...