|
|
Science fiction is a literary
genre based on scientific speculation. Works of science fiction use
the ideas and the vocabulary of all sciences to create valid narratives
that explore the future effects of science on events and human beings.
Science Fact and Science Fiction examines in one volume how science
has propelled science-fiction and, to a lesser extent, how science
fiction has influenced the sciences. Although coverage will discuss
the science behind the fiction from the Classical Age to the present,
focus is naturally on the 19th century to the present, when the Industrial
Revolution and spectacular progress in science and technology triggered
an influx of science-fiction works speculating on the future. As scientific
developments alter expectations for the future, the literature absorbs,
uses, and adapts such contextual visions. The goal of the Encyclopedia
is not to present a catalog of sciences and their application in literary
fiction, but rather to study the ongoing flow andcounterflow of influences,
including how fictional representations of science affect how we view
its practice and disciplines. Although the main focus is on literature,
other forms of science fiction, including film and video games, are
explored and, because science is an international matter, works from
non-English speaking countries are discussed as needed.
Published by Routledge,
September 2006
ISBN: 0-415-97460-7
|