ENG237H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Alternate History, Worldbuilding, Atavism
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Science fiction: many definitions of the term, all of which try to define what it does, what(cid:859)s disti(cid:374)(cid:272)t of s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e fi(cid:272)tio(cid:374) ideologi(cid:272)all(cid:455, (cid:862)the (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)o(cid:374) o(cid:396)igi(cid:374) sto(cid:396)(cid:455) is that hugo ge(cid:396)(cid:374)s(cid:271)a(cid:272)k used the te(cid:396)(cid:373) (cid:862)s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tifi(cid:272) fi(cid:272)tio(cid:374)(cid:863) i(cid:374) 1923, proposed the contraction s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tifi(cid:272)tio(cid:374)(cid:863) i(cid:374) (cid:1005)(cid:1013)(cid:1006)(cid:1008), (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h appea(cid:396)ed e(cid:454)te(cid:374)si(cid:448)el(cid:455) i(cid:374) his editorials of amazing stories f(cid:396)o(cid:373) (cid:1005)(cid:1013)(cid:1006)(cid:1010), (cid:271)ut the(cid:374) (cid:272)oi(cid:374)ed (cid:862)s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e fi(cid:272)tio(cid:374)(cid:863) i(cid:374) his magazine science wonder stories in 1929. This is the science-fiction imagination, and it becomes increasingly a function of western protestant culture. History depends, then, upon a historicized definition of sf as that form of fantastic romance from which the magic has been replaces by the materialist dis(cid:272)ou(cid:396)ses of s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e(cid:863) adam roberts. In 1500 and 1600s, stories of interplanetary travel are the foundation of scientific text: eg. As a genre, therefore, sf textually embodies this enframing, taking as its standing reserve not only the discourses of s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e a(cid:374)d te(cid:272)h(cid:374)olog(cid:455), (cid:271)ut also the (cid:449)hole (cid:271)a(cid:272)klist of f itself. (cid:863) .
