UI IIVt:I ~t:. 1: Contrary Plots Science fiction can be utopian or dystopian. Utopia is an imaginary state of prosperity, perfection and contentment; whereas Dystopia is the opposite state, of misery, bleakness and hopelessness. These views reflect the writer's optimism or pessimism respectively. t' Example of Utopian Science Fiction In school, they studied the history of ancient earthlings with a sense of deep unease. 'Pain' was not a word found in their dictionaries anymore. Disease had been eradicated, spiritual self- awareness was the only religion, physical labour was fully automated, and sports was compulsory as part of health programmes. Safe designer pills for mood elevation had replaced chocolate, the burp snack that the government had subsidized came in a variety of flavours simulating a thousand dishes and treats, nanobots in the blOOdstream continually monitored the development of life-threatening conditions, learning chips were frequently on sale, virtual mates had reduced statistics on loneliness to less than half. Example of Dystopian Science Fiction l nucle ar war of 2 030_ The children huddled together in the only bomb shelter that had survi ved the globa guns hots, smelling th They stayed in that position by day, listening with unblinking eyes to interm ittent s that infus ed the damp earth that surrounded them, and breathing in the a/I-pervading chem ical fume and rumm aged for and hugged them like amorphous absent parents. At nightfall, they scram bled out, d like large blackened scraps of food in the pockets of dead soldiers, or raided charr ed hous es that looke ovens, or snuck into skeletal buildings that gape d at them with multip le blind eyes. a: 4.4.3 EXAM PLES FROM SCIEN CE FICTI ON WRIT ING a kind f a)The unplea sant sensa tions of the start were less poignant now. They merge d at last into unable ~o hyster ical exhilar ation. I remarked indeed a clumsy swaying of the machine, for which I was me, 1flung accou nt. But my mind was too confused to attend to it, so with a kind of madne ss growin g upon mysel f into futurity. presently, At first, I scarce thought of stopping, scarce thought of anything but these new s~nsations. But - until a fresh series of impressions grew up ·in my mind - a certain curiosity and therewith a certain dread wonderful at last they took complete possession of me. What strange developments of humanity, what into the advan ces upon our rudimentary civilization, I thought, might not appea r when I came to look nearly dim elusive world that raced and fluctuated before my eyes! own timeI I saw great and splendid architecture rising about me, more massiv e than any buildin gs of our there and yet, as it seemed, built of glimmer and mist. I saw a richer green flow up the hill-side, and remain fair. And so without any wintry intermission. Even through the veil of my confusion the earth seeme d very my mind came round to the business of stopping. From 'Time Machi ne' by H.G. Wells I
