Science Fiction
An introduction to Stephen King,
Ray Bradbury and other Authors
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Science Fiction Characteristics
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Science Fiction:
 Based on scientific principles & Technology
 Makes predictions about future life
 Deals life in other worlds (human &
nonhuman)
 Can comment on important issues in
society
 Serve as a political statement or warning,
calling for change in our culture/society
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Elements of Science Fiction
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science
technology and invention
the future and the remote past, including
all time travel stories
extrapolation
scientific method
other places--planets, dimensions, etc.,
including visitors from the above
catastrophes, natural or manmade
Often, an unlikely hero
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Utopian Society
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UTOPIA
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A place or state of ideal
perfection
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Feature of a Utopia
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Usually in a far away place in time, space, or
both
A social criticism or what is and what could
be
Can be light-hearted, optimistic, & playful
More revolutionary than evolutionary
Things are common, everyone works at
common tasks/goals
Often utopias turn into dystopias
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Dystopia
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The OPPOSITE of Utopia
an imaginary, wretched place
An imaginary society that
comments on our world that a
majority of us would fear to live in
A seemingly perfect place that is in
actuality flawed
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Features of Dystopia
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Dystopian societies are:
Undesirable and horrifying
 Futuristic and fictional
 Regarded as warnings
 About today & tomorrow
 Commentary on our society
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You don’t have to burn books to
destroy a culture. Just get people
to stop reading them.”
-Ray Bradbury
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Ray Bradbury
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American born 1920-present
Novels, short stories, poetry, essays
Married to Maggie for 56 years
Influenced by his childhood
Love of magic, carnivals, circuses
 Influenced by Poe & Frank L. Baum
 Liked fantasy & horror
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Ray Bradbury, the Author
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Mainly a science fiction writer
Several book written in 1950s
Post-war times influenced him
People lived in fear
 New technology
 Fear of nuclear war
 Fear of racism & censorship
 Fear of foreign political powers
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Bradbury in
Recent Years
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In the 90’s, Bradbury writes his
memoir Green Shadows
Bradbury suffers a near-fatal
stroke in 1999. Still continues to
write while in hospital
Bradbury's wife dies in 2003.
Sam Weller's biography, The
Bradbury Chronicles, appears in
2005.
Bradbury's adaptation of
Fahrenheit 451 opens off
Broadway in 2006
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