Fantasy/Science Fiction Study Guide
Source
“Rain
Rain Go
Away”
Short
story
“Back
There”
drama
Characteristic
of Science
Fiction
Uses liquidation
and space travel
theory of aliens
on Earth
Involves time
travel
“There Futuristic;
will come advanced
Soft
technology
Rains”
Short
story
Example
Theme of Story
Sugar dissolving in
water at the end of the
story when they melt.
People were sugar
people (aliens)
Things often are
not as they appear.
Is it possible for
aliens to be living
among us?
Peter Corrigan travels
back 100 years in time
Set in post-apocalyptic
world; nuclear war;
independently
functioning house
“Flowers Scientific
Charlie Gordon’s IQ is
for
experimentation tripled through surgical
Algernon /operation
means
”
short
story
“Harrison Futuristic;
Bergeron’ advanced
short
technology
story
“All
Setting in
The main events
of history cannot
be changed but
small pieces can;
Be open to
possibilities
Even after humans
destroy ourselves,
nature will
continue to
prosper; Too
much technology,
greed, etc. will be
the end of us
Be happy with
what you have; Do
not tempt fate;
Have empathy for
others
Citizens have
Embrace
debilitating handicaps to differences.
ensure equality
Celebrate talent.
Venus has been
Do not blindly
Summer Venus;
in a Day” meteorology
short
story
Source
“Rain, Rain
Go Away”
Short story
colonized; scientists
have learned to predict
rain patterns.
Protagonist/Antagonist
Setting
P: Wright Family
1950s; suburban
A: none (maybe rain) neighborhood,
Murphy’s Park
“Flowers for P: Charlie Gordon
Algernon” A: Dr. Nemur,
short story coworkers(at
beginning)
“Back
There”
P: Peter Corrigan
A: Jonathon
Wellington (John
Wilkes Booth)
“There will
come soft
P: House
A: Fire
follow a leader.
Cruelty will haunt
you.
Summary
Wright family is
curious about
strange
neighbors
(Sakkaro’s) who
seem to fear
rain/water. Take
them to park,
get caught in
rain, Sakkaro’s
melt
1965; laboratory Charlie Gordon
is chosen for an
operation that
will triple his
IQ; it seems to
work but his
intelligence
gradually
deteriorates
1965 then 1865; Peter Corrigan
Washington
travels back in
Club, Ford’s
time; attempts
Theater
to stop
assassination of
Lincoln; fails
but changes
William’s
(previously
server) life
2026; postSole house
apocalyptic world continues to
Rains”
OR
P: Nature
A: Mankind
“Harrison
Bergeron”
P: Harrison Bergeron
A: Diana Moon
Glampers
“All Summer P: Margot
in a Day”
A: all the other kids
function without
inhabitants;
everyone is
gone due to
nuclear war; fire
eventually
destroys house
2081; Bergeron
Harrison
home & theater
overthrows his
handicaps and
his parents
watch his
murder on
national TV
Venus; sometime Margot looks
in the future;
forward to
classroom/outside seeing the sun
for the first time
in 7 years. Kids
lock in her the
closet so she
misses it.
Things you should be able to “discuss”
the symbolism of the name Sakkaro (means “sugar;” derived from succharose; Sakkaros
are aliens made of sugar)
the role setting plays in each story
how Peter Corrigan was an “anachronism” (didn’t belong in past and therefore couldn’t
make any major changes)
inferences (be able to take information given and draw a logical conclusion)
Literary Terms to know:
setting
alliteration
allusion
symbolism
protagonist
fantasy
antagonist
personification (esp. in “There will come Soft Rains”)
inferences
foreshadowing
science fiction
theme