Science-fiction utopias and dystopias in literature emerged alongside Victorian fantasy in the form of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864). H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (1895) and The War of the Worlds (1898), and then progressed on to the novels of authors like Ray Bradbury and George Orwell. Innovations in publishing and printing saw a trend for cheaper, lighter, ‘pulp’ books to be produced, these were thought to be easily carried on long commutes. Magazine and comic book style reading flourished, and these proved a suitable modern media for serial sci-fi stories.

Mounting nuclear anxieties, the Cold War, Russian spies, Roswell rumours, and the perceived threat of alien invasion are likely reasons for the sudden explosion of science fiction films. Starting in the early 1950’s with Destination Moon, through to iconic sci-fi titans like The War of the Worlds (1953), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Blob (1958). The spectacular introduction of colour film and gimmicks such as 3D were marketed to the adolescent demographic and so were inextricably linked to a new generation shedding the old, stressful World War 2 austerity. It was a time for distant galaxies, rocketship dreams and “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. The United States was the heavier hitter for this genre, it’s influence clear in the social culture of the time. Mid-century modern ‘googie’ architecture (think Las Vegas or The Jetsons), was named for a 1949 Los Angeles coffee-house and featured exaggerated angles, plastic and steel, wide-eyed optimism, and futuristic visions.

Science fiction is still a popular genre in literature today with epics like Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (1962), Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965), Douglas Adams Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979) Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games (2008). Further authors to look for in the vast sea of science fiction writers are Jay Kristoff, Orson Scott Card, Amie Kaufman, Rick Yance, and Neal Shusterman.

Mrs Denise Harvey 
School Librarian 
Denise_Harvey@shalomcollege.com