Science Fiction as an Examination of Human Culture

     One of the things that intrigues and excites me the most about science fiction is that, as much as it is set in the foreign and unknown future or lands, it usually contains an examination of human culture or social criticism. It is a medium that allows the author to take aspects of society today, and blow them up to an absurd scale. 

     A wonderful TV series that I watched over winter break is a fantastic example of this. It was one of those days where you scroll through Netflix, not really caring what you end up watching. I saw Black Mirror, thinking that it was innocent enough. I was not prepared for what was to come. Black Mirror is a BBC show where every episode is not related and are stand alone. Each episode, takes an aspect of society or technology and explores what the future would be like and the ramifications of these things. For example, in one episode, most humans have a chip in their skull that records everything you ever see or hear. You can watch these at any time or, for your convenience, pull it up on a TV screen for everyone to see and enjoy. At first, this sounds like a wonderful idea, until you see a future based on this technology. This future world is one without trust. There is no need to trust someone when you can just hold the accountable right away, by searching through the memories.

     Every episode is very poignant and a concise criticism on society as well. The one episode that got to me the most (and is my favorite episode) was the first episode of the second season. In the episode, a woman's husband dies and she is having difficulties coping with a life without him. He had a very big online and social media presence, and there is a program that allows a computer to calculate how he would react, and email the widow. It escalates to phone calls, and finally, a full grown robotic replica. This episode shows the ramifications of living in the past, with the dead, and not properly grieving. However, what scared me the most was the knowledge that the writers got the idea, after they learned that creation of this software is in the works. This article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/08/black-mirror-technology_n_6431214.html), while it contains spoilers, marks all of the technology seen in the series, that is currently being worked on today. 

Firefly, the Ultimate Space Western

     I'm just going to get it out of the way, and state that I absolutely love Firefly. So, it will come to no surprise, that I chose to rewatch all of it, rekindling my love, for this week. However, it was good for me, because this time around I was studying it more thoroughly than I ever did in the past.

     Wikipedia defines Space Opera as "a subgenre of science fiction that often emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, usually involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced abilities, weapons, and other technology."

     While Firefly does fit under the category of Space Opera, it also is more related to Space Western. The western themes are undeniable, with shootouts in every episode and the theme including the ship flying over a herd of cattle. I love that they are able to take a an old genre like the western and revamp it with mixing it with science fiction. Not only are they revamping the genre, but they are also exploring themes in ways that they werent explored due to the stigma's of the times.

     I think the foremost example of this in shown in the role of "Companions" in this world and the role that Inara plays on the show. In westerns and today, escorts or prostitutes are regarded poorly and have no respect. However, Whedon turns this around in Firefly by the use of Companions. A Companion is a skilled, well-educated member of a guild of professional courtesans/entertainers. It is somewhat of a state sanctioned prostitution, however, these girls are treated with utmost respect by everyone. It is mentioned multiple times that many are surprised that a ship as lowly as their Firefly has a respectable Companion on board.

     I love how the flexibility of this genre allows for old themes to be revisited and recreated so that it reflects society today, or even shows advances that may be possible in the near future. These advances dont have to be solely technological, but culturally as well.

Mythic Fiction and Contemporary Urban Fantasy

     Last blog post, I talked about the fantasy genre and the appeal of fantasy to viewers. I namely spoke of my own experiences and the escapism that can be found in these creative books. Mythic Fiction and Contemporary Urban Fantasy are subgenres of fantasy that make escapism much easier(this might explain why it is so popular with the young adult fiction demographic). This type of fantasy introduces fantastical elements into the "normal" life of a character. This allows the reader to clearly imagine that something very much like that could happen to themselves. It creates a more immersive story for the reader.

     Personally, one of my favorite examples of this genre(besides Harry Potter), is the Percy Jackson series. I started these books in the 5th grade, and waited for a new book to come out every year since. I loved the constant adventure and humor that could be found, but most importantly, I enjoyed thinking about the world as if it was not only plausible, but real. Rick Riordan managed to make Greek myths contemporary and relevant to the Untied States. When I went to New York City on a field trip in the 6th grade, I looked about the Empire State Building imagining that it was the entrance to Olympus.

     As mentioned before, this type of fantasy can be found in the most popular young adult books. Off of the top of my head I can bring up four extremely successful series that make use of contemporary urban fantasy (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Twilight,and Mortal Instruments). I thought it would be a fun exercise to explore this trend. So, I went to the website of the Young Adult Library Service (http://www.ala.org/yalsa/2015-best-fiction-young-adults), and looked up the best young adult fiction books for this year. Here are some that I found right away.

The Accidental Highwayman. By Ben Tripp. Tor, $17.99 (9780765335494). After being mistaken for his master, the notorious highwayman Whistling Jack, Kit Bristol and his horse Midnight are thrown into a world of magic they thought only existed in fairy tales.

Evil Librarian. By Michelle Knudsen. Candlewick, $16.99 (9780763660383). Think librarians are a yawn? Then you haven’t met Mr. Gabriel, the new librarian at Cynthia’s school. He’s not dull; he’s a demon!

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future. By A. S. King. Little, Brown, $18.00 (9780316222723). Beware of drinking liquefied bats! Glory O’Brien does and suddenly finds she can see the past and future of everyone she encounters. Everyone except herself. What does her future hold?