With the sheer variety of literary genres, it's almost surprising that so many book lovers get stuck reading only one type of book. Some serious readers even go so far as to read only novels that have won a slew of prizes or are considered classics and they won't think about reading a 'light' genre such as sci-fi. Little do they know that many of the award-winning classics they prefer are also some of the best science fiction books in history.
Science fiction, or sci-fi as most people call it, usually describes an imaginary world where science and technology feature prominently. Sometimes they focus on that science and technology but some sci-fi books tend to focus more on the structure of the society they're about. There are many different types of novel within the genre, from space fiction to fiction set in a post-apocalyptic world. The authors come up with highly imaginative ideas but there have been instances where these books were actually predictions of the future.
Sci-fi ideas in literature date back to as long ago as the 2nd century. However, 'Somnium' by Johannes Kepler, written in the early 17th century, is often considered the first work in the genre. Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' is pure sci-fi, as is Mary Shelley's popular 'Frankenstein'.
Sci-fi gained popularity later in the 19th century, especially since technological advances paved the way for new ideas. One of the most influential authors from this period was H. G. Wells, who focused on technology such as a time machine and was one of the first to write about an attack by aliens. Jules Verne's great adventure novels, especially those that took readers down volcanoes or deep underneath the sea, also had a profound influence on later writers.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Several notable writers have dabbled in sci-fi. Mark Twain, for instance, explored the idea of time travel in 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'. Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing wrote a series of novels set in outer space. Another Nobel Prize winner, Portuguese writer Jose Saramago, used sci-fi ideas in novels such as 'The Stone Raft' and 'Blindness'. Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' is a dystopian novel true to the sci-fi genre as well. Even the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson touched on sci-fi themes in some of his poems.
Many sci-fi novels have been made into movies. They include several film versions of 'Frankenstein', 'Planet of the Apes' and the works of Jules Verne. Other classics include 'The Andromeda Strain', the 'Jurassic Park' series, 'A Clockwork Orange', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Dune' and 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe'.
The sci-fi section of your local bookstore or library will have great novels to try. You'll also find some works in the 'Classics' section. If you don't know where to start, it's also useful to search online and read the reviews of novels that might appeal to you.
Science fiction, or sci-fi as most people call it, usually describes an imaginary world where science and technology feature prominently. Sometimes they focus on that science and technology but some sci-fi books tend to focus more on the structure of the society they're about. There are many different types of novel within the genre, from space fiction to fiction set in a post-apocalyptic world. The authors come up with highly imaginative ideas but there have been instances where these books were actually predictions of the future.
Sci-fi ideas in literature date back to as long ago as the 2nd century. However, 'Somnium' by Johannes Kepler, written in the early 17th century, is often considered the first work in the genre. Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' is pure sci-fi, as is Mary Shelley's popular 'Frankenstein'.
Sci-fi gained popularity later in the 19th century, especially since technological advances paved the way for new ideas. One of the most influential authors from this period was H. G. Wells, who focused on technology such as a time machine and was one of the first to write about an attack by aliens. Jules Verne's great adventure novels, especially those that took readers down volcanoes or deep underneath the sea, also had a profound influence on later writers.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Several notable writers have dabbled in sci-fi. Mark Twain, for instance, explored the idea of time travel in 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'. Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing wrote a series of novels set in outer space. Another Nobel Prize winner, Portuguese writer Jose Saramago, used sci-fi ideas in novels such as 'The Stone Raft' and 'Blindness'. Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' is a dystopian novel true to the sci-fi genre as well. Even the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson touched on sci-fi themes in some of his poems.
Many sci-fi novels have been made into movies. They include several film versions of 'Frankenstein', 'Planet of the Apes' and the works of Jules Verne. Other classics include 'The Andromeda Strain', the 'Jurassic Park' series, 'A Clockwork Orange', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Dune' and 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe'.
The sci-fi section of your local bookstore or library will have great novels to try. You'll also find some works in the 'Classics' section. If you don't know where to start, it's also useful to search online and read the reviews of novels that might appeal to you.
About the Author:
The very best science fiction books are available to order online. Come and select your favorite stories today via the author's site http://www.michaeltrotta.biz.
0 comments:
Post a Comment