Society's Influence On Science Fiction

There has been little investigation of the influence society has on science fiction as a genre. However, previous research, using various methodologies, has indicated a significant relationship between science fiction and society, but much of the research focuses on the inverse of my research question: how science fiction has influenced society, instead of how society influences science fiction. Within that relationship, several different aspects of science fiction have been studied, so they are included here for context.

Previous Research:

Because most of the current research in the field discusses the inverse relationship, I will briefly describe it here. Science fiction has long been known as a genre of prophecy. However, its influence

This aspect is the feminist views and ideals of science fiction. Here, it is important to look into the history of the genre, and one cannot do that without discussing Frankenstein. Widely regarded as the first example of science fiction, this trendsetting novel was actually written by a woman, Mary Shelley. Therefore, science fiction and women have always been connected. After Shelley, however, the genre was taken over by men, at least until the New Wave of Science Fiction, one of the eras I will be studying, came along. As explained above, science fiction allows, even encourages, exploration of all possibilities. Female writers of science fiction looked at the injustice of the world around them and imagined and created worlds where that injustice didn’t exist. They created utopian societies where women lived free and did not need men. Examples of this phenomenon include Mizora: A Prophecy by Mary E Bradley Lane and Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.. In both novels, the main characters discover societies where men are not needed for procreation and traditional societal norms are nonexistent (in Mizora, small waists are considered ugly and in Herland women are portrayed as physically stronger)

It concerns the beginning of science fiction and includes some of the most famous authors in the genre.

The Golden Age of Science Fiction takes place in the 1930s and 40s. According to historian Adam Roberts, "the phrase Golden Age valorises a particular sort of writing: 'Hard SF ', linear narratives, heroes solving problems or countering threats in a space-opera or technological-adventure idiom” (Roberts 195). This is the era that most people think of when it comes to science fiction: very point-and-shoot plots and space opera.

The New Wave of Science Fiction is marked by a strong deviation from the past. The authors in the era wanted to separate themselves from the poor reputation of the genre and did that by tackling heavier themes and bringing more social science into their