SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY

The Role of Textuality in the Genres’ Struggles and Triumphs

Feb. 20, 1962

The Opening of the Door

Space Angel 1962-1964

1963-1966 Astroboy the first Japanese Anime success story

YEAH,WHATEVER!

TEXTUAL DIFFICULTIESCONNECTED WITH FANTASY AND

SCIENCE FICTION

“Why are we always on the Defensive?”

Premise # 1In spite of contemporary theory, for this

lecture we will assume that there are absolute truths.

Premise # 2It is possible to express absolute truth in

texts although humanity is probably too flawed to do so.

PREMISE # 3For the purposes of this lecture it

will be assumed that there are such things as privileged texts.

Ramification People are correct to say that there

are some texts which should not be bothered with in serious academic studies.

This has little to do with one’s likes and dislikes.

The choices should be made on standards of value which are without prejudice

Science Fiction is. . .. . .a type of literature that stresses the

future and makes new inventions seem plausible--in some ways a literature of translation.

Dick Allen from Science Fiction: The Future

.

Fantasy is. . .. . .a type of literature which assumes a

universe which has order and a set of discoverable natural laws, even though they are different from our own. Such laws are not treated directly but are implicitly.

David Allen from Science Fiction: An Introduction

Science Fiction is. . .

.a branch of fantasy identifiable by the fact that it causes the. “willing suspension of disbelief” on the part of its readers by utilizing an atmosphere of scientific credibility for its imaginative speculations in physical science, space, time, social science and philosophy.

Sam Moskowitz, critic and writer from Science Fiction: The Future

Textual DifficultiesConnected with Fantasy and Science Fiction

The “repertoire” of many readers. Bad Science Fiction The Fans

The “gaps” within the primary texts.

WHEN EVALUATING THE WORTH OF ANY WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY, MANY INDIVIDUALS

COME FILLED WITH UNACKNOWLEDGED TEXTS:

• Poorly done science fiction films

• Socially disabled fans

Badly Done SF

Do you know anyone who looks like this?

Or Could This Be You?

“GET A LIFE PEOPLE! GET A LIFE!

It was a TV show. You got that?A TV Show!

You! The one with ears! Have you even kissed a girl yet?

Move out of your Parents’ basements and GET A LIFE!”

Socially Inept Fans

• William Shatner expressing his true feelings at a ST Confention or. . .• The Evil Capt.. Kirk from the ST Episode “Turnabout Intruder”

GAPS WITHIN THE TEXT

Fantasy &Science Fiction

Science // Fiction

Science--”Now what I want is Facts”Gradgrind from Dickens’ Hard Times Fiction--”The good ended happily and

the bad ended unhappily--that’s why its called `fiction.’”

What are these two doing together?

For many readers this gulf is impossible to bridge.

The gaps in text

“And you must be--” She raised her eyes from his professional symbols,”[phoenix & salamander]— “the fireman.” Her voice trailed off.

“How oddly you say that.”“I’d--I’d have known it with my eyes shut,”

she said, slowly.“What--the smell of kerosene? My wife

always complains.”

WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

BIOGRAPHIA LITERARIA (1817)CHAPTER XIV

In this idea originated the plan of the 'Lyrical Ballads'; in which it was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that. . .

There is a particular kind of story which has a value in itself--a value independent of its embodiment in any literary work.

C.S. LewisAn Experiment in Criticism

The Archetype: