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Science Fiction used as warnings of the future - Coggle Diagram
Science Fiction used as warnings of the future
Books
Brave New World
This book is set in a dystopian future society called the World State. People are taught not to have emotions, be individual, or have relationships. It predicts the new technology and psychology of the future. Brave New World has been banned a lot, and is still banned and challenged in come places. I can use this to evaluate government imposed restrictions, and also why it was so controversial that places banned this book.
1984
1984 is a futuristic book because it was written in 1949. It serves as a warning against totalitarianism. Free thought is restricted and everyone is watched by the government. The book was written after years of Hitler and Stalin controlling many people, as a reminder of what people could lose and had at stake. I can use it in my project as an example of future predictions used as warnings.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
This book is set in 2021, so I can compare it to how accurate the predictions were. The world is radioactive and humans have to take care of animals so they don't die. I think this will be an interesting perspective, because right now we are definitely not doing that, but it will be a consequence of our actions. There are android animals and also androids from Mars. This book also involves some religion, so I can compare it to Contact.
Articles
Dune, 50 Years On
This article tells how Frank Herbert was inspired to write his novel, Dune. He began in Oregon researching sand dunes, and then became fascinated by desert cultures. He wrote Dune and 50 years after it was published, it is one of the most famous science fiction books around. There is also a summary of the book, which is set very far in the future on many planets. While the book is very much fiction, there are correlations to real world groups and events. Star Wars is actually a rip off of Dune. I can use this to evaluate what inspired the writing of Dune.
Climate Fiction Writers
There are many recent science fiction books that cover the topics of Earth's future. Fiction can promote empathy in it's readers, so the article's question is if reading about what could happen to our planet from climate change will reach people in a way scientists can't (especially for climate change deniers). Well researched climate fiction books from the 1900's have accurately describes the state of our world right now. Even while these books are fiction, the readers are still impacted. Fiction is unique from non fiction because it can take place in the future. I can use this as an example of how science fiction can actually impact peoples opinions.
Videos and Movies
Arrival
This movie is about aliens who come down to Earth to try to unite the world again. A linguistics professor has to learn their language and how to communicate with them. Languages affect how you think and see the world. She finds out that their language lets them perceive time non linearly, and through learning it she sees her future. The main question of the movie is "If you knew the future would you change anything?" This question is a good stepping stone into further topics of how we are warned of the future. I can use this in my research because it gives a new look at the future by the way time is represented.
Contact
Contact is based off of a novel by Carl Sagan. A scientist gets contact from another star system and it is proof of intelligent beings in space. The government and religious groups are also trying to figure out what the signal means. The scientist wants to go meet with the aliens, but the government doesn't want her to because she isn't religious. This will be helpful for my paper because it involves government and religion, which not many of my other sources have.
Ted Talks
A Sci Fi Version of Life in 2041
This person supports AI as part of our developing future. While dystopian societies are generally a warning, Chen Quifan thinks these societies will improve our lives with their technology. This will be good for my thesis because it shows contrasting viewpoints on science fiction as a warning.
Explanation
These are sources about science fiction. I am looking at connections about how society is represented, and also warnings of the future.