Hello, and welcome to my WRT 125 blog about the science fiction novels and other literature read by my Alternate Worlds, American Dreams course. My name is Emily Cockey and I would like to take some time to introduce myself to you, my Alternate Worlds, American Dreams classmates, and to anyone else who may read this blog in the future.
As part of a Navy family I have moved eight times in my life. Most people with whom I have discussed this experience believe that having to move so often is a hardship. Moving requires leaving friends, schools, and other familiar activities behind and plunging head-first into a sometimes frightening and unpredictable new situation. While it is true that moving and beginning a new life can be a terrifying experience, I have always thought of re-stationing as an adventure in which I can see new places, meet new people, and explore the amazing world around me. Moving has allowed me to visit thirty three states and experience the unique cultures that have emerged throughout the different regions of the United States, an experience that I am grateful to have had, and one that has made me interested in the topic of this class: Science Fiction.
As I have previously mentioned, I thrive on the adventure of exploring new places and ideas; this concept of exploring the unknown is the premise of Science Fiction. I believe that Science Fiction explores areas of the universe and of the mind that most people only dream about, but that only a few brave authors dare to explore in literary works.
My current passions lie in the sciences. I am especially enthralled with Biology and Neuroscience as these subjects explore the workings of the world and of the mind. I also enjoy playing the Jazz saxophone and I have been on both a VEX and FRC robotics team for the past four years. I deeply enjoy the creativity involved in both of these activities and I am considering pursuing these extracurricular interests in the college setting.
I enjoy writing, but I am especially fond of analytical writing as it gives me the opportunity to explore and expand the unfinished ideas that arise as I read a novel or a short story. This exploration of ideas can be challenging at times, but I believe that it can also be incredibly rewarding. I think that this course will be fascinating as it delves into topics that are not commonly discussed, topics which will hopefully afford me the opportunity to increase my ability to analyze and develop engaging discussions of ideas.
Brian Appleyard's "Why don't we love science fiction?"
Often misunderstood by citizens who fear the unknown, the genera of Science Fiction routinely meets harsh criticism, and its readers are often ostracized and feared. In Bryan Appleyard’s “Why don’t we love science fiction?” Appleyard displays this avoidance of the unknown, yet also acknowledges the importance of Sci-Fi in the emerging world of science. By describing Science Fiction as “the most vivid and direct chronicler of our anxieties about the world and ourselves”, Appleyard presents the reasons why people stand in both fear and awe of the Sci-Fi genera. This quotation exemplifies the dual emotions that Sci-Fi elicits as it states that Sci-Fi is the exploration of the unknown in the world and in the human, an exploration that many prefer to ignore for fear of unpleasant discoveries, but that others embrace as the basis for improving the world and science. Appleyard uses the word, “chronicler” to explain that the genera of Sci-Fi provides a forum where bold ideas can be explored freely and can be recorded for a future purpose chosen by the reader. The author also uses the word, “anxieties” to show that one of these purposes is fear, later explaining that another purpose is to spark ideas within the scientific community. These novel ideas such as space and time travel were necessarily introduced by the literary world as they would have seemed absurd had they been suggested by a practical scientist.
Appleyard’s essay raises interesting thoughts about the dual response to Science Fiction. On one hand, Sci-Fi allows fear to well within its readers because as the author states, the genera has a logical basis. This practicality creates a sense that the dreadful occurrences of the literature could potentially one day become reality. However, on the other hand, Appleyard also displays the excitement brought to scientists by Sci-Fi as they discover possibilities in seemingly impossible stories.
A question I was left with after reading Appleyard’s essay was: why are Sci-Fi movies so much more widely accepted than Sci-Fi books? Perhaps this is because movies can be made to seem less realistic than their original book format or because people are more willing to watch a horror than read a seemingly practical yet terrifying tale. Appleyard's essay also intrigued me as it pointed out that different cultures view literature in different ways, a thought that had faintly occurred to me but that I had never explored as thoroughly as Appleyard does.
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