Why Science Fiction is so Great
One of the many complaints about science fiction is the fact that critics often think it’s a genre you don’t have to do much cirtical thinking over. Yes and no, but that depends on your motives for reading or watching science fiction. Can any critic rightfully say that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a not a good work of literature AND a work of scifi. It did do some things for the genre. In fact, it has been argued that it was the ground work for modern scifi, and it’s taught in practically every high school and college. Not much dumbing down there. You don’t have to dumb down the senses when you watch or read scifi or any work for that matter regardless of what you’re interests are. There are literary themes in scifi as much as there is your comedy or drama. Science fiction, I would argue, is so diverse you can add dramatic elements, comedic elements, allegorical elemenets or horror elements to it and still be good science fiction. It’s possible, but scifi is often relegated to pithy horror or attempts to garner shock value. I think Lovecraft, Poe and Bruce Serline would certainly have something to say about that. Science fiction is a great genre where you can let your guard down, but it’s also a genre where lit lovers will inevitably find something that’s worthy of discussion. It’s not a one-sided mirror as many think it is. There is much to like about science fiction. You just have to open up the book to find out.
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You can definitely add Frank Herbert’s Dune series to the list of literary science fiction. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything else that I get so much out of. It’s a shame that Herbert’s legacy is being dumbed down with all the prequels and sequels.
I agree, MandyJane. I loved Dune, but felt like I was dealt a big blow with the prequels and sequels. Dune ranks up there in great scifi works.