Zeroing in on Science Fiction Summary | Gary Goshgarian | Major English Class 12

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Zeroing in on Science Fiction Summary | Gary Goshgarian | Major English Class 12

Zeroing in on Science Fiction by Gary Goshgarian

MAIN SUMMARY 

Zeroing in on Science Fiction by Gary Goshgarian

This essay, 'Zeroing in on Science Fiction', has been written by Gary Goshgarain. He favours science fiction. According to him, science fiction is also a part of literature that deals with future experiences and conditions of human life scientifically and technologically. It imaginatively guesses the results of human life in the scientific and technological world. The writer says that in every science fiction, there should be a plot, characters, action, point of view, and something about human experiences. The most important part of science fiction is its scientific reasons. According to him, the first science fiction was Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelly.

The writer differentiates science fiction from other kinds of fiction. He emphasises that, for any kind of imagination, science fiction has its own scientific logic. Without a scientific rationale, science fiction doesn't move ahead. But other kinds of fiction show mysterious as well as supernatural powers without having any scientific logic. If we read such kinds of fiction, we feel confused about their consequences. We only think of those creations as imaginative creations. Science fiction shows things having certain kinds of possibilities, whereas other kinds of fiction present things or events that are impossible. Such things are limited to our imagination. The writer shows 'Dracula' as fantasy fiction without having rationality.

Science fiction can be divided into two parts. The first part is soft science fiction, and the second part is hard science fiction. Soft science fiction deals with the impact of science on human life. Its main subjects are the environment and evolution. The main characters in soft science fiction are usually scientists and engineers. If the readers have knowledge of science, they can enjoy such types of science fiction. Soft science fiction includes help from various sectors such as sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, especially to show the moral and social values of scientific advancement. 'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess is the best example of soft science fiction. But, on the other hand, hard science fiction deals with technology itself. It mainly focuses on scientific inventions and their knowledge.

Finally, the writer stresses that science fiction is all about humanity. As another form of literature, its main concern is human existence. Science fiction uses robots, Martians, and starships mainly to test the limits of human experiences.

Hard science fiction deals with scientific knowledge and equipment. The main characters of such fiction are scientists and people of great technological knowledge. They involve great adventures and explorations. On the other hand, soft science fiction deals with the less adventurous social and moral aspects of scientific development. Goshgarian draws this distinction between hard science fiction and soft science fiction for the purpose of making it convenient for the readers of science fiction to choose between hard science fiction and soft science fiction. Those readers who have good scientific knowledge and are familiar with scientific equipment and terms can choose hard science fiction, but those who do not have such knowledge and are interested in understanding the moral and social influences of science in human life can choose soft science fiction.

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