Speculative Fiction

flashback/flashforward

events from another time presented out of sequence in the narrative often introduced sporadically to increase interest or uncover info on why or how society changed

post-apocalyptic fiction

genre concerned with the aftermath of an apocalypse

apocalyptic fiction

genre concerned with the end of civilization through some general disaster generally concerns the disaster itself and the direct aftermath

plot structures of dystopia

often unresolved, even if the protagonist escapes or destroys the dystopia individuals in dystopian society who are unhappy try to rebel but ultimately fail to change anything

common themes of dystopia

politics, social stratification, role of social institutions, individualism vs. conformity, violence, and the natural world

violence in dystopia

prevalent in many dystopias often in the form of war, rampant crime met by justice or vigilantism, or blood sport

dystopian hero

protagonist is someone who questions society, often intuitively feeling that something is wrong comes to believe that escape or even overturning social order is possible and risks their own life to act their view usually clashes with others' opinions shows utopia and dystopia comes down to matter of opinion (!!!)

politics of dystopia

result in negative consequences for citizens because of at least 1 fatal flaw dystopia often filled with pessimistic views of the brutal/uncaring ruling class protagonist often leads "resistance" to make change in these dystopian governments

back stories of dystopia

social and historical context that is introduced early in the story to build the universe usually results in a shift in emphasis of control, from old government systems to a corrupt government; or from old social norms to new and often disturbing social norms

individualism vs. conformity in dystopia

some dystopian works emphasize pressure to adhere to social norms that discourage or suppress accomplishment refer to the powerpoint for examples

role of social institutions in dystopia

some dystopias destroy the idea of family and continuously try to keep it from becoming a social institution again religious groups can be oppressed or oppressors

cyberpunk

speculative fiction set in a dystopian, miserable near future often focuses on the corruption of technology and authoritarian governments controlled by corporations

alternate history

stories based on the premise that historical events might have turned out differently may use time travel to change the past may set story in a universe with a different history

space western

sub-genre of sci-fi that combines parts of space stories with aspects of american westerns usually involves "frontier" colony worlds that represent the lawless culture in westerns

steampunk

sub-genre of sci-fi that typically features steam-powered machinery either in a post-apocalyptic future or in a fantasy world that similarly uses steam power

military science fiction

sub-genre that focuses on a conflict between armed forces primary characters are usually soldiers uses military language and history often will parallel a real conflict

hard science fiction

sub-genre that focuses on well-researched details to accurately depict worlds that are possible with more technology

conflict of dystopia

usually protagonist vs. society often the protagonist's conflict brings them to a dystopian representative who articulates its values usually there's a group of people not completely controlled by the state and it's where the protagonist puts their hope, although they fail to change anything

soft science fiction

works based on social sciences like psychology, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology

speculative fiction

a genre that includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, utopian and dystopian literature, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history

cacotopia

a state in which everything is as bad as it can be word used before "dystopia" became more popular

utopia

a state of things where everything is perfect

dystopia

an imagined state where everything is unpleasant or bad

Jeremy Bentham

creator of the term "cacotopia"

Robert Heinlein

creator of the term "speculative fiction"

Thomas More

creator of the word "utopia"

social stratification in dystopia

dystopia often draws stark contrasts between the upper and lower class

the natural world in dystopia

dystopias are commonly urban and often isolate characters from any contact with it sometimes characters are required to avoid it excessive pollution that destroys it is also common