An Escape From Reality The science fiction genre rapidly increases in popularity every year. With more and more franchises being put into that category, we wonder why these imaginative worlds have been attractive to audiences for years.
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cience fiction has been a top-grossing genre in the entertain- permanent, and soon it is faced with corruption and is revealed as a ment and pop culture industries for years. When people think dystopian society. of science fiction, they most often picture “Star Wars” or Sometimes in science fiction, there is a blurry line between familaliens, but it is so much more than that. It draws people in through iar elements of a modern society and a corrupted dystopian society, an element of fear and prays on the ‘what if ’ factor. It shows both lending a level of ambiguity that leaves the mind free to imagine. the positive and negative aspects of progression within a society This freedom acts as one of the main points for science fiction’s popand offers an alternate form of how our world could exist. Science ularity among contemporary audiences, it serves as a bridge between fiction considers fundamental the familiar and the unexplored. philosophical questions about “Dystopian societies can be speculative fiction, “It gives people the ability to the features of the mind and re- so [they’re] very closely tied to the possible, the disconnect without totally leavality. It can also inspire people to ing the known,” Angell said. “In plausible and the probable.” question the unknown and seek that way [science fiction] is exprogression through connecting citing. It’s adventuresome, and Erin Angell scientific elements with fantasies [audiences are able] to imagine and theories about the future or different societal circumstances. something that’s not what they experience on the daily.” By having Erin Angell, a Paly Escape Literature teacher, explains a basic elements connected to the real world, people are less apprehensive definition of the overall genre of science fiction. “Essentially what when approaching the realm of science fiction because they can find makes science fiction and speculative fiction [is the exploration of] something familiar to hold on and relate with. “It explores the posthe theme of change and speculation,” Angell said. “[It’s] the ‘what sible [by] using rationally internally consistent logic to explain the if ’ factor and an internally consistent and rational explanation for features of the universe,” Angell said. that.” While its contents may be puzzling and mystifying, science ficSome elements connect to a realistic society that the audience is tion gains the highest attention from audiences across the nation. familiar with, such as in the book “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. This Following a character through the hero’s journey filled with action utopian society was built to be perfect and has removed emotions and adventure helps contribute to the exciting storylines that tug like hunger, pain, hatred, fear, conflict and illness. In a world filled at the audience’s interest. Not only do these stories and characters with uniformity, community members live with no memories of the serve as an escape from reality, but they also stay tied to the conpast in order to keep them safe and prevent negative factors such cerns and matters that are relevant in the contemporary world. It as war and inequality. Taking away the freedom of choice ensures dives into the possible outcomes of our worst fears, regarding isthat the community will be safe and happy, free of the obstructive sues like stratification, global warming and corruption. “I think why and detrimental elements of the world. it’s [an] interesting genre is because as we look around and see in However, the tranquility of this our environment and world, there are conflicts happening and we controlled society is far from have worries and anxieties about that,” Angell said. To convert these
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