Science Fiction

Science fiction is a genre that can include many different kinds of stories. I always assumed science fiction to be about aliens and space ships and just more like Star Wars. All You Zombies and Oryx and Crake were definitely science fiction but they were not the kind of stories I expected. Science fiction comes purely from the imagination. Reading or watching science fiction is truly an escape from reality; and I think that is why some people enjoy this genre so much. I think a unique advantage to this genre is that almost anything goes. Stories can include time travel like in All You Zombies or be set in the future like in Oryx and Crake. Science fiction has a variety to offer that I don’t think exists in other genres.

Oryx and Crake was really interesting because it went back in forth between the “present” (Snowman’s life) and “past” (Jimmy’s life). It was a little confusing at first but after awhile I got used to the terminology. Science fiction elements were evident all throughout the novel. The experiments, the technology, the events, and the “Crakers” all contributed to make this book a sci-fi novel. Oryx and Crake really brought in elements from the imagination.

All You Zombies was I think a little more stereotypical to the science fiction genre because it had time travel in it. Also, it was interesting because it was written in 1959. Science fiction has become much more developed since that time to include the variety of stories it contains today.