Science Fiction In Our Modern Society

In Cassie Heidecker’s paper, The Real, the Bad, and the Ugly, she exposes that reality television’s charm is the characters have real, normal lives like the audience’s lives. While the producers’ editing causes regular episodes of reality TV shows to differ from a viewer's normal life, it also generates larger audiences with every episode and the ratings continue to rise. Moreover, the shows follow a predictable formula so that even Heidecker, who regularly watches reality TV, realizes the shows are predictable; yet Heidecker continues to laugh, cry, and enjoy the predictable moves the shows make. Since the ratings of reality TV continue to rise, more people than just Heidecker still enjoy the shows, even though they are predictable. Though the shows are

Think about the last time you sent a text in order to communicate with another person. You may have been under the impression that you were talking with someone, but in reality you were simply pressing down on your phone and watching the pixels on the screen move. According to Jean Baudrillard’s ideologies, you were the mere product of a simulation. In “Simulacra and Simulations” and “Simulacra and Science Fiction”, author and sociologist Jean Baudrillard explains this phenomenon by exploring the concept of simulacrum and simulations. Baudrillard argues that we live in a simulation that is more real than reality, and thus no longer even bears a resemblance to reality. In other words, the reality we think we know is really just an illusion. One movie with an exceptional amount of parallels to Baudrillard’s ideologies is The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis. Many people believe that foundation of The Matrix’s plot is based off Baudrillard’s philosophies, however this has been met with numerous counterarguments. While The Matrix’s plot may correspond with many Baudrillard’s beliefs, it is my belief that The Matrix is not solely based on Baudrillard’s works but instead incorporates ideas from a variety of different sources.

Displayed through the numerous delinquents entrapped in the distractions that the government has provided, Ray Bradbury develops a theme that can precisely relate to our world. This truth is that the many disturbances (such as technology) in a society can have ramifications. In the same token, Kurt Vonnegut from the "Harrison Bergeron" excerpt, forms a theme in which highlights the negative outcome when equality is considered more important than individuality. Despite the varying themes, both authors do a coherent job of incorporating their opinions of society throughout their writings and explaining the dreadful effects on our

Every text is a product of its time. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, she uses the gothic horror genre to explore some of the concerns of her time relating to the use of science and technology and its impact on humanity. Similar concerns are also present in Ridley Scott’s “Bladerunner”, a futuristic text which combines science fiction and film noir to present a bleak view of a future world overrun by technology and consumerism, but devoid of human emotion. Both these texts offer insights into the human experience namely between man and science and man and nature.

Science fiction is inherently predictive. The works created under this genre often delve deeply into important issues, including anything from scientific advancements to the ramifications of  societal control. As we break through the caution tape set up by those attempting to warn of us our future, the utopias of yesterday become the dystopias of today. A world full of possibilities becomes distorted by our own desire for power and control. Though fiction turned occasional fact, science fiction has become a precursor to important discussions regarding the advancements of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

It has been indicated that reality television programs actually involve quite a bit of scripting, where the characters create or recreate scenes in order to capture a moment for the audience. This is not reality, but rather, a scripted and recreated version of reality. The viewer, though, does not see all the things that are going on behind the scenes, so she may accept it as real. The tendency of reality television to be demonstrative not of reality, but of a recreation of reality, is something that can be explained by the Baudrillard phenomenon. French philosopher Jean Baudrillard explained an existing phenomenon, where everything has been recreated so many times that reality is actually just an image.

The property of science fiction establishes an environment of a pure fantasy which undermines the seriousness of the discrimination issue by employing

The show we have all watched at least once in our lifetime: The Bachelor. The show that women flock to every Monday night to see the hot bachelor, the dates, destinations, and of course, the drama. Even though most people have a love hate relationship with the show, we still tune in, live tweet about it and, maybe go to Reality Steve to see who ends up with the Bachelor. We would like to think that the reality tv shows we love to watch are actually real? There not necessarily real but they are hyperreal. Hyperreality can be called the “Authentic Fake” -Umberto Eco. It's the tactic of shaping the tv show to make audiences

For just a moment, let me take you back to 1976. Television in color was starting to dominate the market, cars were measured in gallons to the mile rather than miles to the gallon, and the thought of anything better than Pong was but a pipe dream. Also, people had a disgusting taste in fashion. Have you seen what they wore back then? Today is September 21st, 2016, forty years later. What was only possible in science fiction then is everyday life now. We carry a mini supercomputer in our pockets. We have glasses that project holograms that we can interact with. We even have smart toilets with built in deodorizers! So, what caused this gargantuan change in the way we live in a measly forty years? A large, beige, clunky device called the Apple

Science fiction has evolved from simple ideas to the most imaginative creations, it has been predominantly managed by closed minded people. This has led to authors of science fiction to follow a set of norms while writing. These norms include advanced technology, male heroes, and white male authors. The idea of a character being placed in a distant future and the use of advanced technology is a common theme used. Samuel Delany and Ursula Le Guin are two contrasting authors that discuss oppression of minorities in their work in similar and distinct ways.

Throughout this semester our literary material dealt with themes of technology, modernization, the imponderable bloom, human nature, and truth to name a few of the most overarching. Each text has woven an impression of the possible near future for humanity if the patterns we are creating continue at an exponential rate. Patterns such as consumerism, neglecting unpleasurable emotions, using drugs, and controlling the environment for our short term benefits will write an unsavory and inevitable future. Science Fiction often reflects on society by exaggerating their negative characteristics and advancements to seem far-out, but often it is ironic how close many aspects of the fiction are a direct reflection of the present condition. Even now, the possibilities of utopias and dystopias forming are not so out of reach. The ability of our culture to control an entire population with a self-satisfied culture of vices outfitted with technology is less and less science fiction as the years pass.

Dystopian literature shows the trial and error of fictional societies attempting to create the ideal world. In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 and the film The Giver, the protagonists are faced with situations that cause them to question the corruptness and morals of the fictional world they live in. Dystopian novels and films give insight to what we should put a thoughtful meaning on, in a way that is separate from other genres of fiction by; giving examples of real modern issues that are exaggerated in the story, inspiring us to have a heroic attitude, and by shedding light on thinking against societal norms.

The good thing about films is that we not only have the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of different genres, but also compare them and understand their purpose in the world. The Horror genre has used the basic principles throughout time, and as a result, films of this type have not proven to be as timeless as another genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy. At first, these two genres might at times seem similar as they have at several occasions been blended together, but their basic, common theme serves different meanings about humans. I shall compare and contrast these two genres and focus on both classic films and modern films. From the Horror genre perspective I shall discuss Psycho (1960) and The Mist (2007), while in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre I will examine 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and Serenity (2005). Although the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre and the Horror Genre share some similarities, the differences lie in their focus on human progress.

Moreover, the positive messages embedded in science fiction works can have powerful influence on the audience and the society, both locally and globally. In particular, most of the messages embedded are prompted by the past events of world history or by the contemporary social phenomena, and

Films do and have always reflected society because they show what's important to people. Films demonstrate fads and hot button issues. Film is not only a piece of art but also a tool of social reform as it expresses the feelings of humans and their idea of contemporary society. Films are the mirror that reflect the society. They are controlled by powerful forces that filter information to the public as well as reflect their fears. This has been held true in the film industry for many decades. For example, when society had a fear of widespread crime then there were many films that reflected the police catching the criminals. When society felt that the schools were not educating the children then there were films reflecting inspirational