Samuel R. Delany

collective rather than the individual hero while, Samuel R. Delany argues that science fiction is a distortion of the present. However, they both argue that science fiction must be learned, interpreted, and critiqued differently than other literary texts because it has its own unique conventions. Joanna Russ’s argument that science fiction in didactic and that it focuses on the collective rather than the hero is in a plethora of works from Delany to H.G Wells. When specifically focusing on the idea

The Importance of Babel-17: The Role of Communication Author Samuel R. Delaney, in his novel Babel-17, is able to suggest that a more critical and creative way of thinking is best developed by a well-rounded mind. It is from a mind that is able to become engaged in a non-linear method of thinking, that Delany infers, is one open to communication that allows for personal and cultural integration. Moreover, Rydra Wong and the language of Babel-17 both throw communication on its head as each uses

Transcendence and Technology in Neuromancer         "Where do we go from here?" Case asks near the conclusion of William Gibson's novel Neuromancer (259). One answer suggested throughout most of the narrative is nowhere. True, geographically we are whisked around the urban centers of Earth in the near future, Chiba City, the Sprawl, Istanbul, and then to the orbital pleasure domes and corporate stronghold of Freeside and Straylight. The kind of movement to which I am referring is not overtly

There is debate about whether Dick's novel is an example of high or popular literature. Nonetheless, it is difficult to argue that the text is not worthy of analysis. Indeed, Suvin tells us that the 'importance of science fiction in our time is on the increase' (Reader, 36, p.187) and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is perhaps the strongest example of a science fiction novel which invites literary criticism. The action of Dick's novel takes place in the not too distant future, and it is worth

Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction short story and subsequent novel written by Daniel Keyes. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. Although the book has often been challenged for removal from libraries in the US and Canada, sometimes successfully, Keyes refused to make the change and sold the story to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction instead. and

Welcome to the world of science fiction, sometimes known familiarly as “SF,” but rarely “Sci-Fi,” which is generally considered to be pejorative by aficionados of the genre, and more appropriate for films than literature. Science fiction is one of the three subdivisions of fantastic literature, the other two being fantasy fiction and supernatural horror. Although definitions vary and some individual works may blur the distinction between one branch and another, most fantastic or speculative stories

Apathy and Addiction in Neuromancer     In the postmodern world of William Gibson's Neuromancer, nature is dead, and the world is run by the logic of the corporate machine. Confronted by a reality that is stark, barren, and metallic, and the hopelessness that this reality engenders, the postmodern protagonist, like Case, often immerses himself or herself in an alternate form of reality that is offered in the form of addiction (to virtual reality or drugs, for example), addictions that

The discourse on what it means to be a human is an old one. No official answer to the question: “what it means to be human?” has been established, despite the fact that numerous great minds in all of history have inquired into the issue. It seems impossible to determine what makes humans humane, besides biological markers. Despite that, acts of dehumanization have been deployed in various situations, most notably in order to legitimize massive killing of others—taking the life of a human is deeply

The Holy Grail is the mystical cup that Christ used at the last supper and it is believed that it holds special powers. The Grail was considered to be a bowl or dish when first described by Chrétien de Troyes (Holy Grail – Crystalinks). Hélinand of Froidmont described the Grail as a "wide and deep saucer" (O’Neal 79). Other authors had their own ideas: Robert de Boron portrayed it as the vessel of the Last Supper; and Peredur had no Grail per se, presenting the hero instead with a platter containing

Homosexuality (male). Definition Homosexuality refers to sexual behaviors and desires between males or between females. Gay refers to self-identification with such practices and desires, like homosexual, both terms mostly used only for men. Lesbian is its female counterpart. Such definitions have run into major problems, and nowadays the concept “queer” is used to indicate the fluency of sexual practices and gender performances. Sociological context Since the 1970s, homosexuality has