Science fiction, or “sci-fi”, truly came into its own as a genre at the dawning of the Atomic Age. This great technological leap served to fire the imaginations of people everywhere. The scene was set for story-tellers to spin their tales of alien invasion and outer space adventure. Invented words and far-out technologies sprang from the page. Some authors presaged contemporary social arrangements. Many of the stories from this period (1950s-80s), it has been observed, were distinctly optimistic in their world-views and held that technological advancements heralded a Utopian Age. The passage of time and evolution of the form gave rise in the 1980s to the decidedly less optimistic “cyberpunk” sub-genre of sci-fi. It was the cyberpunk movement, with William Gibson at the fore, that developed themes touched on by earlier writers like Alfred Bester, notably the rise of invasive and oppressive power coalitions (namely governments and corporations) in distinctly dystopian settings.
Sci-fi novelists have also provided the vernacular for modern interests. It was Gibson, in his book Neuromancer, who coined the term “microsoft.” Bill Gates would later “coin” the word rather more heavily. The term “cyber-space,” so prevalent today, was introduced to the world by sci-fi. Hollywood has made millions through appropriating the works of science fiction writers, notably those of Philip K. Dick.
Those interested in exploring the world of science fiction literature can do worse than to be guided by the wonderful SF Masterworks series. It is a more-than 70 book compilation that many herald as the cream of the sci-fi crop over the last 60 years.
Sci-fi novelists have also provided the vernacular for modern interests. It was Gibson, in his book Neuromancer, who coined the term “microsoft.” Bill Gates would later “coin” the word rather more heavily. The term “cyber-space,” so prevalent today, was introduced to the world by sci-fi. Hollywood has made millions through appropriating the works of science fiction writers, notably those of Philip K. Dick.
Those interested in exploring the world of science fiction literature can do worse than to be guided by the wonderful SF Masterworks series. It is a more-than 70 book compilation that many herald as the cream of the sci-fi crop over the last 60 years.