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Elie Yazbek
Is Superman a God?
Editorial
From Scientifiction to Science Fiction
Hugo Gernsback, who was the first to use the term âscience fictionâ in its primi-
tive form âscientifictionâ, in the introduction to the first issue of Amazing Stories
(1926), defined the genre: âBy âscientifictionâ I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells
and Edgar Allan Poe type of story â a charming romance intermingled with scientific
fact and prophetic vision. Not only do these amazing tales make tremendously in-
teresting reading â they are always instructive. They supply knowledge.â1 Marshall
McLuhann in The Medium is the Massage (1967) described science fiction simply as
âwriting [that] today presents situations that enable us to perceive the potential of
new technologiesâ.2 In a more philosophical way, Alvin Toffler wrote in Future Shock
(1970) that this genre âby dealing with possibilities not ordinarily considered â al-
ternative worlds, alternative visions â widens our repertoire of possible responses
to change.â3 Later, in How Easy to See the Future! (1975), Isaac Asimov defined this
genre as a âbranch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to
changes in science and technologyâ.4 According to Elisa Eileen Beshero-Bondar, sci-
ence fiction is also a âtime-sensitive subject. Usually futuristic, science fiction spec-
ulates about alternative ways of life made possible by technological change, and
hence has sometimes been called âspeculative fictionâ.â5
These definitions, and many others, attempt to understand a genre that has be-
come very popular through the years, not only in literature but also, and mainly, in
films and TV-series, especially in the last fifty years. Science fiction commonly deals
with science, technology, innovation, interstellar and time travel, similar and dis-
similar worlds, aliens and extraterrestrial life, ancient and future civilizations, super-
1 Gernsback 1926, 3.
2 McLuhan/Fiore 1967, 124.
3 Toffler 1970, 209.
4 Asimov 1975, 62.
5 Beshero-Bondar, n.d.
DOI: 10.25364/05.06:2020.1.1 Editorial |
7www.jrfm.eu
2020, 6/1, 7â15
JRFM
Journal Religion Film Media, Band 06/01
- Titel
- JRFM
- Untertitel
- Journal Religion Film Media
- Band
- 06/01
- Autoren
- Christian Wessely
- Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati
- Herausgeber
- Uni-Graz
- Verlag
- SchĂŒren Verlag GmbH
- Ort
- Graz
- Datum
- 2020
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY-NC 4.0
- Abmessungen
- 14.8 x 21.0 cm
- Seiten
- 184
- Kategorien
- Zeitschriften JRFM