Class 12 English — Chapter 19: On Science Fiction

What you'll learn

• ▸Defining 'True' Science Fiction
• ▸The Prescientific Universe vs. The Scientific Universe
• ▸Myths and Legends as Precursors to Sci-Fi
• ▸The Role of the 'Controller': Priest vs. Scientist
• ▸Science Fiction as a Background, Not Content
• ▸Genre Blending with Science Fiction
• ▸The Validity and Literary Value of Fantasy

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- 12076CH19 6 On Science Fiction Isaac Asimov 1920-1992 Isaac Asimov was a Russian born American author and biochemist. He was a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works on science fiction and for his popular science books. Most of Asimov's popularised science books explain science concepts in a historical way, going back as far as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. He also lent his name to the magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction. The Prescientific Universe Foreword To every history there is a prehistoric period. In the case of science fiction, the prehistory lingers on even today in some of the aspects of the field. But what of that? Just as Ice Age art can hold up its head with any form of art produced by sophisticated modern man, so can the prehistoric aspects of science fiction prove an accomplished literary form. I have often made the point that true science fiction is a creature of the…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

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1. Discover real-life science fiction inventions? Get Solution →
2. Compare ancient myths to sci-fi? Get Solution →
3. Create a science fiction story idea? Get Solution →
4. Who is the author of the chapter titled 'On Science Fiction'? Get Solution →
5. According to Asimov, around what year did the Industrial Revolution make it possible for science fiction to be written? Get Solution →
6. In prescientific times, which figures filled the function of the modern scientist? Get Solution →
7. What is the magical equivalent of a modern television set mentioned in the text? Get Solution →
8. The text states that science fiction is defined by its background, not by its what? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 Science fiction writers predicted things like submarines and space travel centuries ago.
• 💡 The word "robot" was first used in a science fiction play from 1920.
• 💡 Ancient myths often describe gods with powers much like today's superheroes.
• 💡 Many legendary monsters, such as the Sphinx, originated in very old stories.
• 💡 Isaac Asimov, the author, wrote more than 500 books during his life.

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