The document discusses two common types of external conflict protagonists face in fiction: person vs. the unknown/extraterrestrial, where the protagonist battles an unknown or incomprehensible entity like an alien race; and person vs. technology/machinery, where the protagonist fights dehumanizing technology that sees humanity as obsolete, such as astronauts opposing intelligent machines. It provides examples like The War of the Worlds and 2001: A Space Odyssey to illustrate these conflicts.

1. Unit 10 -1
CONFLICT

7. Cont:

9. Some
protagonists
are struggling
largely with
inner
conflicts.

13. Person vs. the Unknown/Extraterrestrial
This is a common thread in science fiction and
supernatural horror movies and books. In this type of
conflict, the protagonist battles against an entity
that isn't entirely known or comprehensible, whether
it is extraterrestrial or metaphysical. Think of
Stephen King's The Shining (or many of King's books,
for that matter). On the science fiction side, H.G.
Wells' 1898 novel TheWar of theWorlds is an
example of a group (humankind) clashing with an
alien race (Martians).

14. Person vs.Technology/Machinery
The popularity of this genre has risen steadily over the last
hundred years, and in the face of increasing mechanization
and improving artificial intelligence, it's not hard to see
why.This type of conflict focuses on a person or group of
people fighting to overcome unemotional and
unsympathetic machinery that believes it no longer
requires humanity.
Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, for example, pits
astronaut Dave Bowman against the super-intelligent HAL
9000, which believes Dave's shortcomings as a human
being mean he must be forcibly removed from the mission.

15. Conclusion
Whether you're enjoying literature,
analyzing it, or writing it yourself,
knowing these seven types of conflict will
help you gain a greater understanding of
what makes a story so compelling.
Hopefully, while reading this short list,
you will have thought of your own

16. The End