Running Head: HISTORY HOMEWORK 1. HISTORY HOMEWORK 8. History Homework Name: College: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction: Science fiction emerged as a literary genre in the mid 1800s and portrayed the future of mankind as one which would be filled with scientific innovations and advancements in technology. Many authors were interested about the influence of technology in people and how it would affect the life of many people. Many authors wrote about the effects of scientific advancements for human kind. While some of the author’s thematic concerns were centered on the positive impact of scientific innovations for people others were concentration on the changes that would occur during the period of scientific innovation. Many gothic stories were presented by authors giving different accounts of stories that reflected the chances that occurred on earth due to scientific knowledge. This paper therefore, tries to provide an explanation of why science fiction emerged as a literary genre in the mid 1800-s and its portrayal for the future. Effect of civilization and science fiction: ` There were many reasons why science fiction emerged as the main literary genre in the mid 1800s. To begin with, many people thought that civilization would have a negative impact for human kind. For this reason, many authors try to explore the post apocalyptic fiction with stories that contained false utopias. Due to the aforementioned reason, many people thought that technological advancements and improvements of innovation would have a negative effect. Others thought that technological advancements would be the main cause the end of the universe. This led to authors such as Mary Shelley to concentrate their literature work on stories of apocalyptic fiction. Consequently, these genres came into the limelight in during the period of the world war 11. Although there were factors that led to the death of many people, it is evident that technology was the main factor that led to the loss of lives. This led to increase of popularity in the dystopia stories (Ferns, 1999). The history of science fiction dates back from the times of Greek civilization. The first scientific epics consisted of satires of epic voyages by Lucian of Samosata. These epics consisted of stories explaining men who had travelled from the earth to the moon. These epics were in line with the discoveries of the magnetic campus that would help people to discover and explore different grounds on the earth. These stories entailed fantasy imaginings that depicted the changes in the world of technology. In addition, the plurality of words was also taken seriously especially after the discovery of the telescope. The changes in the society were also depicted and also greatly illustrated in the utopia changes of the universe. Some of the founders of scientific fiction such as Francis Bacon used literal fiction to explain how scientific experimentation could be used to help change the world. Bacon use.

1. Running Head: HISTORY HOMEWORK
1.
HISTORY HOMEWORK
8.
History Homework
Name:
College:
Course:
Tutor:
Date:
Introduction:
Science fiction emerged as a literary genre in the mid 1800s and
portrayed the future of mankind as one which would be filled
with scientific innovations and advancements in technology.
Many authors were interested about the influence of technology
in people and how it would affect the life of many people. Many
authors wrote about the effects of scientific advancements for
human kind. While some of the author’s thematic concerns were
centered on the positive impact of scientific innovations for
people others were concentration on the changes that would
occur during the period of scientific innovation. Many gothic
stories were presented by authors giving different accounts of
stories that reflected the chances that occurred on earth due to
scientific knowledge. This paper therefore, tries to provide an
explanation of why science fiction emerged as a literary genre

2. in the mid 1800-s and its portrayal for the future.
Effect of civilization and science fiction:
`
There were many reasons why science fiction emerged as the
main literary genre in the mid 1800s. To begin with, many
people thought that civilization would have a negative impact
for human kind. For this reason, many authors try to explore the
post apocalyptic fiction with stories that contained false
utopias. Due to the aforementioned reason, many people thought
that technological advancements and improvements of
innovation would have a negative effect. Others thought that
technological advancements would be the main cause the end of
the universe. This led to authors such as Mary Shelley to
concentrate their literature work on stories of apocalyptic
fiction. Consequently, these genres came into the limelight in
during the period of the world war 11. Although there were
factors that led to the death of many people, it is evident that
technology was the main factor that led to the loss of lives. This
led to increase of popularity in the dystopia stories (Ferns,
1999).
The history of science fiction dates back from the times of
Greek civilization. The first scientific epics consisted of satires
of epic voyages by Lucian of Samosata. These epics consisted
of stories explaining men who had travelled from the earth to
the moon. These epics were in line with the discoveries of the
magnetic campus that would help people to discover and
explore different grounds on the earth. These stories entailed
fantasy imaginings that depicted the changes in the world of
technology. In addition, the plurality of words was also taken
seriously especially after the discovery of the telescope. The
changes in the society were also depicted and also greatly
illustrated in the utopia changes of the universe.
Some of the founders of scientific fiction such as Francis
Bacon used literal fiction to explain how scientific

3. experimentation could be used to help change the world. Bacon
uses scientific discovery to explain the changes in utopic
society and emergence of fiction in the society. During the
1800, there were many social and technological changes that
could be experimented in a person’s lifetime. These were fully
developed fictions that could portray both the advantages and
the limitations of scientific discoveries to the human society.
Civilization across Europe helped to shape up scientific fiction
as it broadened human mind. This helped man to discover things
that did not exist at the time. It also increased human
knowledge towards certain subjects in the community.
Scientific revolution:
Scientific revolution might have caused the increase of science
fiction in literature in the mid 1800s. During this period, there
was increase in scientific innovations and new discoveries.
Many authors may have been influenced to research the
innovations during this time. This influenced the development
of hard science fiction at the time. Hard fiction is a type of
scientific fiction whose genres entail a deep combination of
well researched scientific methods. Moreover, during the
period of scientific innovation there was increase in of
inventions that required literal analysis. The impacts of these
innovations were not clearly brought to the societies. Therefore,
it is evident that many authors were influenced by the urge to
study these inventions and develop stories that would reflect the
impact of these innovations to the communities (Sanders, 2008).
Most of the genres of science fiction were completely changed
upon the discovery of electricity during the period of industrial
revolution. This changed the thinking of man as technological
advancements were changing the way people think and act in
this society. It helped to provide mankind with the ability to
foresee things that did not happen since the very first day.
Warnings and ridicule were the major thematic concerns that

4. were used in all forms of science fiction. People used to think
that the discoveries and the industrial revolution would lead to
the apocalypse. Modern ways of doing things were changing
how people relate to each other and how they improve their
daily functions. The most influential authors at the time used
allegorical power of technological advancements to explain how
human relate to each other.
The course of scientific revolution led to emergence of
histories, discourses and ideologies around the world. Some of
the ideologies and thematic concerns in science fiction at this
time try to insinuate the impact of technological advancements
to man at the time. For instance socialism that took place at the
time is explained by the stories. Some of the epics in
17thcentury also try to explain themes of oppression and fear of
the people from governments who controlled economic policies.
It is evident that the settings for science fiction at the time were
imaginative more than reality. A time setting for the future was
also set with alternative timelines set by the authors (Ferns,
1999).
Science fiction during the period of scientific revolution had
several characteristics that made it unique. To begin with, it
contained scientific principles that contradicted the laws of
nature. Secondly, dystopia societies also emerged in most of the
genres at the time. Scientific revolution come up with things
such as paranormal abilities for humans such as telepathy and
mind control. At this time people could use manipulative ways
and methods to pursued people to conform to others wishes.
People’s habitual patterns such as time and space could also be
controlled using the psychological methods. Some of these
novels also contained stories explaining technologies that could
be futuristic and that had effect of changing the lives of many
people on earth (Warrick, 1980).
Effect of scientific inventions:
Political, social and cultural interactions with the scientific
inventions also triggered the authors to write stories that

5. reflected community perceptions on scientific innovations.
Some of the genres during this period try to reflect how people
took scientific stories at the time. In addition, other genres also
reflect the social impact of these stories at the time. This tries
to show how the stories had impact for many people at the time.
It is attributed that some of the inventions also affected how
people used to interact among cultures. This led to the authors
coming up with religious themes, cosmic themes and even
cultural themes in their science fiction (Warrick, 1980).
Some of the writes of science fiction usually portray the future
of mankind as one in which they will have paranormal
behaviors. Writers at this time try to show that the future
generation as one that will have the ability to defy the forces of
nature. This means that the laws of nature will be against future
developments. Some of the innovative stories try to depict man
as an individual who will come up with developments such as
Time Machine. This is a science fiction by H. G Orwell who
explains that the time machine will have the ability to take man
into the future and also back within a period of time. The time
machine is one of the novels that have raised criticism in the
media today. This is because it reflects current technological
advancements among different innovations in the world of
technology.
Some of the genres of science fiction try to depict apocalyptic
times. This is a period that will be characterized by the end of
civilization of man. Apocalyptic stories try to depict many
theories and explanations to the possible end of life in the
universe. They try to show the happenings from the golden age
of science fiction to a period where the changes in science
fiction would result to the end of universe. The nature of these
books tries to explore the happenings of the universe and how
they will cause changes in the life of man. This is because some
of the changes that happen in the universe will have an impact
in the coming of apocalyptic times. These changes are depicted
as ones that will have a negative impact into the societies. The
phenomenon used in science fiction will help man to rediscover

6. that civilization will lead to a negative behavior in the society
(Sanders, 2008).
Conclusion:
In summation, many factors contributed to emergence of science
fiction as the main literary genre in the mid 1800s. Some of the
factors that influenced authors to come up with science fiction
include: impact scientific revolution to the people. Secondly,
the effects of scientific inventions at the time also influenced
people to have gothic ideas of how these inventions could lead
to the end of the universe. Science fiction enhanced speculation
of the future as one that would have negative consequences due
to the inventions. It is evident that science fiction contains an
analogy of historical happenings since time immemorial. Most
of the genres in science fiction try to illustrate the changes in
society as a result of technological, scientific and industrial
changes.
References:
Ferns, C. S. (1999). Narrating utopia: Ideology, gender, form in
utopian literature. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.
Sanders, S. (2008). The philosophy of science fiction film.
Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky.
Warrick, P. S. (1980). The cybernetic imagination in science
fiction. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.