The passage describes Topher pressing a button and suddenly traveling up toward the sky, leaving Earth's atmosphere and entering space. He sees a gray-green spaceship ahead, with an open black door that he drifts through. These details of space travel and aliens show that this story is an example of science fiction.

2. Science fiction includes details and
events that can’t happen in the real
world
Instead of magic, though, science
fiction focuses more on technology.

3. In science fiction, look for:
Time travel
Unbelievable gadgets
Aliens
Space travel that doesn’t yet exist

4. Why should I care?
Many people think that new technology is always good—
the newer and faster the better!
Science fiction helps us to think about some of the effects
of new technology that may not be as great for ourselves
and our world.

5. What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was
traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not
boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was
getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at
the sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer.
Whoosh! He flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy.
But then things started getting darker. He was leaving
Earth’s atmosphere. Now he was in space! Topher saw a
gray green spaceship ahead. A black door opened and he
drifted through. Wow! This was much, much better than
playing with a flat soccer ball.

6. What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was
traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not
boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was
getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at
the sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer.
Whoosh! He flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy.
But then things started getting darker. He was leaving
Earth’s atmosphere. Now he was in space! Topher saw a
gray green spaceship ahead. A black door opened and he
drifted through. Wow! This was much, much better than
playing with a flat soccer ball.

7. What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was
traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not
boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was
getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at the
sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer. Whoosh! He
flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy. But then things
started getting darker. He was leaving Earth’s atmosphere.
Now he was in space! Topher saw a gray green spaceship
ahead. A black door opened and he drifted through. Wow!
This was much, much better than playing with a flat soccer
ball.