To The World, I Say This...

Essay/Opinion: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Out of all of the many literary and film genres, I am most in love with science-fiction and fantasy. They show the creativity of the human mind, they provide an escape from normal life, and the situations that one is exposed to in those genres can be applied to real life, say in order to help problem solve or understand another person.

Firstly, through the creative and unique expression of symbols and ideas, the author can create in the mind of the reader a story or environment that the reader may not have thought of on their own. An appreciation for details and symbols is filtered while reading about something foreign. For example, in Vladimir Nabokov's "Symbols and Signs" there is a description of the son's "referential mania", explained using familiar concepts so that the reads gets an understanding of what happens in his mind. This prompts the reader to imagine the environment in which the son lives. Further, the symbols used, such as pictures (representing memories), in "Symbols and Signs" give deeper meaning to the story. Symbols in movies or books that are creatively and thoughtfully constructed are much better, in my opinion, than explaining a concept outright. It allows the reader to interpret it based on their own experiences. For example, a creative symbol I favour is the death of Aslan in CS Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. This symbol stood out to me not only because it generally conveys sacrificing oneself for others, but because I have a Christian background. As a result, I relate Edmund's betrayal and Aslan's death to the fall of man and Christ's death. Well-constructed and creative storytelling overall makes the soy and characters more interesting and more enjoyable.

Secondly, this interesting and enjoyable atmosphere constructed by the author provides an escape from "the normal". The reader is immersed in situations, worlds, and/or characters lives that would not exist in real life. The reader can experience other-worlds cultures, can explore the thoughts and relationships of characters, and so on. Stephen King, while talking about horror movies, said, " the potential lyncher is in almost all of us... and every now and then, he has to be let loose to scream and roll around in the grass". This can also be applied to science-fiction and fantasy stories; the reader's imagination can be "let loose" and can expand into new territory for the readers fulfillment and enjoyment. Without the fictional world, I would certainly find it hard to function. For many people including myself, stretching the imagination is a form of self-care. Its a forum to relax and experience something new, or fun, or scary vicariously through a character, without the concerns of normal life.

Despite the fact that science-fiction and fantasy stories are usually far-removed from reality, some issues presented or problem-solving methods are used in these stories may be applied to real life. For example, the theme of oppression and racism is dominant in Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal". Now I am assuming the story is a work of fiction, in which case those particular characters never existed. On the other hand, the forms of oppression exposed in "Battle Royal" are far from fictional; they have been and still are all too real. The fact that the story is fictional does not mean that the reader can discount the deeper issues or situations as fictional as well. Another example is the Borg from Star Trek. These quasi-robotic aliens basically worked their way through the universe assimilating all other species and technologies for their "hive's" improvement. Again, the Borg aren't real, but the assimilation of other cultures into one's own is real. An example is the assimilation, or colonization, of the Indigenous peoples of North America. Their assets were taken from them and used to benefit a dominant culture. Like how the crew of the Enterprise learned about the Borg in order to understand the problem, North Americans of any kind need to explore the systemic and social oppression that has occurred and is occurring in order to solve the issue. As a result, fictitious works can create a platform where the reader can realize issues or problems in the real world, seeing it possibly from the eyes of a position or personality different from their own, and possibly adopt a method for solving said issues.

In conclusion, my favourite genres science-fiction and fantasy have many uses: they are the result of creativity and stretch the imagination, they serve as an escape from normal life and can aid in self-care, and the circumstances and themes encountered in the stories can be applied to the real world.