Diana Bang's ETEC 531 e-portfolio

I think the status of sci-fi as a literary genre has evolved as it began merely as a work of pure fictitious fantasy incorporating elements of science and has slowly morphed to become almost prophetic in its nature as it has the uncanny ability to foretell some of the realities of the future.  Additionally, stories that were set in an imaginary time and/or place enabled the exploration of different worlds, futuristic societies, life forms, and cultures. However, it seems that these sci-fi stories are not as far-fetched as they initially seemed and have already begun to hit closer to home. Whether the topics deal with cloning, genetic engineering, or the advancement of computers/robots- it has gotten to the point where these topics are not limited to a work of fiction. I recall when Dolly the sheep (the first cloned mammal) made the news headlines with much controversy. Interestingly, the animal had to be put down due to a progressive lung disease and had a shorter than expected life expectancy, raising more questions about cloning: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3393-dolly-the-sheep-dies-young.html. Thus, the issues that were normally kept in the confines of sci-fi literature are being dealt with in reality and so a lot of the discussions generated from sci-fi works have truly crossed the boundary into the real-world.

Furthermore, often in sci-fi literature foreign characters were traditionally depicted in a negative light because not much was known about them (i.e. aliens out to destroy mankind and the world, robots, etc). However, they increasingly appear not to be typecast as the evil villains. Instead, with a twist of irony it seems that more often than not humans are now at the forefront of destruction- as they’re depicted of being both the creators of innovation and masterminds of self-destruction. As sci-fi stories have unfolded it appears they come with morals or hidden messages. For example, the notion that as human civilizations continues to develop and there are greater technological advancements we will have to assume more responsibility for our actions and decisions as evolution may come with an ultimate price. Overall, it seems that science fiction for better or for worse has definitely started blurring the lines between what’s reality and fiction. No longer does it just provide a forum for discussion or stir our imaginations, and instead it’s edging ever closer to a realized version of fiction.