Science fiction generally deals with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individual. The term “science fiction” was popularised in the year 1920 by American publisher Hugo Gernsback, he founded Modern electric (a technical magazine) which was later absorbed by popular science. His plot was filled with fantastic inventions and imagined future with spaceship travel and many more. In 1926 he began publishing amazing stories, one of his first magazines devoted to what he called as “scientification”, which contains wonder stories, encouraged development and refinement of this genre. In 1953, Hugo Award was established by world science fiction after his name, this award is given to writers and editors.

Science fiction is a modern genre, as it led various writers and intellectuals to explore the future impact of technology and speculates the alternative ways of life by technological change. This fiction is sometimes called as “speculative fiction” as it focuses on how technology changes our future. In the 2nd century CE Syrian greek satirist Lucian wrote “Trips to Moon”. In this novel he described fancy, fantastic tales and excited the audience about the space world. After this many writers like Cyrano de Bergerac wrote about voyages to moon. Later in the 21st century science fiction has become one of the most avidly read literary genre.

Science fiction is usually distinguished into two types: Hard science fiction and soft science fiction. Hard science fiction follows scientific facts, it focuses on natural science, it is often written by real scientists which is a real and accurate prediction of future events. While soft science focuses on social science like psychology, sociology; in other words, science involving human behaviour. It addresses the possible scientific consequences of human behaviour. In reality most of the works are mixture of both hard and soft scientific fiction, soft fiction helps the readers to connect emotionally and hard fiction helps to provide real scientific evidence so that the audience can imagine the real action happening.

One of the most best science fictions written is ” Altered Carbon” written by Richard k Morgan. This novel revolves around Takeshi, Kovac, an ex- Envoy who works in a military unit that deal with interstellar warfare. several years ago, Kavoc was killed but his consciousness was downloaded and store for later use. Lauren Bancoft use his consciousness and ordered Takeshi to find the man who murdered Kavoc. Bancoft was very enthusiastic in using the consciousness of others and re-sleeved into another available body and makes various evidence to prove his experiment. This fiction is all about how future science fiction effect our society and morality. Some other famous science fiction novels are: “Paris in the twentieth century” written by Jules Verne’s that contain trains, automobile and computer like machines, another novel” five weeks in a balloon written by Hegel, it focused on futurism and voyages experience in balloon, it contain balloons submarine, trains etc. Science fiction provides us moral sobriety with technical world.

Science fiction is genre of possible, imagination, development, inventions and technology. Authors of science fiction try to create possible future of mankind with technology and the universe in a way that consist of both imaginative and creative world.

Priya Singh @Samacharline