Abstract
Phoenixx Neil
How Science Fiction Writers Use architecture To Visualize Their World
In the world of science fiction novels, authors sometimes need other means to paint the picture for their readers. One of the subtler tools that an author can use is architecture. Architecture’s role in science fiction is that it can depict multiple things: technological advancement, the author’s setting/world, or even challenge the idea of what “home” is. In a multitude of films, illustrations and other media, the architecture may often be overlooked by viewers/readers and it is one important component to a story. Urban landscapes, cityscapes, colonies, and resettlements are just a few of the major categories where architecture peeks into some significance in science fiction works. So, the question that this research project poses to answer is: how do science fiction authors use architecture to help visualize their world? Not only do the authors use similes and metaphors to help paint a picture, key descriptors and other key words help a reader figure out what the author is talking about. The readers need to be able to make comparisons to make the story more believable. The articles and reports related to this topic have been very helpful to support this research project. A report on Architecture in science fiction film, has an agenda of over 150 science fiction films that tackle different tropes on science fiction. This report really served as a good place to find connections between architecture as well as what type of architecture was used in the making of films. This give another perspective on this project because now there is the perspective of “what architects can learn from science fiction films”. Reports such as those have helped to explore the representation of architecture in film as well as in illustrations or renderings of a world/setting. Although there is a vast majority of science fiction related texts, games, films, pictures and things of the like, the main focus of this project is to further extrapolate on specifically text and the film industry. The keywords for this research project are: Architecture, Visualization, Metaphors, Similes, Descriptors, Progression, Speculation, Realism
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