Tenisha Walcott
Science Fiction
ENG2420
Why is Captain Marvel Science Fiction?
Science Fiction is a genre that is based on futuristic and imaginative stories, stories involving time travel, technology and advanced science, space exploration, alien life, and parallel universes. “Science Fiction demands that everything in your story is scientifically based, if not confirmed, especially if you’re writing a story about teleportation, or space travel. In Science Fiction everything needs an explanation that will make complete rational sense. (“5 Key Elements of Writing Science Fiction Stories,” 2015)” Hard Science Fiction is more scientific, it deals with physics, astronomy, math, engineering, and chemistry. The stories are more realistic and reasonable relative to science. Soft Science Fiction deals more with anthropology, sociology and psychology, the stories are not scientifically accurate and they don’t focus much on science but more on the stories of the characters. Space Opera’s are stories that involve big conflicts between a hero and the villain. Alternate History’s are stories that extrapolate things from the past, and choosing a different route then the one taken before. Dystopias are stories that explore political and social issues in a dark and bad world, the choices humanity makes, with the good and bad outcomes. Some other sub genres of Science Fiction include Cyberpunk which focuses on “high tech and low life” featuring advanced technology and social order. Alien invasion deals with extraterrestrials invade earth in which to wipe out human life.
“Epic of Gilgamesh” was one of the earliest cited writings of Science Fiction. Written in 1800 BC in Mesopotamia, the text was Sumerian, Pierre Versins argued that Gilgamesh was the first Science Fiction piece because the story features a quest for
immortality and the scene resembles the end of the world. The first novel of Science Fiction was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly “Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus”. Published in 1818, Frankenstein is about scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature from dead materials, he brings the creature to life using electricity, Frankenstein abandons the creature, the creature learns to speak and adapts to human life on his own, he then ask that Victor creates a mate for his loneliness. In fear of what the two might cause on the world, he destroys the creature’s mate, in revenge the creature follows Victor throughout his life killing everyone he loves. When Victor dies the creature feel regret and sorrow for what he has done. The term Science Fiction or SF was popularized by American publisher Hugo Gernsback in the 1920’s. He created a Science Fiction magazine “Amazing Stories” March 1926. Gernsback also referred to Science Fiction as Scientifiction, a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision.
Captain Marvel is a superhero filmed based on Marvel comics character Carol Danvers. The film came out in 2019, produced by Marvel studios. The film is about star force member Vers who suffers from amnesia, during a rescues mission, Vers is captured by skrull commander Talos. Vers escapes and crash-lands on earth, where she attracts the attention of S.H.E.L.D agent Nick Fury. Vers and Fury team up to recover her memories and save the skrulls existence.
The movie begins in a typical setting of a science Fiction movie, usually on space, in a space station, space colonies, and ship or on another planet other than earth. Vers
wakes up on Hala, the capital of the Kree planet. While she stares out of the window there is the scenery of the planet and spacecrafts flying around. This scene shows that Captain Marvel is Science Fiction because it begins on an alien planet. Other planets are usually the primary scene of events, its where most of the battles take place. The planets are to show the culture and environments. The movie also open up with flying spaceships, spaceships are space vehicles used to transport people and to fight battles. Vers and Yon-rogg are in combat training, when Vers shows her unhuman like powers by forming a blue fist of fire. Vers goes to speak with supreme intelligence, the artificial intelligence that rules the kree nation, a women appears to her in her subconscious, telling her that her powers was a gift and they can be taken away. This shows an example of advanced technology because they have made another way possible of speaking to each other through the mind. Advanced technology is a newly developed IT innovation to improve processes and products. Vers and Yon-rogg and the rescue crew go on a mission to saved one of their own from the skrulls which are shape shifting aliens that keree are at war with. Shape shifting is the ability to change into anything or anyone, it is the powers of supernatural creatures in Science Fiction. Vers is captured by Talos, he infiltrates Vers memories looking for an advanced technology like speed engine, a probe of her memories leads them to earth. The skrulls are in search of Dr. Lawson, they believe she has discovered the code of light speed technology; Vers is on a mission to find her before the skrulls do. The race between the two species in search of advance technology is an example of Science fiction.
Kinsley Amis (1922-1995) an English teacher, poet, novelist, and critic, known for his comedic novels, he explains his definition of Science Fiction as being a set of circumstances that could not possibly happen on earth as we know it but can be possible in others worlds with aliens, advanced science and technology. “Science Fiction is that class of prose narrative treating of a situation that could not arise in the world we know, but which is hypothesized on the basis of some innovation in science or technology, or pseudo- science or pseudo- technology, whether human or extra- terrestrial in origin.” (Amis8). Vers catches the attention of Nick Fury, the two teams up in order to find Maria, who can help Vers find her memories. Vers remembers gaining her powers when she tried to destroy the energy core that Dr. Lawson built, instead of the blast killer her the energy id absorbed in her body, giving her supernatural powers. This is an example of technomancy also known as technomagic. It is the gaining of magical powers through the use of technology. “Technomancy is a collection of physical art-forms surrounding the use of technology in such a way the user appears to possess superhuman powers. (“| Technomancy,” n.d.) ” This is an example of Science Fiction because Vers gains her supernatural powers from the advanced technology energy core and the coordinates that Dr. Lawson found will be strong enough to power the light speed ship.
The film can be considered soft Science Fiction because it concerns mostly with the characters, their culture and their society and their planets. “Soft Science Fiction consists of scientific or futuristic elements, but does not delve deep into the technical details of the science. (“What is Soft Sci Fi and How Does it Differ From Hard Sci Fi?,” 2018) “The
film does not go in depth of the making of the light speed engine; instead it explains the purpose for it and why the characters seek to find it. Vers uses technology built into her spacesuit to unlock Dr. Lawson’s laboratory she kept hidden in space. J.O. Bailey describes Science Fiction as “a piece of scientific fiction is a narrative of an imaginary invention or discovery in the natural science and consequent adventures and experiences, it must be scientific discovery, something that the author at least rationalizes as possible to science. (Bailey10)” Dr. Lawson uses science and technology to create to create the tesseract, which is a cosmic cube that can destroy an entire planet. Mr. Goose is a cat, in truth he is a kind of space creator, he eats the tesseract to keep it safe. In Science Fiction there is usually some sort of extraterrestrial creatures in the story, there are the kree and skrulls who’s appearance lets you know that they are alien, Mr. Goose appears to be a normal pet but he is a alien taking the form of a cat. In identifying Science Fiction, there is usually a fight between good and evil, and some kind of betrayal. The fight between the kree and skrulls are in a fight of good and evil, with the skrulls being portrayed as the bad guys and the kree trying to stop them. The betrayal comes from Yon-rogg killing Dr. Lawson, reveling that the kree have been the villains all along, trying to destroy the entire Skrull race. The movie ends with Vers stopping the kree from destroying the skrull nation with her superhuman powers. The ending of Captain Marvel is showing that good always prevail in most Science Fictions.
Work Cited
References
| Technomancy. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2020, from unchartedsuns.com website: https://unchartedsuns.com/inventories/technomancy/
5 Key Elements of Writing Science Fiction Stories. (2015, July 27). Retrieved May 20, 2020, from Writing Tips Oasis website: https://writingtipsoasis.com/5-key-elements-of-writing-science-fiction-stories/
fiction, M. W. M. W. has over 30 years of experience as a science, Weekly, fantasy writer H. work has been published in S. F., TheaterWeek, newspapers, various N. J. -base., & Wilson, among other publications our editorial process M. (n.d.). What Are the Different Types of Sci-Fi? Retrieved May 21, 2020, from LiveAbout website: https://www.liveabout.com/what-are-the-kinds-of-scifi-2957790
Sterling, B. (2019). science fiction | Definiton, Examples, & Characteristics. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction
What is Soft Sci Fi and How Does it Differ From Hard Sci Fi? (2018, April 26). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from Kay L Moody website: https://kaylmoody.com/soft-sci-fi/ �
