Hobbits and Magic, Tech and Science, Oh MY!
BY
Hannah
Beers
People
enjoy different types of fiction, some genres more than others. What then are
the differences that cause some to be drawn to either Fantasy or Science
Fiction? There must be some distinction
between these two genres of fiction due to the fact that they HAVE been put
into two different categories. Peoples’ preferences on this topic may even tell
more about that person’s personality and interests. Personally, I enjoy Fantasy
much more than Science Fiction. I love the magical creatures and the
imaginative nature of these stories. I even love writing my own Fantasy
stories.
The
major differences that I have observed between Fantasy and Science Fiction are
that Fantasy includes the “impossible” and Science Fiction stays within the
rhelm of “possible,” and Fantasy tends to have a happy ending, whereas Science
Fiction mostly ends in tragedy. These distinctions are the most important, in
my opinion. These are the qualities that draw me closer to Fantasy. I read “The
Hobbit” by J.R.R Tolkien a couple weeks ago, and I honestly enjoyed this book
much more than any of the Science Fiction that was assigned in class. In “The
Hobbit,” there were many imaginary creatures such as the Hobbits, Wizards, Elves,
Dwarves, giant talking birds, a bear-man, giant vicious spiders, goblins,
trolls, and of course, my favorite, the dragon SMAUG.
Large
battles ensued between these imaginary creatures, and because J.R.R Tolkien was
a fantastic writer, everything within the book seems real. You can sense the
Dwarves hunger for revenge upon Smaug and the longing for their stolen gold.
You can feel Bilbo’s homesickness along the entire journey, although his
determination and character development keeps the reader interested. So,
although the story is not realistic, it is still really fun to read, and because
the characters believe in the plot and their world, it causes the reader to
believe. The ideas for fantasy are endless.
In
Science Fiction, the concepts are more based upon “reality,” along with a hint
of speculation. What if we could travel farther in space? What if geneticists
were able to do this? What if? Although this is a quality of all speculative
fiction, of which both Fantasy and Science Fiction belong, Science Fiction’s
“What ifs” are based on ideas that are already possible through science and
technology. In Super Toys Last All Summer Long, by Brian W. Aldiss, it
asks the question, “What if robot technology advances dramatically in the
future?” And in response to this question in his story, we find a woman with a
robot child, named David, whom she cannot bring herself to love. This is based
upon real human reactions to other life forms and fear of things and people who
are different. This also gives some insight into how humans believe Artificial
Intelligence will evolve. David wrote many letters to his “mother” expressing
his love for her. This demonstrates the speculation
with very real possibilities and feelings that humans may have towards this
situation.
Another distinction that I observed
between Fantasy and Science Fiction was the end of the stories. “The Hobbit”
ends with the killing of the Dragon Smaug, which frees the Lake-Village and the
gold in the mountain. The Hobbit is able to go back home and live safely in his
little Hobbit-hole, where he is content. I thought that this ending wrapped up
the story well and satisfied the reader.
On
the other hand, in both Super Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian W.
Aldiss, and The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin, the endings are tragic.
After reading through these pieces I expected the stories to be resolved, but
they only left me sad and disappointed. In
Super Toys Last All Summer Long, David’s love for his “mother”
was never returned. She receives news that she can finally mother a “real”
child, and her and her husband looks at David and his teddy and says, “What do
we do with them?” very clearly showing that David and teddy will be
thrown out. In The Cold Equations, a young girl boards a ship hoping to
see her older brother. But, because the ship does not carry enough fuel for
another person, she must be let off of the ship into space to die.
These
two distinctions of imaginary/real content and opposite endings draw a very
large line between Fantasy and Science Fiction, in my opinion.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm sure there are readers who would dispute the optimism of fantasy and the tragedy of science fiction being absolutes -- or even reliable enough to be called "common" -- you're able to make a case for your position with these specific examples. I wonder if, rather than looking at optimism and pessimism, is it a question of whether the conflicts that face the characters are more less morally fraught? We must not forget that though things end well for Bilbo in _The Hobbit_, many of his friends die, and he chooses to (in a sense) betray Thorin in order to bring the Battle of Five Armies to an end. The ending offers some consolation, but it's hardly absolute... perhaps, in the end, it's just MORE consolation than sf stories would offer?
Best,
TT