Science fiction and why it's great (by Bennett R. Coles)

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Science Fiction And Why It’s Great
By Bennett R. Coles

Part 1
Mocked and marginalized for too long, science fiction is hot. Or
at least it should be, says novelist Ben Coles, author of the
military sci-fi novel Virtues of War.
In our popular culture, there are some things
that never seem to go out of fashion, and some
things that never seem to come into fashion. No
matter the excesses or bad behaviour of
professional athletes, for example, pro sport is
always going to be hot. Same for designer
clothing. And so, apparently, reality TV.
Science fiction, on the other hand, is
marginalized and mocked, and in this series of
blogs I’d like to set the record straight. I’m
going to talk about science fiction, and why it’s
great.

For starters, I humbly ask that you forget the
stereotypes and occasional absurdities that are
associated with the genre. Like most things, SF
has its fringe of, shall we say, over-enthusiasts
(kind of like what pro wrestling is to pro sport). What I’d like to do is explore the core of SF –
what makes it what it is.

Paradoxically, one of the most important qualities of SF is going to make it a little hard to define:
it’s all-inclusive. SF is a very big canvas, with a huge scope of subject matter, philosophy,
themes and styles. There really doesn’t seem to be much in common between a gritty, hard
science, present-day biology thriller like Greg Bear’s novel Darwin’s Radio, and a glossy,
action-packed special effects-loaded space adventure like Paul Verhoeven’s film Starship
Troopers. (Or, for that matter, between Starship Troopers the film, and the 1959 Robert Heinlein
novel of the same name.) But though they may seem unrelated, they easily fall within the
classification of science fiction. Why?

Perhaps the most fundamental quality which any SF creation must have is a sense of wonder – a
sense that there is something else out to discover, even if we ultimately can’t understand it. This
can be an overt theme, as in Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, or it can be an
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underlying menace, as in Ridley Scott’s Alien. This quest for knowledge and understanding has
been a driving force in humans throughout history: its appeal, captured so well by SF, is nearly
universal. And because this quality is so widespread, there is really no limit to what can be
included within the SF genre.

The common sub-genres cover a huge range of topics: hard SF, where no laws of physics are
broken and the story is often about the science itself; alien contact SF, where either the aliens
come to us or we go to them; world disaster SF, where science must save humanity from
impending doom; military SF, where some sort of advanced weaponry is involved and the story
is usually about the soldiers; time travel; alternate worlds; mutants/clones/artificial life… The list
goes on and on.

And finally there is space opera SF, which
simply takes real life and puts it amongst the
stars. Space opera is one of the most derided
forms of SF, but there are brilliant examples of
it, such as Joss Whedon’s Firefly, where real
world, modern themes are explored in a fantastic
setting. In many ways space opera captures the
fundamental essence of SF the best, because it
adds that essential sense of wonder by creating
an imaginary place in which real, human drama
can take place.

So that’s the first reason why science fiction is
great: it has something for everyone. If you don’t
like spaceships, try an alternate history novel
like Harry Turtledove’s How Few Remain,
where the Confederate States of America won the US Civil War. If you’re interested in exploring
the long-term effects of disaster on individuals and society, pick up the TV series Battlestar
Galactica (the 21st Century one, not the 1970s cheese-fest). If you want to be scared silly, watch
the movie Event Horizon. And if you just want to switch your brain off for an evening, cosy up
with Judge Dread.

I don’t know if being inclusive can make science fiction into a hot commodity, but it sure makes
it something worthwhile.

http://lifeasahuman.com/2011/arts-culture/books/science-fiction-and-why-its-great-part-1/

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

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Part 2
Ignore the pointy ears and flying saucers – science fiction is an
intelligent, insightful and thought-provoking section of
literature.
Sometimes writing is dangerous. Throughout
history writers have sometimes had to hide
their meaning behind symbolism and
metaphor, for to say openly what they really
meant could easily mean persecution or death.
Thankfully this isn’t the case too often in
modern Western culture, but even in our
relatively open and tolerant society, writers
sometimes choose, for a variety of good
reasons, to mask their thoughts in allegory.
Science fiction is tailor-made for this sort of
hidden meaning, and this is the second reason
why it’s great.

There are some well-known examples of sci-fi
stories taking on social or political issues, and
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is
perhaps the most famous of all. His portrayal of a ruthlessly oppressive society resonated deeply
with the anti-Communist hysteria of the Cold War, but even today the reader is chilled by the
manipulation and control imposed upon virtually helpless members of society. A modern reader
might even see in it a reflection of our media-dominated, superficial popular culture just as easily
as a paranoid Red-hunter would have spotted Uncle Joe in the 50’s.

Science fiction, by its very nature, takes place in a world that is somehow different from ours. It
could be set far in the future, or on a distant world, or in downtown Seattle where magic is real.
This ability of the genre to exist as close to, or as far away from, our real world as the author
wants gives it a unique ability to comment on the human condition. If an author wants to
comment on the dangers of genetic engineering, he might have a modern-day lab bring
prehistoric creatures to life, like Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. If instead the author wants to
explore human mortality he might do so with robots like Isaac Asimov in his I, Robot collection.
Or an author could provide unique insight into the wisdom of the elderly by giving his aged
characters powerful new bodies as John Scalzi did in Old Man’s War. In every case, the science
fiction author has the freedom, if she so chooses, to explore complex and insightful aspects of
our humanity without necessarily getting bogged down in real-world politics or potentially
divisive issues.

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In my novel, Virtues of War, one of the themes I wanted to explore was this: what is it really like
to be a soldier? What happens psychologically to regular men and women when they see combat
for the first time? And what are the very real consequences of the split-second decisions they
make under extreme stress? As a military veteran it’s an idea dear to my heart, but the last thing I
wanted to do was set the story in a modern day conflict like Afghanistan or Iraq. I have no
interest in wading into the reasons behind why those real wars started, nor do I have any interest
in taking sides. My story isn’t about the reasons for war, nor is it about either American or Arab
grievances. My story is about the people: it’s about the soldiers. I certainly drew on my real-life
experiences in Syria and Lebanon, but by
setting Virtues of War nearly 500 years in the
future and on another world, I freed myself
from any real-life cultural baggage that could
easily have accompanied my desired theme.

Being allegorical, a science fiction story can
endure far beyond what the author originally
intended. Just as Nineteen Eighty-Four has
outlived the political movement that inspired
it, perhaps James Cameron’s Avatar will still
resonate long after the dangers of reckless
environmental exploitation have faded to a
happy irrelevance. Not only does this give
science fiction a potential for longevity not
necessarily enjoyed by other genres, it only
adds to the broad appeal it already commands.

So that’s the second reason why science fiction is great: it provides the perfect vehicle for the
pure exploration of real and relevant aspects of the human condition without causing offense. Or
to put it in a less pompous way: science fiction is not only cool, it makes you think.


Friday, September 30, 2011

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Part 3
Science has always inspired science fiction writers, but what’s
really neat is when the favour is returned.
The ever-quickening pace of our society has resulted in
many things, but one of the most lamentable is the
superficial nature of what we mostly read. Supermarket
tabloids have always been lambasted for their absurd
headlines designed to catch the curious shopper’s eye, but
now we can all surf dozens of online headlines at a glance,
and they usually range from apocalyptic, to titillating to
just plain dumb. It seems this is a growing trend in the
way we read today, which increases the importance of the
third reason why science fiction is great: it encourages –
indeed demands us, to use our brains.

The early years of science fiction set the bar high, as
authors with solid scientific understanding set out to tell
tales that made science the centerpiece. Jules Verne and
H.G. Wells may have created some “science” that is
laughable in the light of today’s knowledge, but at the
time nobody knew what the surface of the Moon was like,
or what lay at the centre of the Earth. These authors not only asked the questions, but gave their
readers imaginary answers that forced us to think beyond our everyday experience. Could people
really live underwater in private yachts like the Nautilus in Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under the Sea? Could an enemy of overwhelming power really be defeated by the common cold
like the Martians in Wells’ War of the Worlds?

As scientific discovery progressed, so did the focus of science fiction authors, but they never
stopped challenging their readers to think beyond what was already known. As we learned more
about the our solar system, for example, stories about space exploration like Arthur C. Clarke’s
2001: A Space Odyssey made popular the idea of orbiting space stations and humankind visiting
our neighbouring planets. As the fundamental nature of the Universe itself was uncovered,
readers were invited to stretch their minds wide by Poul Anderson’s Tau Zero taking a spaceship
and her crew to the very end of time and beyond. Isaac Asimov created the term “robot” to
describe an artificial life form created by humans, and in so doing popularized the notion that life
was not necessarily confined to biology.

The laws of physics certainly aren’t always adhered to in science fiction, but even when Einstein
is flouted he is often done so in a very intelligent way. Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek had no
time for such limitations as slower-than-light travel or the integrity of the strong nuclear force,
but even so this space opera has managed for decades to explore thoughtful and sometimes
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controversial questions about our human existence. And Star Trek even sometimes tries to offer
explanations as to why the laws of physics have changed, grabbing hold of modern theories
when they suggest a hint of how warp drive or transporters might actually exist.

In my novel, Virtues of War, I wanted to stay
as close to the current laws of physics as I
could, and I found a great ally in the theory of
Dr. Lisa Randall from Harvard, who has
proposed a fourth spatial dimension beyond
the three-dimensional “brane” in which we
exist as a solution to why gravity is so
different and so much weaker than the other
three fundamental forces of nature. I don’t
think that the concept of a fourth spatial
dimension is going to be discussed on its own
merits at coffee shops and soccer games too
often, but with luck, having introduced “stealth
ships” that can travel in this fourth dimension
known as the Bulk and be battled by heroic
young space pilots like Jack Mallory, I might
have brought this esoteric concept of astro-physics slightly closer to the popular consciousness.

One of the most intriguing results of this thought-provoking genre called science fiction is that so
many ideas that were imagined by authors have become reality. A modern nuclear-powered
submarine really could travel around the world submerged for 20,000 leagues. Robots have
become ubiquitous servants in our industrial society. Space stations orbit the Earth and probes
have visited every planet in our solar system (sorry folks, Pluto doesn’t count anymore…). True,
we haven’t invented transporters yet, but flip-phones sure look a lot like Captain Kirk’s old
communicator. And while we haven’t travelled faster than light yet either, just a couple of weeks
ago scientists think they discovered particles travelling faster than Einstein’s 100-year-old
intergalactic speed limit. So who knows…?

Science fiction isn’t just about exploring the far reaches of our knowledge – it pushes past that
and inspires us not only to think hard, but to think new. Science fiction writers are artists,
inspired by scientific reality but driven by their imaginations, and it’s their dreaming that in turn
inspires scientists to ask questions, to take risks, and to create wondrous new things. And even
for those of us who aren’t scientists, science fiction forces us to keep our brains engaged, to stay
curious and to think about things beyond the latest celebrity scandal or playoff game. Science
fiction keeps us smart, and that’s why it’s great.


Saturday, October 8, 2011

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Part 4
So far we’ve talked about some big reasons why
science fiction is great, and in every article I’ve
made a point of asking readers to look past the
absurdities of the science fiction fringe and
focus on the strength of the core. But now I
want to invite all that ridiculousness to the party
– let’s talk about the Klingon university courses,
the sleeping outside movie theatres for days, the
pointy ears, the little green men, the freakish
ability to quote movie lines and the whole range
of absurdities that are a huge part of sci-fi.
Although purists may shudder and closet-geeks
may cringe, all that wacky weirdness is one of the things that makes science fiction great. So
let’s get it out there.

Science fiction was always a bit quirky, even in what many consider to be its heyday in the 50’s
and 60’s. There were no big conventions back then and no fictional languages being taught in
community colleges, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the guys on the high school football team who
were picking up the latest copy of Analog or Amazing Stories. Right from the beginning, science
fiction found its home away from the popular limelight, and as the size of the sci-fi subculture
grew so diminished its likelihood of ever being cool.

In the late 60’s a revolutionary TV show started
to change that. Star Trek, undermined by its
own network and unceremoniously dumped
after three seasons, did something remarkable.
It actually grew in popularity even after it was
cancelled. People loved it so much they started
to meet in groups to talk about it. Authors
started writing new stories to keep the
adventure alive. And then, in 1972, there was
an event called a “Star Trek convention” where
cast and crew from the show actually turned up
to meet with fans and talk about this fictional
universe that was supposed to be dead but was very much alive. Although hardly the first science
fiction convention (the very first can be dated back all the way to the 30’s), the sheer passion that
fueled the Star Trek movement took the convention concept to a whole new level.

And then in 1977 another work of science fiction changed our culture forever. Star Wars
exploded across our collective consciousness and, for a brief, glorious moment, made science
fiction not only mainstream, but incredibly cool. I was 4 years old, and Star Wars was the first
feature-length movie I ever saw. My parents say that my brother and I didn’t blink for two hours,

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and I can state with conviction that my entire childhood was dominated by that galaxy far, far
away.

From these two cultural colossi comes pretty much all the weirdness that sci-fi is so well-known
for. By the 80’s the idea of the sci-fi convention had grabbed hold, giving rise to vast venues
where fans of everything from Voyage to the Centre of the Earth to V could meet, discuss,
debate and buy collectibles, in total safety from muscle-bound bullies and beautiful women.
(Okay, okay, perhaps an exaggeration: some very muscular guys are sci-fi fans too.) This sub-
culture, for so long underground and in hiding, had been primed by Star Trek and liberated by
Star Wars, and now it was free to go absolutely crazy. Costumes, action figures, comic-book
adaptations, posters, china sets… A multi-billion dollar industry in collectibles was spawned,
and sci-fi fanatics felt comfortable going loud and proud.

But …
But alongside all this fun and absurdity, despite science fiction moving in popular perception
from being a mildly-nerdy but otherwise inoffensive genre to being a lunatic fringe of crazies
who wanted to form a new society based on the United Federation of Planets, the core of what
made science fiction great never changed. Science fiction continued to produce fascinating,
intelligent and challenging works of literature that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of
human creativity. Science fiction is more diverse than any other genre. It is still grounded firmly
in the real science that has created our modern world. It produces thought-provoking, allegorical
commentary on fundamental issues of the human condition. Some of the finest novels, movies
and TV shows of the past thirty years are within the realm of science fiction and no amount of
silliness at the fringe has changed that. I challenge you to name me another genre of fiction that
can simultaneously be so intelligent and so incredibly silly and pull off both with such conviction
and panache.

And best of all, science fiction can even laugh at itself. One of the most-watched shows on TV
today is The Big Bang Theory, which follows the hilarious misadventures of four uber-nerdy
physicists. A half-dozen or more (often quite obscure) references to sci-fi culture are made in
each episode and the main thrust of the show’s humour is making fun of sci-fi geeks. But I don’t
know a single sci-fi fan who is offended – indeed most of us are huge fans of the show.

Science fiction is a diverse, established genre with a long pedigree of excellence coupled with a
lighter side that allows for fun and even self-mockery. In other words, science fiction is well-
travelled, mature, intelligent and has a great sense of humour – sounds to me like the very
definition of cool. And that, my fellow X-wing pilots, students of Kolinahr, browncoats, dinosaur
hunters and conspiracy theorists, is why science fiction is great.


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

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Author Bio

Bennett R. Coles is a Canadian science fiction author who served 15 years as
an officer in the Canadian Navy. His deployments took him around most of the
Pacific Rim and included such highlights as being in the first Canadian task
force to visit Vladivostok since the fall of the Soviet Union, and being the first
Canadian officer to set foot aboard a Chinese warship in Canadian waters,
advising the Chinese captain and admiral for the day-long passage.

Throughout his career he undertook a variety of roles such as bridge officer, boarding party
officer, warfare officer and navigator. The highlight of his career was a pair of tours in the
Middle East as a UN Military Observer, the first in the Golan Heights and the second in South
Lebanon. These tours helped crystallize the vision for Virtues of War of foreign powers
involving themselves in the troubles of faraway lands, and the culture clashes that can so easily
come from such interaction.

He retired from active duty in 2005 and makes his home in Victoria, Canada. As one of the
region’s rising authors, he volunteers his time helping writers navigate the difficult road to
writing success.

Blog / Website: Virtues Of War

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