Themes in Science Fiction Essay example - 1414 Words

Over the many years of English literature and various forms of media, the ideals of the times and of the creators of these works have changed; some drastically, some possibly not as much. The genre of science fiction is no exception. Take, for example, two of the most widely-known science fiction novels in the history of English literature: The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, written in the late 1800s in Victorian England by H.G. Wells—novels which, quite arguably, revolutionized the science fiction genre—and their modern theatrical counterparts. While it may be more beneficial to compare two works of the same medium, the differences in themes and style are still evident. The former two reflect Wells’ own views in society and†¦show more content†¦He discusses the pros and cons of both communism and capitalism, possibly as a result of The Communist Manifesto having been translated into English only about ten years before the publication of the novel (â€Å"The Communist Manifesto†) and that England is a capitalist society. The Time Traveller notes that all of the people that live above the ground, called Eloi, all live and sleep together in one large building, and he immediately calls this â€Å"Communism.† (Wells, 46) He also notes this because the society of the Eloi is a seemingly classless one without any control by superiors; everyone is equal. This can be seen through how they all sleep together, eat together and play together as if everyone was one big, happy family, without any discrimination. There is no struggle in the society and everyone lives an easy life where no work is done. However, communism is not without its downsides. It causes people to become relaxed, lazy and uneducated since they are free of any trouble and oppression, and nothing needs to be done in the society since there are no problems that need to be solved. As a result of this laziness, the Eloi are shown to have gone t hrough â€Å"a slow movement of degeneration, to a general dwindling in size, strength, and intelligence.† (Wells, 66) On the other side of the political spectrum, there is capitalism. Those that liveShow MoreRelatedMovie Analysis : Film And Film Genre Essay1182 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent types of film and film genres. A film can fit into more than one genre, but there are some genres that are more general than others. Some examples of film genre are animated, science fiction, documentary, comedy, and historical fiction. Within each genre, there are also specific characteristics that help support themes and story lines within that genre. 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