Novels

There are three fundamental properties of a science fiction novel:

1. Completeness of Information

2. Scientific verisimilitude

3. Creativity in Fantasy

All three of these properties must be satisfied for a science fiction novel to be of good quality.

1. Completeness of Information

In the same way as news on television or in the press, a science fiction novel must have the property of informing the reader about the merits of the events narrated. 

Who;

What;

When;

Where;

Why.

In fact, the central theme of this type of story is not, and cannot be, known to the audience, but only to the narrator. Here, therefore, the five Ws of journalism will provide all the information the reader needs to understand what is happening in the pages he reads. Thanks to respect for the principle of the 5 Ws, the mysterious or unknown, the alien or futuristic facts presented in the story of the novel can be fully understood and reading will be satisfying.

2. Scientific verisimilitude

The facts narrated in a science fiction novel introduce phenomena that do not belong to our reality.

They are invented facts, but claim to be true in narrative fiction; therefore, they must be described with rigorous scientific precision according to the classic tradition of scientific research, as this was defined by Galileo Galilei.

To understand a phenomenon, he introduced the concepts of measurement of quantities and logical inference. These things allow us to deduce a result starting from the magnitudes of the phenomenon studied.

So, when a science fiction event or phenomenon is described in a novel of this type, the events that occur must respect the principle of logical inference introduced by Galileo Galilei, obtained through the evaluation of the quantities that constitute this phenomenon. This is how a fictional story responds to the requirements of science and is therefore defined: a science fiction story.

Let's now look at some examples of scientific verisimilitude in a science fiction novel.

The Martians, from the moment they began to breathe the air of the Earth's atmosphere, began to be infected by cold bacteria: harmless for us Earthlings, but deadly for them.

[The war of the worlds - 1897 - by H. G. Wells]

Lifestyles that are increasingly different, but unexpectedly complementary to each other, have determined, in the very long term, the differentiation of humans into two different species of human beings.

The principles of Darwinian evolution applied with rigorous precision.

[The Time Machine - 1895 - by H. G. Wells]

To carry out an artillery launch with a cannon so powerful that the projectile can reach the Moon, what calculations must be made? To make a crew live inside the aforementioned projectile, in a cosmic environment devoid of air, what inventions must be created?

These and other scientific considerations are found in J. Verne's novel.

[From Earth to the Moon - 1865 - by J. Verne]

3. Creativity in Fantasy

Since the dawn of humanity, people have always invented stories populated by fantastic creatures and where extraordinary men performed incredible feats.

These stories, we call mythology.

The Flight of Icarus, the Minotaur, the mermaids and, in children's fiction, the mirror of Grimhilde, Snow White's stepmother.

All these mythological themes evoke the human restlessness of thinking about the limit of real normality, all anxieties that populate man's most unconscious dreams, the restlessness of not knowing if the facts of reality can also be different from the way he has always known them.

And then, in the mythological tale, the human being creatively uses his imagination to imagine experiences that he has not yet had, but which could happen to him if reality was not as he has always believed it to be.

But when the mythological tale becomes science fiction, all the classic figures of mythology take on the properties of science. And then, the flight of Icarus becomes the spaceships, the minotaur becomes the alien monster from space, the mermaids become the intelligent inhabitants of another planet and Grimilde's mirror becomes an Artificial Intelligence computer terminal.

Let's now look at some examples of creative imagination in a science fiction novel.

Human technology, put at the service of the curiosity of living in person in future eras, leads to the construction of the time machine.

[The Time Machine - 1895 - by H.G. Wells]

Everyone knows that comets are a phenomenon that inspires amazement. But why not give a comet the power to instill only feelings of goodness and wisdom in the hearts of all the inhabitants of planet Earth? This would be the solution to those problems that humanity has not yet been able to solve: war, violence, exploitation of the weakest, etc.

[In the Days of the Comet - 1906 - by H. G. Wells]

To address the question of understanding what the identity of individuals is and understanding whether a soul truly exists, a scientist attempts to artificially create a human being by putting together parts of other deceased people.

He will discover that identity is the fruit of experience in the present life and that the soul is only a concept of theology.

It is in this novel that the theme of artificial man appears for the first time, later renamed 'replicant' in twentieth century science fiction.

[Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus - 1818 - by M. Shelley]

What other form of propulsion can be faster than space warp hyperdrive? Navigating the Infinite Improbability Engine, of course.

Here is a brilliant idea, on the border between fantasy and madness.

[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 1979 - by D. Adams]

If anyone believed that the creator of the well-known science fiction theme: "Are we what we believe we are, or is there a truth hidden within us that is unknown to us?" If it were Phillip K. Dick, he should read this novel by H. G. Wells. At the end of reading, you may find yourself with many doubts about who he really is.

In 'Star Begotten' the theme of the human need to understand one's historical identity joins the theme of a Martian project of civil regeneration implanted in the history of humanity.

[Star Begotten - 1937 - H. G. Wells]

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The novels, which I will talk about in this blog, will be discussed in two parts. The first part is a PRESENTATION without spoilers for those who intend to read the novel for the first time. The second part is an ANALYSIS with spoilers, where I will give my interpretation of the main aspects of the novel by examining the story, the events narrated and the ending.