SF as Genre
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SF as Genre

On this page:  {Mark Rose's Dfn}
               {Random Thoughts}

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Mark Rose's dfn of 'genre'

Again from the "classic #27", "Alien Encounters --
Anatomy of SF", by Mark Rose, (Harvard Press, 1981) 
ISBN 0.674.01565.7 (Cabridge (Mass)/London (Eng), 1981),
Pp.17-19

BEGIN BLOCK QUOTE 

It is important to distinguish between indivdual texts and
the idea of a *genre* and thus to adopt a quite different
approach to the subject. Texts are concrete and particular.
Generic ideas are not only more abstract than individual
texts; [Note 1] -- they are fundamentally
different in nature. They provide, to employ Fredric Jameson's
useful term, the "environment" in which txt are written, the 
matrix that makes composition possible.

END BLOCK QUOTE

Next:  {Random Thoughts}

NOTES (this section only)

[1] However, one *has* to think "the other way". That is,
an particular text that *is* more abstract than a generic
idea. Could this be a catalog? Say a catalog of all ideas
(generic or otherwise). No. Because then it *is* specific
rather than an abstraction. (Let us ignore the concept of
"an abstract" (ie, an extraction/summary of a given text 
or thing) and stick with "abstraction" as a kind of 
"de-referencing of the thing" (I hate that phrase but
can think of no other one -- that is, we take the thing
(say a face) and then we abstract from it (in the case 
of Picasso)...

From a conversation with Mollet:  "Picasso used cubism
to abstract from a face, yes. You have to start from 
something [a thing] and then "abstract" from it. In the
case of Picasso, he abstracted into geometric forms
[squares, etc] " -- (NOT an exact quote)

So I suppose in this case we would say that the IDEAS
are abstracted from a particular THING, but what Rose 
is saying is that (in general, and not to paint him
into a corner) "any" idea is necessarily more abstract
than any given text.  This begs to have a counter-example
given!!!

{Back to the TEXT} (yes, I'm quite aware of
the *irony* of this link!

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Random Thoughts

Not that i haven't discussed this before, but...

Part of the nature of SF is the questioning of what reality is.
Thinly disguised non-SF that uses SF as a sort of cloak without
at least partially addressing this is hardly SF at all. For 
example, with the advent of cloning, we have to ask ourselves
(as does good SF) what is it to be "me"? In one story, the 
clone was more adopted to reality than the original, so when 
the authorities come (it is illegal to clone humans and the
human cloned himself to make time with a girl in that he had
no social skills), the clone is in control and the original
is taken away as clearly a badly botched clone with little or
none of the social graces. 

This point is (natch) brought forward excellently by Philip
K. Dick's works; notably, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"
(filmed as the movie "Blade Runner") as well as "Imposter".

The problem of identity also manifests itself not only in the
case of genetic manipulation, but in time travel. As Vivian Carol 
Sobchack has pointed out travel in Space is analogous to travel
in Time. And as with all of the "journey of the hero", we see that
the system of thought, the social/cultural b/g of the protagonist
is tested. In reality, SF simply gives us more possiblities as to
throw our own socieity/civilisation into contrast than would 
traditional literature. One thing that SF does is "move the story
along". For example, when Johanathan Swift's "Gulliver" finds himself
in a clearly strange land, this SF (fantasy some would maintain)
element, lets the writer "get on with it" by directly creating
a completely arbitrary society. In the same way, an alien civvilisation
allows us to creeate exactly the contrast that we want to make our
point. To a certain extent, SF writing *is* about story telling,
but i would maintain it must ultimately be about ideas.

Again on the subject of clones and robots (as slaves or servant class).
We can use them as mirrors of ourselves, who we are or want to be
or don't want to be. Unfortunately, the "robot as monster" is still
prevalent. Th ealternative is "robot as clown" is also prevalent.
Only in the case of HAL are we directly confronted with an alien
intellegence - inexplicable. Naturally, an acutal alien could serve
as well. But, the difference is subtle: If we have a subjugated race
of aliens there is little difference that we can express as in the
form of humans as slaves. But, with a robot, we have a clearly
manufactured servant. We can then compare/contrast/comment through
the narrative interplay between human and robot. Note that in the 
case of a clone, which again will approach human-ness rather than 
manufactured machine-ness of a robot, we are again led back to the
human as slave model -- which automaticlly limits what we can do.
If you will notice in the case of C3P0 in "The Empire Strikes Back",
he is totally obliteerated and then brought back to normal. We can't
do this so literally with humans or clones -- they after all fell
pain. Note that to achieve this "feel", in the movie "BladeRunner",
the robots feel emotion and pain, and thus display human-like 
characteristics. Note too the difference that this is *not* the 
case in the original work by Dick: "Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep".

This organic vs metalic distinction should be borne in mind when
designing a character and or a story-line.

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