Science Fiction An Escape Essay

, Research Paper

Science Fiction – an escape

People are always looking for a good way to escape the real world, especially work. Since work is so important in society today that it is almost impossible to avoid doing work without having to pay the price in the future. The perfect escape would be one that does not include work but does not have any future consequences. Many people, including myself, have found science fiction movies and novels to be great ways to escape. Science fiction is such a perfect escape for many people because it allows its audience to experience the joy of future technology technology that promises less work and much more play, at no cost.

It has taken a long time for science fiction to become an accepted form of media in today s society. As Henry Mietkeiwicz says in his article Bringing Sci-Fi Down to Earth, talking about how early science fiction was viewed; these works were considered oddities imaginative and gripping, perhaps, but not quite important enough to raise science fiction to the level of artistic respectability . But now nearly 2 and a half decades since the creation of Stars Wars, most all forms of science fiction has become mainstream in our culture and a way escape from the real world.

An escape must have three things in order to be considered a true escape. First, an escape must permanently or at least temporarily eliminate one s responsibilities. Secondly, an escape must enhance leisure. If the escape does not enhance leisure then boredom will most likely be the result. An escape must also

take full advantage of one s leisure time. Third, an escape must not have any undesirable consequences. This is perhaps the most important part in the illusion of the escape.

I have found science fiction novels and films are very good ways to escape. While I am absorbed in what is going on in a particular, movie or novel, I can experience what the characters are experiencing, and to temporarily experience a lifestyle that meets the standards of what an escape must contain. The reason for this is that in science fiction it is very common for the characters to have a very technologically advanced way of living. The futuristic technology that is available to them allows the characters in the movie or novel to do less work and have more fun with no consequences. Take, for example, the movie Star Wars.

Due to the advanced technology in Star Wars, the main character Luke Skywalker has very little work to do compared with what the average person has to do nowadays. This is because Luke Skywalker has a collection of droids, or robots, that will do all of his work for him. In Star Wars, Luke doesn t have to walk or even drive. He flies wherever he wants to go. When I watch Star Wars I temporarily become involved in a world where work has been made extremely simple. For a short period of time I can forget about the real world and temporarily escape .

Luke also seems to be having more fun than most of us as well. In Star Wars the characters fly ships and shoot lasers for fun. The advanced technology allows those characters to do things and see things that only a few of us could ever imagine. However, when I watch Star Wars, I become involved so much that I experience the fun that the characters are experiencing, and forget for that I am on earth and that I cannot fly a spaceships

The best thing about the science fiction experience is that there are no undesirable consequences that come from doing less work and having more leisure time. In reality, people generally have to pay the price when they do less work and more play. However, when we are involved in science fiction there are no undesirable consequences that we must face. As we watch Star Wars all we know is that all of a sudden work became much easier, fun became much more thrilling, and as opposed to reality, we do not have to face the consequences of doing no work and not having any responsibilities.

These are the reasons why science fiction is such a great escape mechanism. The characters in science fiction have lifestyles that meet the three conditions of a true escape. When people read or watch science fiction they can forget about reality for a short period of time and experience the life of the characters. As they experience the life of the characters they experience the feeling of escape.