Among the most popular books being written today are those which are usually classified as science fiction. Hundreds of titles are published every year and are read by all kinds of people. Furthermore, some of the most successful films in recent years have been based on science fiction stories. It is often thought that science fiction is a fairly new development in literature, but it can be found in books written hundreds of years ago. These books were often concerned with the presentation of some form of ideal society, a theme which is still often found in modern stories. Most of the classics of science fiction, however, have been written within the last one hundred years. Books by writers such as Jules Verne and H. Wells, to mention just two well-known authors, have been translated into many languages. Modern science fiction writers don't write about men from Mars or space adventure stories. They are more interested in predicting the results of technical developments on society and the human mind or in imagining future world which results the world we live in now. Because of this their writing has obvious political undertones. In an age where science fact frequently overtakes science fiction, the writers may find it difficult to keep ahead of scientific advances.Those who see the future clearly can teach us how to master new technology and live in a rapidly changing world. |