Why is Sci-Fi the best genre EVER? by Benjamin

Why is Sci-Fi the best genre EVER? by Benjamin - June 2014 Scholarship Essay

Science fiction has always been a favorite genre of mine. Packed with adventure, plots and distant places, science fiction transported me to a different time, sometimes a different galaxy, and taught me about political science and bioethics and the theory of relativity. If I were to write a book, it would undoubtedly be science fiction. Science fiction books, when well-written (I’m not talking about the Star Trek or Star Wars Picture books taken directly from the movie or TV show), are incredibly versatile and exciting books, books that can cover any topic from ethics to art.

Take, for example, the Ender’s Shadow series by Orson Scott Card. These four books follow the exploits of a young man pejoratively named Bean from his genesis as a military commander to the day he flies with his young children into the emptiness of space forever. Another character in the same series, Peter Wiggin, plays a vast political game with the globe, and ends up ruling over them all. In just these four books, we see whole lives play out, see heroes and villains live and die, learn about troop movements and deception, and see the pros and cons of both nationalism and globalism. In another book, Children of the Mind, the same author examines what it means to be human, what makes a species sentient, and explores the ramifications of faster than light communication in a universe where light speed travel has not yet been reached. These are only a few of the many subjects that these books delve into, all with a depth and sense of understanding that make the reader want to learn more about everything.

However, by far the best science fiction series I have ever read is the Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis. In my opinion, these books are far better than the Chronicles of Narnia, but they are intended for a much older audience. That does not mean they are boring. On the contrary, I had never before been so enthralled by the Christian religion, beliefs and customs than when I read these books. Not only did they manage to throw an entirely new light on everything I thought I believed in Christianity, as well as explaining rationally the ethics behind the religion, they also made me think on the relationships between humans and the pets we keep, and on how old religions continually assimilate into new religions, and how that continues to affect our society today.

Science fiction is wonderful because it can cover almost any topic and make it exciting. The movies Cowboys and Aliens and Avatar both rehashed the classic struggle between the indigenous peoples and the greedy invaders who want their land. Science fiction allows the old stories to be retold in exciting, fascinating ways, relevant to the younger generation. Finally, sci-fi is magical. Who wouldn’t want to read a story about zero-gravity fist fights and world domination? As an author, no matter whether your purpose is to educate or comment or excite, science fiction can do it, and better yet, it can do all those other things at the same time. If I were to write a book, it would be science fiction.