Plagues, Apocalypses and Bug-Eyed Monsters: How Speculative Fiction Shows Us Our Nightmares

by Heather Urbanski

Speculative fiction-both science fiction and fantasy-reflects, among other things, the fears of the culture that created it, contributing (perhaps unconsciously) to our efforts to prevent our fears from coming true. While the names and media change over time, the themes of speculative fiction have a long history. Nineteenth century works such as Frankenstein and The Invisible Man contain many of the same messages as the more modern tales of Terminator, Jurassic Park and even Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, although almost a century separates their creation. This critical study discusses the ways in which speculative fiction reflects societal fears and analyzes how such cautionary tales contribute to society's efforts to avoid the realization of these fears. Beginning with a discussion of the nature of speculative fiction, it takes a look at the characteristics of the cautionary tale. The core of the book, however, is the concept of the "Nightmares Model," which examines and categorizes the repetition of specific themes within the genre. The dangers of science and technology, the perils of power, and the threat of the unknown are discussed as recurrent themes within a variety of works in prose, film and television. Works analyzed range from Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Blair Witch Project. Sources include the author's own observations as a member of the genre's fandom, a variety of published commentaries and the perspectives of contemporary professionals gained through personal interviews and panel discussions.

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Edward Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly well researched, documented and deftly put to page, this reference novel by Heather Urbanski is what the die-hard SF reader needs to have at hand for all of their baselines.

Pros: LOTS of good reference material for the writer and reader alike. Broken down into easy to find chapters based on the specific subject (atomic horror, AI, etc.)

Cons: Too many back-references (ex: "see Atomic Age Vampire for more info about Atomic Age Vampire"), more than a few confusing recaps in different chapters (ex: I like cheese. Did you know I like cheese. As talked about chapter 5, I am lactose intolerant) - Okay, being a bit silly there but I hope you get my point.

My only other quip (and this may not apply to everyone reading it) is that it is written almost like a Wikipedia entry with nearly every sentence of reference ending in a [6] or [Lorne Ipso] that can be painful to flip back and forth on, especially a 170-page book.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an academic text that proves to be quite readable. Heather Urbanski focuses on what she dubs the "Nightmare Model" of science fiction literature and media: stories that focus on our fear of science and technology, of unbridled personal or state power, and of the unknown. After exploring the issues as depicted in SF she demonstrates how science fiction informs public debate and popular culture, using examples like Big Brother, Dr. Strangelove, and "Resistance is futile." She makes a strong case that we can't ignore how science fiction addresses our fears and we use science fiction as a shorthand for discussing them.