Science fiction is a broad and extremely popular genre, and is only growing more and more prominent. Science fiction stories come in many different forms and sub-genres. As part of our study of the science fiction genre, we will be looking at a selection of the following texts:

• For an example of class, ideas-based science fiction, have a look at the short story ‘All Summer in a Day’ by Ray Bradbury.
• For a (satirical) example of dystopian science fiction, have a look at the short story ‘Harrison Bergeron’ by Kurt Vonnegut.
• For an example of post-apocalyptic fiction, have a look at this extract from The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  

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The following Prezi presentation provides an introduction to science fiction, with a particular focus on dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction:

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Dystopian Fiction Writing Activities

Task One:

What aspects of today’s society could you replace, alter, or emphasise in order to create a new, dystopian world? Pick a few elements of today’s society that you could draw attention to and shape a dystopian world (or story) around, and describe that society.

Task Two:

It is the year 2030, and after a day picking through the ruins of a deserted and crumbling shopping centre, you seek refuge from the night in the husk of a burnt-out train carriage. Reaching into your bag, you pull out your last can of beans, and begin heating it over a meagre fire.

Your daughter sits next to you. Her grimy face shivers in the firelight, and she asks you in a quiet, innocent voice: “How did the world end?”

What do you tell her?