Dystopia, Science Fiction and Their Prophetic Power

Abstract

Abstract

Science, as a branch of study deals with knowledge in the most systematic, coherent, organized and empirical manner. The truths or the core principles upon which the entire corpus of its knowledge is placed always embrace changes and goes through phases of evolution and revolution and is thus very dynamic in nature. Imagination plays a great part in it as it supplies the fertile mind of the scientific genius with some essential raw ingredients refining which he can take part in the process of creative manipulation of matter and even time. He sees creation as an embodiment of a grand spirit of unity but to decipher the underlying principle of which a scientist needs to start his journey by disintegrating and fragmenting pieces of creation to their ultimate and indivisible building blocks. So far science has not yet been able to arrive at his ultimate aim i.e. to find the most elemental unifying truth governing the entire space-time continuum. He has the power to manipulate time by his enormously influential works which often engender enormous repercussions in the process of generation of all subsequent bits and streams of knowledge in the future field of practice and cultivation of knowledge. This important quality of dynamicity in its adoption, formulation and presentation of ideas owes its existence to another equally impressive and indispensable trait which lies in its staying open to the influence of other branches of study like literature, psychology, history, humanities etc. Scientists often build their theories based on the embryo of one or more hitherto unexplored ideas of any preceding works in a different sphere of knowledge. Science fiction writers belong to such rare breed of creative visionary artists who by their extraordinarily active imaginative prowess often influence the works of even master scientists. The writers of science fiction not only explain and illustrate their futuristic vision about any society or state being guided by some apparently fantastic and mind-boggling scientific inventions of unimaginable magnitude, they also foreshadow and forewarn the present generation of the dangers or ill-consequences that any indiscriminate use and unscrupulous modification of technological advancement can bring. Thus the sci-fi writers cast a significant influence on the attainment, solidification and development of a new world order, they project it against their monitor of their prophetic power and imagine its effects on the subsequent development of mankind. The aim of this thesis would be to cite few such examples from the works of different science fiction writers belonging to different ages and analyze them to find out how the prophetic elements embedded in their works can be used as forewarnings worthy of paying heed to by doing which we can save ourselves and our society in near or distant future from the possible and ill-consequences of a technologically dominated world order.