Science and science-fiction KZ-JO-O-03-02-000028

Speculative fiction is a genre treated more and more seriously in literary analysis. Nevertheless such analyses, done by philologists, often avoid discussion of worldbuilding in its relation to basic sciences - both in futuristic or alternative worlds (also those including magic). Speculative fiction is a broad topic covering different media, this lecture is based mostly (not exclusively) on literature and movies.

Main topics:

1. Introduction - classification of the speculative fiction sub-genres, their utilization of scientific trappings, which sciences and humanities are used in which kind of stories.

2. Cosmos - astronomy, physics and physiology of interplanetary and interstellar travel.

3. Why we need cosmos - demographic, economical and military problems of space expansion.

4. Aliens and mutants and their biology.

5. Alien psychology and linguistics, first contact situations.

6. Alternative worlds with and without magic - human history of technology and military sciences.

7. Handwavium and narrativum, or where we stop and do not consider any science for the sake of the story.

8. Science and magic - where does magic come from, and if we can apply science to magic and in reverse.