What+if?

= **What if?** = Speculative fiction. What if something impossible existed? Science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history... This genre is often used as an analogy to highlight issues in society or politics, or explore what it means to be human.



__Books: __
Science fiction box (B8)  Z for Zachariah __Stories: __ //All Summer in a Day //, by Ray Bradbury //Journey in Time //, extract from H. G. Wells //The Time Machine // //The Royal Road, //// short story by Isaac Asimov // //The Murderer, ////short story by Ray Bradbury // //Compassion Circuit, story from Seeds of Time by John Wyndham// //__Films: __// //The Fantastic Four // //Galaxy Quest // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">Idiocracy // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">Maddigan’s quest (series) // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">Dollhouse? (series – check the rating) // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">The Island // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">Vanilla Sky //

Check out the Internet Speculative Fiction Database to find more books in this genre.

You might be interested in this discussion about what to recommend to fans of Twilight.

Formal writing
Use the article as a starter for an essay on the topic "People are becoming too reliant on technology." Or, discuss real-life issues that science fiction authors write about, e.g. Then get students to choose one and write an essay on the topic "The real-life dangers of this issue have been exaggerated to make a good story". You could get some ideas from www.technovelgy.com - "Science fiction in the news"
 * Global warming ("The Day After Tomorrow")
 * Meteorites ("Armageddon")
 * Robots ("I, Robot")
 * Nuclear war ("Z for Zachariah")

Creative writing
American fantasy author Jim Butcher (//The Dresden Files, The Codex Alera//) has written a [|blog] on the writing process which you may find interesting yourself or recommend to budding authors in your class. Some of his short stories are also available for download on his website, [|www.jim-butcher.com]. This activity could be prepared for by watching an episode of //Maddigan's Quest//, or doing the reading exercises from the Year 10 close reading book on //1984// and //A mesij 2 the reader//. This activity could be prepared for by watching //The Fantastic Four// and using it as a starting point for a class discussion on what makes a hero.

Galaxy Quest

Listening
This script could lead into a discussion on changes in style in sci-fi texts and on changes in content and purpose.

Group work
Use the radio script above to prepare students to write and perform their own sci- fi radio script.