Science Fiction and Fantasy
American Military University
William Gibson?s Burning Chrome was a quick read and an excellent example of cyberpunk. This short story focused on a group of hackers, bent on destroying a dangerous criminal. Gibson?s storytelling technique provided a good amount of background on the main characters, without distracting from the central plot. The central activity in Burning Chrome involved hacking into and stealing the fortune of a murderous thug. These main characters, once inside of Chrome?s matrix, commence to transferring the bulk of her wealth to several charities. Lest we think of them as modern day Robin Hoods, the hackers kept a sizeable portion of the wealth for themselves. In the end, this story was less about a cyber robbery, as it was about the culture of the individuals committing the robbery. I enjoyed it immensely.
The Purchase of Earth by Jack Williamson has a familiar and popular plot found in many science fiction short stories. While this stories plot is not a new concept, the great Jack Williamson made it interesting and new nonetheless. The Purchase of Earth involves a first contact incident that centers around an alien visitation that ends in the conquest of Earth by a powerful force, bent on using the planet for its own economic gain. Jack Williamson could have easily expanded on this plot via a novella or series of short stories.
This course was more than an academic pursuit, it was a possibility to learn more about one of my favorite pastimes while earning credit towards my degree. Clearly, the first half of the course taught me the most. During this course I learned something every week, but the fantasy section was the most instructive for me.
Specifically, I learned the difference between high fantasy and dark fantasy. Previously, if someone asked me to explain fantasy as a genre, I would likely have responded with examples from high fantasy greats. I?ve long enjoyed the dark fantasy of Edgar Allen Poe, Shirley Jackson and H.P. Lovecraft. However, until I began this course, I would never have considered their work to be fantasy.
Their works were always horror or supernatural fiction to my ill-informed mind. I?m still not as enthusiastic a fan of high fantasy as I am towards dark fantasy. I?ve read dozens of high fantasy short stories and novels over the years, but such works have always occupied a minor segment of my personal library and reading list. However, exposure to characters like Conan, which I refused to read prior to this course, did serve to broaden my horizons beyond my normal reading list.
Finally, the descriptions of the subgenres of science fiction helped to broaden my already significant knowledge of these subgenres. In addition, learning more about the origins of the genre?s terminology and the genesis of its various publications increased my appreciation of this art form that has occupied my undivided attention on many an afternoon during my childhood or more recently, on my train ride to work.