Science Fiction Day (02/01)

January 2 is Science Fiction Day. Among fans of various literary genres there are many fans of science fiction who are united by their love for this movement in literature, cinema and other forms of art.

All kinds of forums, exhibitions, literary conferences bring together writers and readers, screenwriters and simply fans of the science fiction genre in different countries. Each of them has certain preferences associated with directions existing within the genre itself. But a lot of such areas have been developed. Each of them is based on certain assumptions (fiction, fantasy, imagination) in the field of science and technology and their influence on the world and man around us. Each carries certain genre features: «hard» science fiction, social science fiction, chronofiction, alternative historical fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, space opera or planetary science fiction, cyberpunk and others.

At various forums and conferences bringing together science fiction fans, the issue of organizing Science Fiction Day has been repeatedly raised. The dispute continues to this day, but in the United States such an unofficial holiday has existed and been held since 2012. The date chosen was the birthday of one of the outstanding science fiction writers of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov – on January 2. Many fans of the genre supported the initiative and joined the celebration, while others continue to challenge the choice of date. However, the fact remains that there is a – holiday, and its appearance is not accidental.

It appeared thanks to the names of such outstanding writers as: J. Vern, G. Wells, A. Azimov, S. Lem, R. Bradbury, R. Heinlein, A. Clark, A. Belyaev, I. Efremov, K. Bulychev, Strugatsky brothers, J. Orwell, F.C. Dick and many others. Listing the works of these and other authors who created and continue to create in the genre of science fiction would take more than one page. However, the merits of science fiction writers can safely include the fact that many of the ideas presented in their works sooner or later became reality.

Many critics and writers call the ideas of science fiction writers a prophetic vision of the future hidden by a veil of uncertainty, an attempt to speculatively recreate options for the development of humanity. It is this uncertainty and going beyond what has already been learned that has attracted and continues to attract the minds of science fiction writers and readers.

Today's world has become such that reading has ceased to be a mass hobby, but the works of science fiction writers, the ideas embedded in them and the intriguing plot allow them to be transferred to screens, embodied in cinema. For many, entering the world of science fiction began this way.

In any case, Science Fiction Day – is a good opportunity to pick up a new work or something you have already read and immerse yourself in a world, much of which may soon turn into reality. And this already makes you think about the problems of the present.



Postcard January «2 — Day of Fantastic Ideas» Story «Gift of the Dead»

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