MORE THAN A SCIENCE FICTION WRITER

I am not just a science fiction writer. I am a social science fiction writer.

Although my stories contain plenty of action and drama, there is much more to them than that.

What is “Social Science Fiction?”

Iconic science fiction writer Isaac Asimov invented the term “social science fiction” to describe his own work seventy years ago.

“Social science fiction” is now considered a sub-genre of science fiction that more deeply explores the social sciences and does not necessarily focus primarily on advanced technology, space travel, or aliens. In fact, the term could be interpreted two ways: “Social Science” Fiction, or “Social” Science Fiction. That is, fiction based on the social sciences, or Science Fiction dealing with social issues. And they would both be correct.

Social science encompasses a wide variety of subjects, including sociology (of course), politics. economics, psychology, and history, among others. Social science fiction topics therefore include social structures, economic and political systems, individual and group behavior, and alternative history. The stories often depict dystopian futures where ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions are explored.

Many familiar science fiction novels throughout history can accurately be considered social science fiction:

“Utopia” by Thomas More, 1516

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly, 1818

“The Time Machine” by H. G. Wells, 1895

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley, 1932

“1984” by George Orwell, 1949

“Foundation” by Isaac Asimov, 1951

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, 1953

“Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick, 1956

“Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein, 1961

“Dune” by Frank Herbert, 1965

“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, 1985

More contemporary examples include:

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, 2008

“Maze Runner” by James Dashner, 2009

“Divergent” by Veronica Roth, 2011

These stories have been adapted into popular feature films and television series and remain timeless to this day. In addition, there are original popular social science fiction films and television series such as “Star Trek” produced by Gene Roddenberry in 1966 and “Star Wars” produced by George Lucas in1977.

The immense popularity of these iconic stories has been woven deeply into the fabric of our culture in the twenty-first century, spawning countless sequels, remakes and adaptations.

The four book series I began writing in 2020, “Venerable,” is a social science fiction work unlike any other. The specific themes and their ethics are unique and new to the genre. I anticipated that some may find the story controversial, and that’s a good thing, because it means the issues that are being presented are important and need to be talked about.

If the above description of social science fiction sounds interesting and you have enjoyed reading or watching any of the above listed examples of it, then you will enjoy reading “Venerable.”

 For more information visit: www.author-samuelfreedman.com

To order (FREE with Kindle Unlimited), click here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Venerable%3A+The+Price+of+Paradise&ref=nav_bb_sb