Science Fiction has long been the realm of the dreamer. Years past, if you admitted your love of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Flash Gordon or more, you were generally mocked. How things change. Today, science fiction and fantasy stories are the most popular things going. Comics are huge, Star Wars is bigger than it has ever been and shows like “Game of Thrones” or “The Witcher” are all the rage.
Science Fiction as we know it can be traced back to the writings of three men; the grandfathers of the genre. I am of course speaking of the great Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein. In fact, January 2 was chosen as National Science Fiction day because it is the birthday of Mr. Isaac Asimov. His Foundation Series, Galactic Empire Series and Robot Series meant a lot to myself. I Robot is one of my favorite books of all time and, as a teen, I have read the book over and over again. His three laws of robotics echoes throughout literature, cinema and pop culture. If you have never read Asimov or any of the three authors mentioned, please do so. You will not regret it.
Three ways to celebrate National Science Fiction Day are:
- Introduce science fiction to someone that has never experienced the genre.
- Introduce yourself to new authors and shows. (The Expanse Series by James S. A. Corey is excellent. Also, try Neal Stephenson and, if you really want a puzzle, Philip K. Dick).
- Look into the History of Science Fiction and how it often predicts the future.
