Critical Theory and Science Fiction

Carl Freedman traces the fundamental and mostly unexamined relationships between the discourses of science fiction and critical theory, arguing that science fiction is (or ought to be) a privileged genre for critical theory. He asserts that it is no accident that the upsurge of academic interest in science fiction coincides with the heyday of literary theory, and that likewise science fiction is one of the most theoretically informed areas of the literary profession. His readings of novels by five important modern science fiction authors (Stanislaw Lem, Ursula LeGuin, Joanna Russ, Samuel Delany, and Philip K. Dick) illustrate the affinity between science fiction and critical theory, in each case concentrating on a novel that resonates with critical theory concerns.