Blowing up the space ships...

[Graeme S. Houston]

My wife thinks of science fiction as being all about space ships and ray guns. Where would she get that idea (not pointing any elbows at George Lucas)? Okay there is a lot of science fiction that is set in space, but at the same time science fiction isn't just about space, really it's more about people and how they adapt to change (social change or technological change). It's strange how the three books I just happen to have right in front of me (the rest are dictionaries or buried under paperwork) are classic works of science fiction, but all illustrate my point very well. None have those elements.

Virtual Light
by William Gibson | Space Ships: 0 | Ray Guns: 0
It's about a courier called Chevette Washington, who pinches a pair of sunglasses. William Gibson could make anything the most interesting thing in the universe while you are turning his pages. :)

Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury | Space Ships: 0 | Ray Guns: 0
It's about a fireman, and firemen burn books. Everyone watches TV with images that are fired at them non-stop. No one really thinks about anything any more. And everyone drives at 180 miles per hour. Somehow Ray Bradbury was uncanny in his references to modern culture.

A Scanner Darkly
by Philip K. Dick | Space Ships: 0 | Ray Guns: 0
Bob Arctor is a cop, he takes substance D in the course of infiltrating a group of users, but since substance D gradually splits the brain into two seperate and combative entities, he ends up eventually investigating himself.