Read the following sci-fi story and use it to fill in the following table:
You can also research the sci-fi genre online to help you find the answers.
in the distance.
In the distance, the great city looms. A behemoth of towering structures, surrounded by a halo of pollution; an ugly blemish, blocking out the sun, as it sinks beneath the horizon.
‘You know, Matt,’ said Thim, sinking his hands into the pockets of his tattered jacket, ’there used to be these things before the City came. These things called birds. They flew.’
I frowned at this odd statement.
‘Were they a type of airplane?’ I asked.
‘No. They were animals.’
‘Oh.’
Animals had been gone for centuries. The only living things left on earth were humans. If it was fair to call such an existence ‘living’.
Thim spat bitterly upon the ground, ‘Look at them. The Leavers. It's disgusting.’
From where we stood on top of a huge, barren hill, we surveyed the line of leavers. There was more than usual today. An unending queue of people, marching, slowly, silently towards the city.
Leaving the dead forests for the hypnotising lights and sounds of ‘metropolitan life’. They were brainwashed. Mindless. And although I tried to deny it, I knew it was only a matter of time until I was one of them.
Thim and I were Resistors. While the rest of the world left their homes to live in the City; we fought the City's hold on our minds. We pledged never to pass its gates. But it was becoming harder by the day.
‘Did you hear?’ Thim spoke again. ‘Jimmy's gone. He gave up last week and joined the line.’
I nodded. I had indeed heard. Jimmy had been one of the lead Resistors. Being in charge was the hardest of all. The more you resisted, the more the City pulled at you. Jimmy had been unable to take it any longer. He had left for the City. Like many other Resistors.
Thim turned to me. There was hate in his eyes. Hate and pain. When he spoke, his voice, with its odd British accent wavered.
‘I dreamt about the City last night.’ His fists clenched in his pockets. ‘I dreamt about being inside, with everyone else. With the music, and the lights. With proper clothes and enough to eat. With a place to live.’
My heart skipped a beat. The City had turned its evil upon Thim. His resolve was failing. I looked at Thim again. There was a gleam in his eyes.
‘What's the point, Matt? It will get us in the end. Why are we fighting it?’
I opened my mouth to answer but stopped. For the first time in my life, I asked myself the same question. And realised that there was, not actually an answer.
‘Exactly.’ The look on Thim’s face was one of happiness. But I knew it was not him. He had lost his mind.
Typical settings
Characters
Common conflicts/problems
Language features
Famous examples
Typical Settings:
- Dystopian future
- Post-apocalyptic world
- Advanced technological cities
- Barren landscapes
Characters:
- Protagonist(s) who resist the control of a dominant society or government
- Antagonists representing the oppressive society or government
- Supporting characters who may help or hinder the protagonist
Common Conflicts/Problems:
- Fight against mind control or brainwashing
- Struggle to maintain individuality and freedom
- Surviving in harsh environments
- Confronting the ethical dilemmas of advanced technology
- Quest for truth or uncovering hidden secrets
Language Features:
- Use of futuristic or advanced technology jargon
- Descriptive language to paint vivid imagery of settings
- Dialogue that reflects the characters' emotions, motives, and conflicts
- Imaginative and creative world-building
Famous Examples:
- "1984" by George Orwell
- "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
- "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
- "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
- "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Typical settings:
- A dystopian future with a polluted, overcrowded city
- Barren and dead forests outside the city
Characters:
- Matt (the protagonist)
- Thim (a Resistor)
- Jimmy (a former Resistor who joined the line)
Common conflicts/problems:
- The struggle against the city's mind control and the desire to live in the city
- Loss of hope and the temptation to give in to the city's allure
- The dwindling resistance movement and the pressure to conform
Language features:
- Vivid descriptions of the city as a behemoth of towering structures and a halo of pollution
- The use of symbolism, such as the absence of animals representing the loss of life on earth
- Dialogues that illustrate the characters' thoughts and emotions
Famous examples:
- "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
- "1984" by George Orwell
- "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
- "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Typical settings: Dystopian future, post-apocalyptic world, large cities with oppressive regimes.
Characters: Protagonists who resist the control of the city or government, often referred to as the Resistors. Antagonists who are brainwashed or under the city's control, known as the Leavers.
Common conflicts/problems: The struggle between individuality and conformity, the loss of nature and wildlife, the battle against mind control, the desire for freedom and independence.
Language features: Dystopian sci-fi stories often use descriptive language to portray the bleak and oppressive atmosphere of the setting. They may also incorporate elements of futuristic technology or advanced scientific concepts.
Famous examples: "1984" by George Orwell, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.