Science Fiction

Does Sci-Fi Address Diversity?First the question we must face is what is

diversity?By Definition Diversity is

1. the state or quality of being different or varied

2. a point of difference 3. the relation that holds between two entities

when and only when they are not identical; the property of being numerically distinct

The second question then would follow what is Science Fiction?

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible (or at least non-supernatural) content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities

Carl JungAccording to psychologist Carl Jung (1875-

1961), humans have an innate tendency to use a particular set of symbols to understand the world. He refers to these symbols as archetypes

ArchetypeFamily archetypes

The father: Stern, powerful, controllingThe mother: Feeding, nurturing, soothingThe child: Birth, beginnings, salvation

Story archetypesThe hero: Rescuer, championThe maiden: Purity, desireThe wise old man: Knowledge, guidanceThe Magician: Mysterious, powerfulThe earth mother: NatureThe witch or sorceress: DangerousThe trickster: Deceiving, hidden

The Magician: Mysterious, powerful

Things aren’t always what they seemMagician - a person who performs feats using

supernatural meansWould magic be considered a form of Sci-Fi?

Criss Angel and his ShadowCriss Angel - “When my father died in my

arms it had such a profound affect on me that at that very moment when my dad passed I realized that I needed to face my own fears. People don’t know this, but I used to pass out when I used to get blood taken at the doctors. So the first thing I did was to say,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHgjndMUO1M

•“I’m going to confront the fear of needles.” •“And I hung by hooks on a helicopter over the valley of fire.”

The Shadow by Carl Jung“The shadow is a moral problem that

challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort”.

Criss Angel found solace in facing some of his greatest shadows and created strengths out of those fears

Vaster Than the Empires“If they disliked him he had to be hateful; if

they mocked him he became grotesque; if they listened to him he was the storyteller”

Odsen’s talent/burden allowed him to remind people of shadows in their own lives and gave them the courage to face it because he was constantly living with his and others shadows around him

Sci-Fi teaches you to contemplate things in a different frame of mind regarding forces of the unknown whether it be race, ethnicity, social class, gender, ability, sexual orientation, age or religion

The Author in a sense is the magician unfolding stories in front of our eyes giving courage to face things of the unknown nature

Things are not always what they seem at firstWould you agree that 2 completely different

people could see this picture completely different?

I believe the same thing goes for this course regarding what we learn and take from it

One of the most gratifying things I get as an artist is when people watch me do these different demonstrations, and they in some way feel empowered by what I’m doing so they can confront their own fears. Maybe it’s the fear of getting in an elevator; maybe it’s the fear of going on a plane and seeing the world. But the greatest gift I get is when somebody comes up to me or mails me and says, “Criss, I watched this and I got help.” Or, “I’m able to do something I couldn’t do, and I can live my life a little richer or a little fuller than I did prior to seeing that demonstration.” That’s what the great Houdini did. Houdini connected to people on an emotional level so that when he would escape that straight jacket it wasn’t about the straight jacket. It was about people looking at it and escaping poverty. When you have that it’s the truest form of magic.

Magic is a form of Science FictionScience Fiction helps people of diverse

backgrounds to face their biggest fears through the experience of fantasy

Could Science Fiction help one become a little more diverse?