This is how it seems a lot of scientific concepts are portrayed in young adult literature - at least to me - and I don't understand why. If you can have such complex fantasy worlds, why can we not create a complex world built on scientific concepts? Concepts which are not explained in these all-encompassing ways and/or which do not fit within "light" science fiction. (Are you really explaining then or just throwing out a general explanation?) Nowadays I tend to avoid most science fiction novels because it offends me as a neuroscientist to read a lot of these descriptions of how things work. (Mostly when people imply that you can control the brain when there is so much complex circuitry left to be explored. And it's just "hey, stimulate X and X region! That only does this!")
Of course, I'm making a HUGE generalization, and you have every right to call me out on that. It seems like most of the science you tend to read about in young adult literature are what's included in dystopian or post-apocalyptic novels. Which is almost nothing at all, if you think about it; The Hunger Games (the first book) is considered science fiction, I believe, even though the few tidbits there are about science generally tend to be in regard to the medicine. And generalizations, like Peeta getting his new limb and people getting all sorts of things done to their bodies. (Am I remembering incorrectly, or is there more?)
Then... of course... there's the mad scientist stereotype.I'm tired of reading about the evil, ambitious scientist who ruins life for everyone or the scientist who tests his theories on himself or the protagonist because clearly we are all amoral people. It's weird that this frequently pops up in literature (to me at least) when writers and the publishing industry seems very similar to the scientific community. Is it supposed to be some extension of that? I have no idea, but I would like for the stereotype to die out please.
Phew. Any more and I'll really start to rant. What do you all think? How would you like to see science portrayed? How do you see it portrayed? Do you read science fiction novels? Are there particular trends re: science (fiction) that bother you?
Being a somewhat scientist myself, I wish scientific aspects were better explored. It definitely irritates me when an author writes about it without any research. Partials was not bad. I really liked the medical background and Kira's research to find a cure for the RM virus.
ReplyDeleteBeing a science teacher I agree with this. I like hearing when an author has been researching for their book. There were some other things in Hunger Games, like the muttations, which at first were cool, just not sure about the ones at the end of the first book that were the "wolves" that looked like the other contestants? That was weird. I would say in the Hunger Games that the story was more about the society and all that than the "science". As I said first though, I do like to read more about the science. I have so many movies I can't even think about watching because of how impossible they are.
ReplyDeleteweeeelll... as a not science anything... I guess I don't know what I'm missing. And that's ok at least for me. I think any more details or too detailed explanations and I would just skim or skip the paragraph until the story picks up. I think I suspend a lot of disbelief reading science fiction and I just assume as a part of the "world" they've created that the science is correct. Basic science needs to be correct of course, but as far as space travel, medicine, weapons etc. or to clarify *anything not in existence right now*, I think the author can manipulate the details to make it work. We aren't building prototypes from these books... just losing trying to lose ourselves in an entertaining story...
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more on this subject! I've always been a huge science geek and am studying biological sciences in school now, hoping to go into the genetics field, so I know that I get bothered by "science fiction" books that toss around unreasonable and even downright preposterous ideas about how DNA can be altered and the like. I get that a lot of readers wouldn't want to be bogged down with real scientific explanations, but then I feel that the books shouldn't be classified as science fiction--they're fantasy, especially when they fall into the aforementioned preposterous category. Just because there's a made-up "scientific" explanation for something in a book doesn't make it true science fiction.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good point. I came across this problem with Glitch by Heather Anastasiu. It was an enjoyable book, but I had to pretty much ignore the fact that these people's brains were allegedly chipped and lesioned so specifically that only their emotions were turned off. Unlikely. I won't avoid reading books with soft science, but it does make me go "meh" when it could have been a really good book.
ReplyDeleteYes! One book I read was REALLY problematic given how little research was done in light of "huge concept." It's sad how so many books are referred to as sci fi without actually involving much SCIENCE (i.e. ALL THE POST-APOC books....) I haven't read Partials but am definitely going to keep an eye out for it now. Thanks for the rec :)
ReplyDeleteTrue. The Hunger Games is a lot less about the science, but it's weird how it's often bookmarked as a science fiction novel. At least it feels weird to me, because honestly, I'm not even sure what science would be involved in making those wolves. And yes! I end up avoiding YA science fiction novels for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteBut isn't that the same for any world building, not necessarily just science fiction? You never really want to read a book that just tosses the details out at you. And what you said about assuming that it's right is what makes me sad, because a lot of the science is not really correct or based on something now, which is what I think anything for the future needs at least. I'm fine for manipulating the details so long as they have some foundation. Any successful story will allow us to lose ourselves via the entertainment provided :)
ReplyDeleteYep. I'm a neuro major. And it's tiresome how many books continue to be printed in the vein of genetic determinism, even though science has long passed that phase. AND YESSSS. I have a HUGE problem with the books that are classified as sci fi even when there's NO explanation offered! They SHOULD be fantasy.
ReplyDeleteYeah... That was my exact problem with Glitch / why I DNF'ed it. More so than that was the part where the girl had to get a new chip because they put in the adult chip at 18? Something like that. But your prefrontal cortex (and its associations with the limbic system) continues to grow in your 20s... so that made no sense. Definitely adds a "meh" factor to these books.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like authors don't always do their research because this their book is aimed mostly at young adults, and they're not necessarily know all the scientific stuff.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand when an author hasn't done their research regarding scientific stuff (or really anything - but scientific stuff especially). I am a smart person, and I don't really appreciate when an author wants to write about something but A) doesn't think the reader can handle learning something new or B) that the reader won't realize the author hasn't done their homework.
ReplyDeleteI love complex scientific worlds / science-heavy plotlines. I'm a faery tale girl at heart, but why can't Snow White be an engineer? And why can't mermaids be geologists or biologists? And why can't they use big words and fall in love with the nerdy kid who always corrects the teacher?
Books have always been an escape for me, but I like to learn something new, too!!! :D
Yes, I so agree. Even if you don't get a chance to include all the research you do, your perspective and how you write about an issue will change because of what you've learned.
ReplyDelete"I love complex scientific worlds / science-heavy plotlines. I'm a faery tale girl at heart, but why can't Snow White be an engineer? And why can't mermaids be geologists or biologists? And why can't they use big words and fall in love with the nerdy kid who always corrects the teacher?"
ReplyDeleteYes. I have nothing comprehensible to say except that you are awesome. :)