边界·特质·功用:科幻文类探赜

Frontiers,Features and Functions:Probing into the Genre of Science Fiction

科幻是一种具有自身传统和惯例而又边界模糊的文学类型,同时也是一种独特的文学手段,见于各式文学作品。科幻着力呈现现状之外的种种可能性,其想象力并不依附科学话语,而是与科学相关或相似。科幻不负责普及科学、预言未来,却擅长进行深刻的思想实验。当然,作为文学,它与现实世界的关系乃平行而非交叠。正因将想象力发挥到极致,科幻步入了文学虚构之腹地。

Science Fiction is a genre of vague boundary with its own tradition and convention,and meanwhile a unique literary device employed by different types of literature.Science Fiction aims at exhibiting infinite possibilities other than the factuality of status quo.The imagination of Science Fiction is not scientific,but is related to or resembling science.Science Fiction is not responsible for science popularization or future prediction,but capable of per forming thought experiment.As literature,Science Fiction is parallel to,rather than overlapping with,reality.Ultimate fictionality and imagination make Science Fiction the most representative form of literature.