810 Amerikanische Literatur in Englisch
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This master thesis will consider the question how far American history influenced, and is mirrored in, (American) science fiction literature. The main work of reference for this endeavor will be the award-winning Mars Trilogy by the aforementioned, renowned science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson.
Chapter one will deal specifically with the topic of how certain events of American history – especially the War of Independence, its origins and its aftermath – are more or less mirrored in the Mars novels, often with only minor changes (and adapted into a sci-fi setting, of course). The historic concepts of ‘the Frontier’ and ‘Manifest Destiny’ will find some minor mention here.
The second chapter of this paper will be exclusively about one of the early main characters of the trilogy, one with a lasting influence even though he dies early. The leading thesis will be that this ‘all-American hero’ is, more or less, a fusion of two major figures of early American history, specifically Captain John Smith and legendary ‘frontiersman’ Daniel Boone. The name of this character alone – John Boone – should serve easily as an indicator for the truth of this thesis.
The final chapter of this thesis then leaves the Mars Trilogy behind in order to look at the whole wide field of science fiction literature. Selected works will serve to illustrate the pervasive presence of American history in this genre. The concept of the ‘frontier’ will be of considerable importance to this endeavor, and will feature significantly in this section.
Concluding the paper will be a short overview of the paper’s major points and a few final thoughts will then round out this thesis and mark its end.