Analysis On The Future Consciousness Of American Science Fiction

Since the born of Frankenstein, which was widely recognized as the first science fiction novel by the public, the history of science fiction has nearly 200 years. Though in different phases, the themes differed, the main descriptions remain the influences on society and individual made by the imaginative science and technology. Future consciousness is a typical American trait. This is a kind of ability possessed by people who are living in present but focus on the future. In some way, we can say that it is this spirit that not adhere to the past and present and focus on the future inspired generations of Americans to forge ahead and lead the world. It seems that there is no relevance between science fiction and future consciousness, yet in most of science fiction novels, the writers pay their attentions to the future. Science fiction novels reflect the futurity in the context. They are full of resent to reality but yearn for future, Although previous studies had involved in the future consciousness of science fiction, they were limited to the analysis of individual texts. In this paper, through summary and detail text reading, I try to introduce future consciousness into macro research of science fiction. Through the analysis of the development of American science fiction, I want to make it clear that the characteristics of future consciousness in the different period of science fiction. In this way, I can understand the deeper sense of American science fiction and the role of future consciousness played in science fiction, and then understand the irreplaceable function future consciousness made in shaping the American spirit.