Science-Fiction and Fantasy provide for us a getaway from the arbitrary and the mundane, and can transport anyone to a galaxy far, far away. Sci-fi and fantasy are an important part of America's culture because they have a rich history, millions of people take part in activities involving them, and they have many benefits such as providing an escape from reality and improving imaginations and social skills.
Sci-fi and fantasy literature have an impressive history, dating back hundreds of years. First and foremost, the history of science fiction must be discussed. The first "real " work of science fiction has been hotly debated, but it's possible that it can actually traced back to the first known work of recorded literature, which is the ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh. This has been characterized as science fiction because of "its treatment of human reason and the quest for immortality " (Franklin 6). The first works to contain more science fiction elements as they are known today, come from ancient Indian poetry. From the fourth to fifth century BCE, the Hindu epic Ramayana includes flying machines that can travel into space or under water and have the ability to destroy cities using advanced weaponry. There was also some science fiction writing in ancient Greece, by the playwright Aristophanes, whose works include things such as air travel to other worlds. Many other civilizations throughout the ancient world wrote stories that touched upon science fiction, but as a genre it didn't really catch hold until the late nineteenth century, with the extremely influential writers Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. From Jules Verne came the novels Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, and Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea. While H.G. Wells most notably wrote The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. These stories catapulted science fiction into the forefront of the public's attention, and made people realize just how engrossing these technologically wonderful worlds could be.
