ManypeopleseemtothinkthatsciencefictionistypifiedbytheBug-eyedMonsterembodyingeveryfeaturethatmostpeoplefindunpleasant.Thisisunfortunatebecauseitdegradesaworthwhileliteraryendeavor.Insteadthebasicin

　　ManypeopleseemtothinkthatsciencefictionistypifiedbytheBug-eyedMonsterembodyingeveryfeaturethatmostpeoplefindunpleasant.Thisisunfortunatebecauseitdegradesaworthwhileliteraryendeavor.Insteadthebasicinterestofsciencefictionliesintherelationbetweenmanandhistechnologyandbetweenmanandtheuniverse.Sciencefictionisaliteratureofchangeandaliteratureofthefutureandtheaspectsofhumanlifethatitconsidersmakeitwellworthreadingandstudyingfornootherliteraryformdoesquitethesamethings.Whatissciencefiction?Tobeginthefollowingdefinitionshouldbehelpful:sciencefictionisaliterarysubgenrewhichpostulates(以…为前提)achange(forhumanbeings)fromconditionsasweknowthemandfollowstheimplicationsofthesechangestoaconclusion.?

　　Thefirstpointthatsciencefictionisaliterarysubgenreisaveryimportantonebutonewhichisoftenoverlooked.Specificallysciencefictioniseitherashortstoryoranovel.Thereareonlyafewdramaswhichcouldbecalledsciencefiction;thebodyofpoetrythatmightbelabeledsciencefictionisonlyslightlylarger.Tosaythatsciencefictionisasubgenreofprosefiction(小说)istosaythatithasallthebasiccharacteristicsandservesthesamebasicfunctionsinmuchthesamewayasprosefictioningeneralthatisitsharesagreatdealwithallothernovelsandshortstories.

　　Everythingthatcanbesaidaboutprosefictioningeneralappliestosciencefiction.Everypieceofsciencefictionwhethershortstoryornovelmusthaveanarratorastoryaplotcharacterssettingandlanguage.Thethemesofsciencefictionareconcernedwithinterpretingman’snatureandexperiencearoundhim.Themesinsciencefictionareconstructedandpresentedinexactlythesamewaysthatthemesaredealtwithinanyotherkindoffiction.Theyaretheresulttoaparticularcombinationofanarratorstoryplotcharactersettingandlanguage.Inshortthereasonsforreadingandenjoyingsciencefictionandthewaysofstudyingandanalyzingitarebasicallythesameastheywouldbeforanyotherstoryornovel.?

　　51.Fromthefirstparagraphwecaninferthatsciencefictionhasbeenmostpopularinthe20thcenturybecause____.?

　　Awiththegrowthofliteracythesizeofthereadingpublichasincr