Introduction

The introduction of the book sets up the idea that genres are like tools, and they can be used to do certain work on and for the reader. It sets up the argument that dystopian works have different use values than science fiction works.

“The Electric Boy1 Grows Up”: Science Fiction for a Young Adult Audience

Chapter 2 shows in a compressed, somewhat truncated way, the unique history of science fiction (sometimes called speculative fiction). This chapter also shows some of the myriad theoretical approaches that have been used in the study of science fiction over time. It then demonstrates how those approaches have been used by giving close readings of science fiction texts intended for young adults. This is in an effort to show the difference between science fiction and dystopian literature. It shows that it is a literature directly concerned with the subject’s encounter with the o/Other.