Essay Example on Exploring Alternate Realities in Science Fiction

Introduction

Science fiction books and films are always based on the idea of an alternate reality. Alternate reality refers to an idea of the existence of an alternate universe, besides the one existing in reality. It is also referred to as a parallel universe or parallel dimensions. This essay discusses an Alternate reality concerning science fiction.

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The idea of an alternate reality

The idea of an alternate reality creates an impression of potential universes that can be combined to form multiple universes. The acknowledgment of the existing multiple universes, suggests that reality is a variation that one can choose. There is the liberty to choose between universes which are guided by different laws of nature (Canavan.np)It has guided the creation of fiction with ideas of a world different from the existing one, with examples being a religion, myths and even ideas of legends. Plato is a philosopher who reflected on the existence of alternate realities and concluded that the upper realities were considered to have attained perfection compared to the lower ones that were shadows of heavens. Plato's concept is referred to as Platonism

Hindu mythology recognizes the existence of an alternate universe. A text known as the Puranas shows the infinite number of universes, ruled by different gods. Persian literature tells a legend titled one thousand and one nights. In the tales, the protagonist known as Bulukiya learns about the existence of a universe, similar to his own but made distinct by some factors. The earliest science fiction to depict the idea includes the sideways time, by Murray Leinster. The book describes parts of the alternate universes slowly replacing the geographical regions of the universe. The description of an alternate reality in the book is such that there is a need for latitude and longitude for an individual to mark his location on earth (Canavan.np). This relates the travels around the earth to time traveling. Traveling on a longitude is the travel on a straight timeline from the past to the present and even the future of time.

Modern literature and scholarly researches divide alternate realities into two major divisions. One group allows for the events being described violating the laws of nature found in the current universe, making it speculative fiction. The group is purposefully made to make the audience think creatively of a possible existence of extraordinary things. This first division allows the interaction between the real universe and the alternate one to be witnessed. In most cases the mention of our real world is rare. An example of such work of literature is the Discworld, which mentions more about alternate universes more than or world and gives the audience the idea of a realm that has no constrains from the realism of the modern world. This makes the ideas of magic in the book more real. Other Books such as the chronicles of Narnia mentions the alternate worlds only ate the beginning of the writing and at the conclusion to show a contrast with the real world.

Alternate reality and science fiction

A parallel universe is usually common on TV shows and films and was first introduced in a publication named Flash of two worlds. The science fiction, in the forms of published writings, the term new dimensions is more often used, to mean, axes that are existing beyond the common three axes. Travel along the extra axes, allows the traveler to reach some destinations that are rare, invisible and unimagined. In Edwin Abbots. Flatland in a set of two dimensions, description of a world made u[p of two dimensions and is inhabited by squares, triangular shapes, and even circles, that had life in them. The book explores the Pointland, Spaceland and the line and which are the three unusual dimensions mentioned in other similar narratives (Canavan.np). It has been the best introduction for people trying to understand dimensions. The concepts of extra dimensions were adopted by a British author, who interpreted the physics model of four dimensions, and time as similar to the space dimensions which could allow the humans to travel in the space using the right machines. He argued that the parallel universes existed due to the difference in time. Quantum physics has been set up in the field of science to try explaining the ideas of an alternate reality (Hayashi.np). Some authors propose the addition of other spatial dimensions. A narrative of Doctor who tells of a doctor who finds himself in a different world by accident, after trying to repair a TARDIS as in the book entitled inferno. The probability of the existence of an extra axis apart from the four dimensions is described by Douglas Adams in the book Guide to the Galaxy series. The book describes quantum fields and acknowledges the continued, space, time and the probabilities of an individual tapping into a universe to experience a different reality. The book, however, focuses on the use of the mind to tap into the new probabilities, as they are as a result of creativity and the urge to experience such a world.

Hyperspace

Science fiction describes the idea of hyperspace as part of the alternate reality ideas. It is the most used concept with many authors and artists using it to demonstrate an alternate universe that connects the real world, hence a short cut to interstellar transportation. The common feature about this space is that it has easy entrance and exits. It is the best alternative because of its fastness as compared to the other conventional ways that take much longer times. The idea works in that the universe is crumpled up, and traveling in higher dimensions such as ships, makes the large distance reduced (Hayashi.np). Hyperspace is viewed as the additional of axes; however, the idea is more scientific. The analogy that can best describe the hyperspace is the crumpling of a newspaper into a thick ball, penetrating a needle across it. The needle pokes up holes in the ball on two dimensions. The idea of hyperspace is widely used in fiction despite it being a scientifically proven idea. It can evoke the existence of alternate realities but it rarely describes the universe and its nature, making it remain a source of science fiction only.

Time-traveling

Time traveling is explored in the science fiction plots. Alternative history as a case of time travel has been explained as unrelated to an alternate reality. Multiple universes co-exist while history must exist at one time. Alternative histories override the timeline in the present world. The timelines are then reverted to the current ones making time travel possible. Endgame and other science fiction movies such as the avengers show that the alternate reality doesn't have to breach the old or existing histories. It is rather made of overriding timelines. Another aspect found in science fiction literature is the counter earth ideas related to the impression of parallel universes. It describes a planet that shares the orbit with the earth and rotates opposite to the planet. The fact that it is in opposition to the planet earth, it makes it invisible to the people on earth. Fiction relates the invisible planet to the earth. A movie released in the year 1969, shows the quest of man to explore the bodies outside the planet earth. It led to the further launching of satellites to monitor the movements of the earth. The idea is however fictitious because there is no evidence of any two planets sharing the same orbit.H.G wells, narrates of an instant duplication of our worlds where a person could be transported to the same spot in the planet. He describes the existence of a planet that has similar features to the earth, the species, and even the geographical features, islands and even forms of life.

Theories of Convergence

The convergent theory of science fiction explains that just as animals from different species adopt similar traits due to exposure to similar environmental conditions, the planets, are undergoing such an adaptation resulting in the similarity of races cultures and histories. It is related to the idea of an alternate reality, as explained in the tales of Bread and Circuses; explaining an encounter with a planet named Magna Roma, with several physical features of the earth(Canavan.np). It had a similar atmosphere, similar ocean ratios. According to the narrative, the planet has a technology advancement related to the 20th century of our earth and has rulers like those of the roman empire.

There is an institution of slaves with medical benefits and the religion is centered on Jesus whose worshipers were earlier referred to as the sun-worshippers. Other narratives of science fiction slowly relate the alternate versions of the earth as the real universe before it was displaced by time. Finally, the other aspect of an alternate reality in fiction science is the convergent evolutions believed to have resulted from contamination. The planets might have been originally different from the earth but due to the patterns of force, they started resembling the earth. The enterprise, view of totalitarian governments such as Nazism might have been good during its times. This is a conclusion made after the crew reverts to a planet that was left behind by the earth a hundred years ago and has the system of totalitarianism in place (Barber.np). The ruins on the planet resemble the America of the old days of prohibition. This concludes that the alternate reality is a subject to scientific investigations.

Conclusion

In conclusion alternate reality is an idea that dominates science fiction, both in the written and visual literature. There are several methods that the authors are demonstrating the possibility of the existence of a world parallel to the earth. Quantum physics is an example of such an idea that tells of the existence of multiple realities that an individual can choose to experience by tapping into the mystic powers of the mind. The time-traveling and alternate histories are examples of literature explaining the existence of an alternate reality. The concepts such as hyperspace have been proven to work but still at the theoretical levels of application. Science fiction has used the ideas of parallel universes to display the consequences of some characteristics that the earth has. And the reasons for the occurrence of some phenomena, that seem natural. The ideas that represented as fiction have inspired creativity and even innovation of telescope space travels and debates and scientific researches. The articles are still a source of fantasy and fun for the audience that enjoys thrilling films and books.

Works Cited

Barber, Lauren, Lynn Erickson, and Kate Bonacorsi. "Alternate Realities, Relatable Challenges." Language Arts Journal of Michigan 33.1 (2017): 9. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2188&context=lajm

Canavan, Gerry. "Science fiction." (2016). https://epublications.marquette.edu/english_fac/477/

Chambel, Teresa, et al. "AltMM 2018-3rd International Workshop on Multimedia Alternate Realities." Proceedings of the 26th ACM international conference on Multimedia. 2018. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3240508.3243718

Hayashi, Masahito. "Quantum Information Theory." Graduate Texts in Physics, Springer (2017). https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-662-49725-8.pdf