• Considers the emergence of science fiction as a popular genre in the 20th century
• Looks at the ways in which changes in science and technology affect human perception and behaviour
• Explores science fiction in film and literature and compares the two media
• Considers the wider social and political issues raised by science fiction writers
• Looks at a wide range of science fiction in literature, drama, poetry, and film
• Explores science fiction as a global phenomenon that constantly evolves and changes in times of rapid technological and political change

Science Fiction has proved notoriously difficult to define. It has been explained as a combination of romance, science and prophecy; as a genre based on an imagined alternative to the reader's environment; and as a form of fantastic fiction and historical literature. 

It has also been argued that science fiction narratives are the most engaged, socially relevant, and responsive to the modern technological environment. This Very Short Introduction doesn't offer a history of science fiction, but instead ties examples of science fiction to different historical moments, in order to demonstrate how science fiction has evolved over time. 

David Seed looks not only at literature, but also at drama and poetry, as well as film. Examining recurrent themes in science fiction he looks at voyages into space, the concept of the alien and alternative social identities, the role of technology in science fiction, and its relation to time - in the past, present, and future.