Who is the father of science-fiction?

[Doctor Amadeus]

Are you calling me a nobody? lol! Before Star Trek, I really liked War of the Worlds and The Time Machine.

So for myself, I have to say H.G. Wells. It was his story of aliens invading, that even caused some public panic when Orson Wells told the story on radio.

Lol never. Great reply by the way. Yeah great point. Oh and keep in mind I love Star Trek. But gene was kind of horrible at executing which is why if not for some great writers a big chunk of what he statted lasted.

So I suppose I better put it in context. Before Star Trek Sci-fi really wasn’t taken as seriously and if Gene hadn't sold it as kind of wagons and cowboys in space. I don’t believe arguably Sci Fi would have been where it is now.

It also dropped the ball a bit too and Star Wars isn’t too far behind.

But as Sci Fi in the strictest sense yeah that’s why I said Gene, but I’m sure I’m biased a bit. So great counter lol


By the way Twilight Zone much like War of the Worlds I didn’t say because one seemed more like horror the other more fantasy or super natural mystery?

[Hammerfest]

To me, science fiction and fantasy are the same thing with different coats of paint.

[Doctor Amadeus]

To me, science fiction and fantasy are the same thing with different coats of paint.

I don’t agree. Science Fiction although also made up and the product of imagination it still bound by basic elements. Mainly time and the Future.

[Elegiac]

To me, science fiction and fantasy are the same thing with different coats of paint.

To you, literary criticism is also apparently liberal witchcraft.

[Hammerfest]

To you, literary criticism is also apparently liberal witchcraft.

Tell that to folks who were critical of The Last Jedi.

- - - Updated - - -

I don’t agree. Science Fiction although also made up and the product of imagination it still bound by basic elements. Mainly time and the Future.

So there's no such thing in fiction as time travel through magic?

[Klaiden Potugye]

Jules Verne

From the Earth to the Moon (French: De la terre à la lune) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an enormous Columbiad space gun and launch three people—the Gun Club's president, his Philadelphian armor-making rival, and a French poet—in a projectile with the goal of a moon landing.

The story is also notable in that Verne attempted to do some rough calculations as to the requirements for the cannon and, considering the comparative lack of any data on the subject at the time, some of his figures are surprisingly close to reality. However, his scenario turned out to be impractical for safe manned space travel since a much longer muzzle would have been required to reach escape velocity while limiting acceleration to survivable limits for the passengers.



HG Wells however continued the trend (after Jules Verne), but he was a more "hard-core" Sci-Fi author.
Bibliography

Just check dates.

Insane.

I would say both of them. One started, the other solidified a genre.

[Techno-Druid]

Jules Verne

From the Earth to the Moon (French: De la terre à la lune) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an enormous Columbiad space gun and launch three people—the Gun Club's president, his Philadelphian armor-making rival, and a French poet—in a projectile with the goal of a moon landing.

The story is also notable in that Verne attempted to do some rough calculations as to the requirements for the cannon and, considering the comparative lack of any data on the subject at the time, some of his figures are surprisingly close to reality. However, his scenario turned out to be impractical for safe manned space travel since a much longer muzzle would have been required to reach escape velocity while limiting acceleration to survivable limits for the passengers.



HG Wells however continued the trend (after Jules Verne), but he was a more "hard-core" Sci-Fi author.
Bibliography

Just check dates.

Insane.

I would say both of them. One started, the other solidified a genre.

H.G Wells could also be considered the father of political-social commentary sci-fi as most of his works were often allegories to societal issues. War of the Worlds was an allegory to colonialism and imperialism, Island of Dr. Moreau was an allegory to vivisection and cruel animal experimentation, Time Machine was a reference to the class divide with the Eloi and Morlocs representing the elite and the lower class respectively and the Invisible Man was an allegory of isolation from a society.

[Themerlin]

If Mary Shelley is the mother of science-fiction, who do you think is the father of the genre?

I would say H.G Wells or Jules Verne...

I would say the Indus Valley Civilization.

Or even maybe the Nubian empires of pre-desertification era of Egypt, Sudan, etc.

I am not too quick to give all praise to a bunch of half drunk Brits.