The Science and the Shifting Boundaries of Imaginary: Contemporary Fables of Robert Sheckley

Abstract

The Fantasy, according to some theories – such as proposal by, for example, Todorov – has some continuity and consistency, migrating from the medieval perception of the world to the realm of Science. But the question is not so simple, since the elements of these two fields establish a dialogue whose essence cannot be reduced to a plain upgrade / transfer, since both the medieval fantasy and science fiction are not limited to the neutral and empty forms. Therefore the work of Robert Sheckley provides a rich and large reflection on the Fantasy and its political use, because his narrative scenography, with scientific trace and space set design, gives the message an ironic meaning more directly.