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Ted Chiang's Counterphysical Stories and History of Science Pedagogy

Hennessey, John L. LU (2023) p.151-168
Abstract
Counterfactual history constitutes a prominent subgenre of speculative fiction. Nevertheless, though diverging from actual historical events, such works tend to otherwise be highly realistic. Other speculative fiction goes much further, creating not only an alternative timeline but an alternate reality governed by different physical laws. This chapter coins the term “counterphysical” to describe literature that plays with the very laws of physics or nature, but remains within a rules-based, science-inspired paradigm. Examining two counterphysical stories by Ted Chiang, “Seventy-Two Letters” (2000) and “Omphalos” (2019), it argues that such works can serve as a useful tool for teaching the history of science. Counterphysical fiction can... (More)
Counterfactual history constitutes a prominent subgenre of speculative fiction. Nevertheless, though diverging from actual historical events, such works tend to otherwise be highly realistic. Other speculative fiction goes much further, creating not only an alternative timeline but an alternate reality governed by different physical laws. This chapter coins the term “counterphysical” to describe literature that plays with the very laws of physics or nature, but remains within a rules-based, science-inspired paradigm. Examining two counterphysical stories by Ted Chiang, “Seventy-Two Letters” (2000) and “Omphalos” (2019), it argues that such works can serve as a useful tool for teaching the history of science. Counterphysical fiction can help train students to suspend their present-day understanding of science in order to comprehend the worldview and mindset of historical scientists. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ted Chiang, counterphysical, counterfactual, science fiction, speculative fiction, history of science, pedagogy
host publication
History and Speculative Fiction
editor
Hennessey, John L.
pages
18 pages
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN
978-3-031-42234-8
978-3-031-42237-9
978-3-031-42235-5
DOI
10.1007/978-3-031-42235-5_8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23fab9c5-f66f-4c38-ab5f-f85e80507d84
date added to LUP
2024-01-19 09:36:35
date last changed
2024-01-22 11:54:51
@inbook{23fab9c5-f66f-4c38-ab5f-f85e80507d84,
  abstract     = {{Counterfactual history constitutes a prominent subgenre of speculative fiction. Nevertheless, though diverging from actual historical events, such works tend to otherwise be highly realistic. Other speculative fiction goes much further, creating not only an alternative timeline but an alternate reality governed by different physical laws. This chapter coins the term “counterphysical” to describe literature that plays with the very laws of physics or nature, but remains within a rules-based, science-inspired paradigm. Examining two counterphysical stories by Ted Chiang, “Seventy-Two Letters” (2000) and “Omphalos” (2019), it argues that such works can serve as a useful tool for teaching the history of science. Counterphysical fiction can help train students to suspend their present-day understanding of science in order to comprehend the worldview and mindset of historical scientists.}},
  author       = {{Hennessey, John L.}},
  booktitle    = {{History and Speculative Fiction}},
  editor       = {{Hennessey, John L.}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-031-42234-8}},
  keywords     = {{Ted Chiang; counterphysical; counterfactual; science fiction; speculative fiction; history of science; pedagogy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{151--168}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  title        = {{Ted Chiang's Counterphysical Stories and History of Science Pedagogy}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/169885791/Hennessey_-_Ted_Chiang_s_Counterphysical_Stories_and_History_of_Science_Pedagogy.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-031-42235-5_8}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}