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Background Details for Science Fiction of 1990

Ts

(Romanian)

The second part follows the “visual” and imagination of 1990, represented by the description of the “Science Fiction” ensemble present in the written book and other elements that certainly “helped” the cinematic image or television series (such as the world of video games, etc.).

So, in terms of the “Science Fiction” book written, 1990 brings us “The Vor Game” by Lois McMaster Bujold. This book is considered a gem of science fiction literature and has garnered the author numerous accolades, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1991.

The story revolves around Miles Vorkosigan, a young nobleman with physical disabilities, who is involved in political intrigue on a galactic scale, benefiting from a plot full of suspense, betrayals, and tough decisions, which will keep you on your toes until the last page.

Miles Vorkosigan is a memorable protagonist who is intelligent, ironic, and has a unique sense of humor. The secondary characters are also well-developed, each with their motivations and secrets.

As additional information, “The Vor Game” is part of the “Vorkosigan” series, a vast and complex universe with a rich history and memorable characters.

Another landmark work of 1990 is the novel Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea written by Ursula K. Le Guin (a masterpiece of fantasy literature and a profound and moving conclusion to the famous Earthsea series, which won numerous awards, including the Nebula and Locus, solidifying Le Guin’s reputation as one of the most important writers of the genre).

Unlike previous volumes in the series, which focused on the adventures of the young wizard Ged, Tehanu brings strong female characters to the forefront and explores mature themes such as strength, vulnerability, healing, and acceptance.

The novel focuses on Tenar, the former priestess of Atuan, who now lives a quiet life in a village, intertwining her fate with that of Therru, a young girl with a traumatic past who ends up under Tenar’s care.

Ged, the archimage, once the powerful wizard, returns to the world of the story, but without his magical powers, seeking refuge and healing in Tenar, and the relationship between the two deepens, the novel explores the complexity of magical power and the consequences of its abuse, Tenar and Therru becoming symbols of resistance and healing in the face of suffering.

I won’t give you any more “spoilers”, except to say that the novel offers a satisfying and profound conclusion to the entire Earthsea series, Tehanu being more than just a fantasy story, but a true reflection on life, human relationships, and the nature of power, which will make you think and feel, and which you will want to reread again and again.

Another 1990 title is David Brin’s novel “Earth,” which explores a future world where humanity faces the consequences of its own actions and a global ecological crisis.

Brin paints a detailed picture of a not-so-distant future, where climate change, pollution, and overpopulation have led to a sick planet, following the stories of numerous characters, each with their struggles and ambitions, in a world marked by inequality and conflict.

So “Earth” is an excellent example of hard science fiction, combining scientific elements with a captivating story that will make you think and feel.

Dan Simmons solidified his reputation as one of the most important science fiction writers (winning numerous awards) by releasing in 1990 the second volume in the Hyperion Cantos series (the first volume being Hyperion, published in 1989, which introduced us to the complex universe of the series, introducing us to the seven pilgrims who travel to the planet Hyperion to confront the mysterious Creature), called The Fall of Hyperion, (an epic and complex science fiction novel).

So, the novel continues the story begun in the first volume (a vast and detailed universe, in which ancient religions, cosmic wars, and fundamental questions about the nature of time and existence intertwine, where each of the seven pilgrims has a complex and unique story), deepening the mystery of the Crypts of Time and the Creature, the plot being full of twists and turns, complex characters and deep philosophy.

In the end, the story leaves you speechless, ending with a shocking revelation that completely changes the reader’s perception of events, announcing at least one more volume in the series (actually, two more, Endymion, published in 1995 and Ilion, in 1997).

Another notable novel, released in 1990, is The Quiet Pools, interesting but little known (it did not have as great a popularity as other works in the genre, but it was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, which indicates its literary quality).

The story focuses on a future in which humanity has colonized outer space and developed advanced technologies, with the protagonist waking up in a bizarre situation, without memories, and with a brain implant, trying to reconstruct his past and understand his identity, being involved in a vast conspiracy that threatens both human colonies and an alien race with which humanity has come into contact.

The novel keeps you in suspense from beginning to end, as the protagonist discovers added information about his past and the conspiracy he is involved in, questioning the notion of identity, and exploring the consequences of memory manipulation.

Another reference work (for 1990) would be the novel Redshift Rendezvous by John E. Stith, which explores a unique premise: a universe in which the speed of light is much slower than the one we know.

In this alternate universe, the speed of light is only 10 meters per second, a fundamental change in physics with amazing implications for how technology works, space travel, and even the perception of time.

The story focuses on a dramatic event: an attack on a spaceship, with the protagonist having to find a way to stop the attackers and save the ship, describing a story full of tense moments, chases, and space battles, which will transport you to a fascinating universe and make you think “outside the box”.

It would be time to emphasize why I consider that the ensemble of “Science Fiction” creators is a shaping factor, not necessarily the creator of the film (or television series), even if my “mention” can be interpreted as belonging to another genre (a kind of “skidding” already quite common for “Science Fiction”).

In 1990, one of the reference works is the novel Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin, which belongs to the gothic, mystery, psychological genre, that reinterprets Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story, Strange in the Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

In this novel, instead of focusing on Jekyll and his alter-ego, Hyde, Martin chooses to present the story from the perspective of Mary Reilly, Jekyll’s maid, giving us a glimpse of the Victorian world through the eyes of a young and vulnerable woman.

Thus, through Mary’s eyes, we witness the mysterious events that take place in the doctor’s house, revealing a completely new perspective on this classic story.

The novel was adapted into a film in 1996 (Mary Reilly), starring Julia Roberts.

Iar „derapajul” amintit pentru romanul anterior, poate fi subliniat de romanul White Jenna scris Jane Yolen (care face parte din seria “The Books of Great Alta” și are o continuare intitulată “The One Armed Queen”), ce ține de genul fantasy, captivant, plin de magie și aventură, care explorează teme precum destinul, puterea feminină și unitatea (fiind nominalizat la premiul Nebula, primind recenzii pozitive din partea criticilor).

The “slippage” mentioned in the previous novel can be underlined by the novel White Jenna written by Jane Yolen (which is part of the “The Books of Great Alta” series and has a sequel titled “The One Armed Queen”), which belongs to the fantasy genre, captivating, full of magic and adventure, which explores themes such as destiny, female power and unity (being nominated for the Nebula Award, receiving positive reviews from critics).

The story focuses on Jenna, a white-haired young woman who is destined to unite a divided kingdom, embarking on an epic journey full of challenges and dangers along with her twin sister, Skada, and other powerful characters.

The novel is a fresco of a rich universe, with magical creatures, epic battles, and memorable characters, which celebrates the power of women and presents strong and independent female characters, in a world rich in magic and mythology, with fantastic creatures and ancient rituals.

And now, it’s time to describe something about the video games of 1990… A crucial year for the video game industry, marked by significant advances in graphics, gameplay, and narrative, with the science fiction genre experiencing an explosion of creativity, offering memorable gaming experiences that laid the foundations for many successful franchises.

A year in which video games invited us to explore distant galaxies, pilot spaceships, and fight against alien enemies, or in which the cyberpunk genre began to make its presence felt, with games that explored a dark and technological future, dominated by powerful corporations and rebellious hackers.

Another detail would be VR technology, which was still in its infancy, but the first experiments in this field began to appear, offering players an innovative perspective on games.

And, even though the game of the year was Super Mario World (which introduced fantasy elements and parallel worlds, paving the way for bolder explorations in the future), the most acclaimed achievement was the game Final Fantasy III (VI in the American version), a masterpiece of RPGs, which introduced a complex story, memorable characters, and an innovative combat system, setting new standards for the genre.

The Final Fantasy series is known for its epic stories, which blend classic fantasy elements with modern themes and memorable characters, with each title bringing a new story, but certain narrative elements define the entire series.

In terms of the narrative elements common to the series, the protagonists embark on an epic journey, often to save the world from imminent evil (global threats, such as an ancient evil, a natural disaster, or an alien force, endangering the existence of the world), the bonds of friendship between the characters being strong and often put to the test, self-sacrifice being a recurring theme, emphasizing the importance of the common good.

That’s why the characters develop throughout the game, both in terms of skills and personality, with the protagonists starting as children who discover a magical world and ending up becoming heroes capable of saving the world (a story about maturation and sacrifice).

Characters can learn new magical abilities through specific equipment (e.g., a magic wand for wizards) or by consuming special items, but once a magical ability is learned, it can be improved through repeated use, increasing its power and effectiveness.

Many of the most powerful magical abilities are hidden in hard-to-reach places in the world, which encourages exploration, anticipating progress toward crystals, which will become a recurring element, representing the source of the power of the world and the characters (the game will introduce the concept of “magicites”, which allow characters to learn new magical abilities), magic being an essential component of the combat system and intrigue.

And, as a “final” detail, Final Fantasy III (VI) begins in a destroyed world (a large part of the game takes place in a mysterious underground world, full of dangers and treasures), which creates a sense of nostalgia and a desire to restore balance, in which the planet itself is an active character in the story, having an essential role in resolving the final conflict.

Then, we can discuss the video game Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, considered one of the best stealth games of all time, emphasizing infiltration, espionage, and a complex story with unexpected twists (not to mention that it used advanced graphics for the time, using the capabilities of the MSX2 console to create an impressive visual experience).

It was a revolutionary title for its time, solidifying the Metal Gear series as a benchmark in the stealth genre (it introduced sophisticated stealth mechanics, such as hiding in boxes and the use of camouflage, which became staples of the genre), with a story considered profound for its time, exploring political and ethical themes.

The Metal Gear series is renowned for its complex and intriguing narratives, spanning multiple titles and decades, with central themes influenced by the geopolitical context of the Cold War, exploring themes such as the development of nuclear weapons, espionage, and international conflict, raising important questions about the use of weapons of mass destruction, individual responsibility during war, and the human cost of armed conflict.

Then, the plot often focuses on global conspiracies, secret organizations, and mysterious characters manipulating events from the shadows, with the theme of identity being repeatedly explored, with cloned characters and genetic experiments questioning the nature of humanity.

The main character, Solid Snake, is motivated by a powerful sense of duty to his country and the desire to protect the world from nuclear threats, and despite being a soldier, ultimately ends up campaigning against war and violence.

Overall, the Metal Gear series is known for its charismatic and complex characters, such as Solid Snake, Big Boss, Psycho Mantis, and Revolver Ocelot, and the story is often full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, keeping players engaged.

So, the science fiction games of the 1990s show us that imagination has no limits and that technology can be used to create unique and memorable visual and gaming experiences, also reminding us of the importance of well-constructed stories, complex characters, and innovative gameplay.

Merticaru Dorin Nicolae

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