A major theme in U.S. pop culture evolves around the great unknown that is space exploration and the universe as a whole. Books, television shows, and movies share an outer space theme with classics such as “Doctor Who,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Star Wars,” and others that represent galactic entertainment.Ray Bradbury, who, as claimed by U.S.A Today, “brought literary respect to science fiction,” created several short stories set in outer space. One of these was “All Summer in a Day.” In the tale, life on Venus has seven years of rain punctuated by only two hours of sunshine. The rest of the plot follows elementary school children who lock a girl from Earth in the closet during those two hours.Demand Media critic, Melissa Har, said Bradbury’s novel is short, but “each character is developed richly and portrayed vividly.”“The Little Prince,” a book by French author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, follows the life of a small boy from his very own asteroid (asteroid B612), wandering many expanses until he finally wanders upon Earth. The book’s length and easy reading make it popular among both children and adults.BYUH Assistant Professor Sanoma Goodwill said she enjoyed Saint-Exupéry’s classic. “I loved it. When I was reading it to my children, they always listened very raptly and one of my boys said that he wanted to be the Little Prince. It’s very short and simple, but the ideas are complex. It’s a fun and interesting read.” Goodwill also mentioned her children now read “The Little Prince” to her 13 grandchildren. On a post World War II note, the book, “Slaughterhouse Five” (published in 1969 and written by Kurt Vonnegut), tells the story of Billy Pilgrim. The protagonist becomes unstuck in time and travels to the planet Tralfamadore and meets aliens. The famous satire also revolves around the firebombing of Dresden and emphasizes Pilgrim’s lack of enthusiasm for war.Some famous T.V. shows, like “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “I Dream of Jeannie,” make their mark as outer space related entertainment. The premise for “3rd Rock,” according to IMDb, is about a “group of aliens sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the 3rd planet from the sun.” Now prominent actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, shows off attitude and long hair in the series. Seth Schellenberg, an undeclared Utah freshman, is a fan of the popular novel “Ender’s Game.” Although it was recently adapted for the big screen, the book came out in 1985. He said, “It’s probably in my top three favorite books. It has a lot of underlying political-type themes, and to me it shows the way that brilliant people think in order to gain power.”
Writer: Hannah Packard ~ Multimedia Journalist
