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Science Fiction, succinctly defined, is a literary genre generally characterized in form as a world of exaggerated drama which argues a social commentary using current scientific knowledge as its evidence. From the emergence in the 18th century of modern Science Fiction to the 'birth of the book' in the 19th century, each period is distinct, yet at times similar, in their respective techniques of elucidation. From the 18th century, Voltaire's Micromegas, in its highly ironical …

…the birth of modern science in the 18th century through the 19th century, each period in time has different techniques of illustrating the particular social commentary. Voltaire’s Micromegas deals with a combination of satire and alienation while Shelley’s Frankenstein is a parody of creation and the ‘Oedipus Complex’. Therefore, 18th century uses both alienation and satire to elucidate their points while 19th century literature uses a parody of creation and the ‘Oedipus Complex’.