National Science Fiction Day

National Science Fiction Day - Thursday, January 2, 2025

Arts & Entertainment Books Creative Movies TV

When it comes to fiction writing, the stories are only limited by one’s imagination. And no matter what type of fiction stories you like, chances are a few of them involve some sort of science fiction topics. If so, National Science Fiction Day on January 2 is the perfect day to celebrate this type of story.

Science fiction touches so many different areas of literature that most people can find one area that they love. Science fiction can include stories based in space with aliens like E.T. or space battles like Star Wars. The genre also can include time travel, such as H. G. Wells famous book, The Time Machine, or the Doctor Who franchise. Even super hero movies can involve science fiction. After all, who would believe a talking raccoon as in Guardians of the Galaxy or the rock-like skin of the Thing in the Fantastic Four without the science fiction angle?

So if you’re fascinated by the unknown and by the possibilities of what science can bring in the future, you probably would be – or already are – a fan of science fiction. And that’s why National Science Fiction Day is the perfect day to celebrate all of these different books, movies, and television shows. You may not love sci-fi enough to consume its stories every day, but this special day is a great opportunity to spark your imagination!

National Science Fiction Day timeline

17th-18th Centuries

The Age of Reason

Widespread interest in scientific discovery fuels science fiction, including Johannes Kepler's "Somnium" Voltaire's "Microsmegas," and Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"

1818

The First Sci-Fi Novel

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," considered by many to be the first sci-fi novel, is published

1800's

Vernes and Wells

Jules Verne's books, including "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and H.G. Wells' stories, including "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds."

1902

The First Sci-Fi Film

Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon," widely considered the first sci-fi film, is released

1954

"Sci-Fi" is Coined

"Science fiction" was first shortened to "sci-fi" in 1954, at the same time the term hi-fi appeared

Facts About "The War Of The Worlds"

  1. What Happens Next?

    The novel was initially published in serial form in "Pearson's Magazine" over the course of several months in 1897

  2. Fiction Becomes Reality (Almost)

    In October 1938, a radio broadcast of a dramatic adaptation of the novel aired; listeners mistook it for a real news broadcast and the panic that ensure became front-page news

  3. Fat Check

    Wells was paid 200 GBP for the initial manuscript

  4. Silver Screen

    There have been at least 6 feature films made of the story

  5. To the Moon

    Robert H. Goddard, who invented two rockets that resulted in the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, says he was inspired by the story

National Science Fiction Day Activities

  1. Raise a toast to one of the greatest science fiction writers, Isaac Asimov

    The selection of January 2 as the annual date for National Science Fiction Day is no accident. That’s also the listed birthdate for famous science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. He wrote more than 400 science fiction works. (As a strange but true aside – and what other kind would there be for science fiction – Asimov’s actual birthdate is unknown, as his parents had to declare a birthdate for their son when they immigrated from Russia in 1923, and no one knows if the date they gave is accurate.)

  2. Eat some Reese’s Pieces

    In one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, E.T. was lured into following a trail of Reese’s Pieces to meet up with Elliott. And the move made the candy famous, accounting for a nearly tripling of sales in the early 1980s.

  3. Visit a theme park with sci-fi rides and experiences

    Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando offer some great science fiction adventures. So consider a trip to a theme park on National Science Fiction Day. At Disney World you can rice Mission: Space or interact with Star Wars characters. And Universal Studios has Men In Black, Transformer, E.T., and Marvel super hero rides. Disney World even has a drive-in theater style restaurant, complete with sci-fi movie scenes playing on the big screen.

Why We Love National Science Fiction Day

  1. It reminds us of the possibilities the imagination can spark

    Without science fiction, the imagination of what’s possible in the future just wouldn’t be the same. Certainly, what’s predicted in sci-fi doesn’t always come true. After all, if The Jetsons had been accurate, we’d all have robot maids and flying cars by now. But even if they aren’t accurate, science fiction stories spark the imaginations of people, helping inspire them to create inventions in the future.

  2. You can let your inner-nerd climb to the forefront

    Everyone wants to be well-liked and seem cool to friends and family. But there are times where you have to let your inner-nerd take control, and National Science Fiction Day is the perfect time to allow yourself to be a nerd. Investigate UFO sightings. Get into an online debate about all the plot holes in Lost. Whatever you enjoy about the sci-fi genre that’s nerdy, National Science Fiction Day allows you to embrace it fully!

  3. It’s a great excuse to stream your favorite science fiction movie or TV show

    There are so many great sci-fi movies and TV shows available, and everyone has a favorite. So National Science Fiction Day is the perfect excuse to pick the movie that appeals to you the most, find it online, and stream it. And don’t feel guilty that you’ve watched it enough times to be able to recite every line in the movie along with the actors. It’s your favorite sci-fi movie for a reason, right?

Also on Thu Jan 2, 2025...

Buffet Day
Jan 02