Free Write on Mapping

1. How can science fiction (or even fiction more generally) be understood as a kind of mapping project? What does it map?
2. In what way is mapping an act of close reading? Critique? Intervention? (e.g. mapping as an aid to reading, writing, critical thinking)


Science Fiction in general has its way in words, phrases, and sentences in the reading to map out what will happen next in the chapters, what we know now from it, and what we need to understand to solve it. It's kind of like being a detective. The author would write a science fiction book knowing that he doesn't know what will happen next in the chapter and making it an open ended part for the readers to figure out on their own. This is where the mapping comes in. We map through the story for some clues by finding out the places in the story, knowing the characters in the story, understanding what the antagonist is after, what the area on a geographical map looks like, finding the ageographical areas in the story, researching the streets and alleyways mentioned in the story, etc. With mapping, it will help us guide through the end and get a better understanding on where we are at.

Mapping is an act of close reading by helping us understand the story by analyzing the clues and the definitions in the reading.  Using close reading in the book gives us more ideas on what the story is about and what we need to know the general facts on whats going on. Without close reading, one will get lost in a science fiction or a fictional book. It's like mapping but close reading is more of knowing the terms, knowing the context clues given, and the way the characters play in the story. It helps us to write a summary of a story with more details and a better understanding of the story for the readers and the listeners.