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Over the past decades science fiction has undergone an incredible change of image from being a genre reduced to persistent clichés to one that sparks discussion. The genre has gained recognition as being instrumental in dealing with topical issues of society. This work will present standard definitions of SF by scholars vital to the genre and look at how the socio-political and -cultural developments of the last centuries have transformed it. Like science fiction, radio has undergone an extraordinary change. The increasing opportunities of production and the special potential to use voice, speech, sound effects, and music make radio an appealing medium for playwrights. Science fiction was invigorated by radio, enabling the listeners to immerse themselves into weird and wonderful worlds. But what makes science fiction so compelling for audio drama? What are the possibilities in contrast to those of transmission via other media? And what effect can a broadcast have on the audience? To expand on these questions, this work will examine three science fiction plays, namely ´The War of the Worlds´ by Orson Welles, ´The Silver Sky´ by Tanith Lee and ´The State of the Art´ by Iain M. Banks.

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Farag, Coralin
Coralin Farag, born in 1986 in Villach, studied Translation Studies and English at Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck. She completed her MA in English in 2015 and currently lives and works in London.

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