Date of Award
5-11-2025
Date Published
6-18-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Film and Media Arts
Advisor(s)
Jason Webb
Subject Categories
Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts
Abstract
This thesis investigates how fictional storytelling, particularly in science fiction films, games, and literature, influences real-world technological advancements and public perception of innovation. By examining recurring themes such as automation, technological overdependence, ethical dilemmas in AI, this study highlights how media functions as a cultural reflection to reality, and as a speculative tool. While drawing on popular examples like The Terminator (1984), Fahrenheit 451 (1953), I, Robot (2004), and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021), this research also considers the importance of contemporary and minority voices like artist Kapwani Kiwanga in reimagining futures beyond dominant Western narratives. These stories reflect pressing social issues such as inequality, surveillance, and environmental difference, using fiction as a space for both critique and possibility. Alongside this research is my 3D animation project titled The Creation as a creative response to these and other inspirations and references. Set in a dystopian Earth shaped by unchecked technological ambition, it tells the story of a robot responsible for the destruction of the world, serving as a metaphor for humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence and commercialized innovation. Through nuanced animations, vibrant visuals, and emblematic storytelling, the project reflects on the core themes of the thesis while inviting open interpretation. Ultimately, I argue that fiction does more than entertain or predict—it prepares us to navigate and question the future we are actively creating and contributing to.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Li, Rick, "ALLEGORIES IN FICTION: SHAPING OUR THOUGHTS AND OUTCOME OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS" (2025). Theses - ALL. 920.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/920
