Science Fiction
The poem explores the tension between humanity's aspirations for a better future and the bleak reality of modern life. It critiques the notion that science and technology will solve all problems, instead portraying a world where people are disconnected from nature and each other. The speaker describes a desolate urban landscape, devoid of beauty or hope, where humans are reduced to mere automatons.
By Carlos Drummond de Andrade · First published 1962 · Genre: Science Fiction, Philosophical Fiction, Absurdist Fiction · 76 words
First lines
A Martian ran into me on the street and recoiled at my human impossibility.
How, he wondered, can there be a being who so negates existence in the act of existing? The Martian walked off, and I followed.
I needed him as a kind of proof.
But he refused to talk, vanishing into the problem-studded atmosphere.
What this Textopian page supports
Science Fiction is listed on Textopian as a short story by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, dated 1962 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Carlos Drummond de Andrade
- Date: 1962 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Philosophical Fiction, Absurdist Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Literary Fiction
- Length: 76 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Science Fiction by Carlos Drummond de Andrade
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Science Fiction?
- How does this short story by Carlos Drummond de Andrade fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- All The People by R. A. Lafferty
- The Infernal Powers by Carlos Drummond De Andrade
- In The Garden by R. A. Lafferty
- Porcelain by Carlos Drummond De Andrade
- Chaos In The Bedroom by Carlos Drummond De Andrade
- The Ungay Science by Carlos Drummond De Andrade
Genres
- Science Fiction — The presence of a Martian character and the exploration of extraterrestrial life.
- Philosophical Fiction — Themes of existence, identity, and the human condition.
- Absurdist Fiction — The surreal encounter and the existential confusion of the protagonist.
- Speculative Fiction — The speculative nature of the Martian's interaction with a human.
Tags
Brazilian Literature · Poetry · Science Fiction · Philosophical · Experimental · Avant-Garde · Surrealism · Fantasy · Imaginative · Speculative Fiction · Literary Fiction · Cultural Critique