Science fiction genre in the context of popular culture and high culture discussions

The concept of value in literature is an issue that has been thought upon since the very old times. Distinctions between the popular culture and the high culture have been one of the determining standards of this value for a long time. Subject-matter of this dissertation is an evaluation of the science fiction genre with reference to the dis-cussions over popular culture and high culture. To do this, I first presented the change in our reading habits over a period from the 15th century to the 20th century, address-ing the relationship between the modernism and the high culture. Then I elucidated the views of the critics about the popular culture during the modernism and post-modernism era. I evaluated the literary genres in general and the science fiction genre in particular under the light of these discussions. In the final section, I examined two science fiction novels, Hunger Games and Kingdom Come, within the context of popular culture and high culture.