The use of science fiction in Science teaching has been proposed by several authors. In this paper we use the greimasian semiotics, which considers the meaning of the text from a narrative point of view, to analyze a short story by Arthur Clarke. We consider a text from the three levels proposed by the Greimas theory: the discursive, the narrative and the fundamental. By articulating these levels we build up an analysis model based in the discursive level, specifically on the relationship between theme and figure, for using it as a tool for mapping social and political themes concerned with science in fictional works, to building up classroom activities not restricted to mere conceptual discussions.
Science fiction; science teaching; semiotics