 | This suspended animation-related article describes works or elements in fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (March 2023) |
Suspended animation in fiction refers to the temporary cessation of life processes experienced by fictional characters, followed by their subsequent revival. This process is commonly employed as a plot device in science fiction narratives. It is frequently utilized to transport a character from the past to the future (a form of forward-only time travel) or to facilitate interstellar space travel, which necessitates an extended journey for months or years (referring to space travel in fiction). In addition to accomplishing the character's primary objective in the future, they often encounter the unfamiliarity of a new world, which may bear only faint resemblance to their previous surroundings. On occasion, a character is portrayed as possessing skills or abilities that have become lost to society during their period of suspension, enabling them to assume a heroic role in their new temporal setting.