Class 11 English 2024 Edition www.tntextbooks.in · Section 82

where journals, both current and back issues are kept; (iv) The Electronic Section where Computers, Xerox machines (reprography), DVDs and CDs are kept. Most libraries have an online catalogue of holdings (e.g. books, journals, electronic publications and audio-visual materials) available with them. An online catalogue is a list of the materials available in the library, and this list can be accessed through the computer. You can make use of the online catalogue to locate books and other materials. The most common ways of locating a book are by (i) the author’s name (ii) the title (iii) the subject. If you type the author’s name, e.g. Shakespeare, William, the computer produces a list of all works written by Shakespeare that are available in that library. Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are Fiction and Non-fiction. Non-fiction includes Narratives Non- fictional essays, Biographies, Autobiographies etc. Fiction includes Drama, Poetry, Fantasy, Humour, Fables, Science fiction, Short Story etc. Now, read the following biographical extract on Sujatha Rangarajan, a Science- fiction writer, and answer the questions that follow. . Sujatha is the allonym of the Tamil author S. Rangarajan and it is this name that is recognised at once by the Tamil Sci- Fi reading community. You might have seen the Tamil movie ‘Endiran’ where the robot Chitti exhibits extraordinary talents in an incredible manner. The robot could excel a human being in any act, beyond one’s imagination. Jeeno, a robotic dog which appeared in Sujatha’s science fiction novel “En Iniya Iyandhira” (My Dear Robot) formed the basis of Chitti’s character. Like Chitti, Jeeno was an all- rounder who could cook, clean and fight. High-tech computer technology terms are used in the story. Jeeno, a pet robot, plays an important role throughout the story. As the story proceeds, it behaves and starts to think on its own like a human and instructs Nila, a human being, on how to proceed further in her crises. . In the preface of ‘En Iniya Iyandhira’, the writer states the reason for his attraction to the genre: “Science gives us the wonderful freedom to analyse thousands and thousands of alternative possibilities. While using it, and while playing with its new games, a writer needs to be cautious only about one thing. The story should draw some parallels or association from the emotions and desires of the present humankind. Only then it becomes interesting. Jeeno, the robot dog, was intelligent. But the character became popular only because of the robot’s frequently displayed human tendencies.” It is no wonder that all his works echo these words and will remain etched in the minds of the readers who enjoy reading his novels to have a wonderful lifetime experience. - - :