The world is full of violence. No matter how hard we try, the world will never be free of war, abuse, murder and poverty. Mahatma Ghandi simply states: “[i]t is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to hide helplessness” (brain quotes). In science fiction, violence is not only associated with the masculine traits presented in the genre, but it is also one of the only ways to assert dominance over others. In Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman and in short stories such as "The New Atlantis" by Ursula Le Guin and "Speech Sounds" by Octavia Butler, these works illustrate that to achieve power and advancement in this world, one must assert through acts of violence. Haldeman, Le Guin and Butler describe that through the use of violence, he illustrates man's innate and primordial instinct to do so. They represent works in which they describe that, through violence, the powerful can assert their superiority over the oppressed. It is also through violence that also allows humanity to progress, adapt and also rise up against its oppressors. This is the power of fully understanding these mistakes and learning from them. It seems that maybe humanity is dependent on violence in one way or another to get something, but the most obvious distinction is that primal feeling of acting on it, humanity wonders also on the consequences of these actions. It is clear that humanity is drawn to combat. even if it was without reasonable cause. This seems to define what human nature is. Throwing the first punch allows our primal instinct to defend ourselves. For example, at the beginning of Butler's short story, "Speech Sounds", the narrator named Valerie Rye describes the scene that begins in the middle of the paper......and yet, it proves that humanity still hopes for change . Even if it involves violence, destruction can eventually bring stability and hope for the future. Maybe Ghandi is right. Humanity must understand the violence in our hearts rather than ignoring the truth. Works Cited Butler, Octavia. “The sounds of speech. » The Norton science fiction book. Ed. Ursula Le Guin and Brian Attebery. New York: Norton & Company Inc., 1993. 513-524. Print.Brain Quotes. November 24, 2013. 2013. Web. Haldeman, Joe. Peace forever. New York: Ace book, 1997. Print. Le Guin, Ursula. “The New Atlantis.” The Norton Science Fiction Book. Ed. Ursula Le Guin and Brian Attebery. New York: Norton & Company Inc., 1993. 317-336. Print.Suranyi, Clarissa. ENGLISH 2071F: Speculative fiction: Science fiction notes. London, Ontario: Western University. November 2013. Course notes.