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This paper will argue for science fiction as an extension of the epic tradition, modifying C.S. Lewis' conception of primary and secondary epic with Darko Suvin's notion of "cognitive estrangement". Science fiction wields estrangement in a related fashion to character-driven epic and thematic-driven epic, but it collapses the distinction between them in novel ways creating a "double estrangement function" in works of science fiction. Further, John Searle's "direction of fit" will be used to further illustrate this double estrangement. There are several advantages to seeing science fiction as a continuation of the epic tradition. It will upgrade the status of science fiction in literary studies, instead of relegating it to mere genre fiction.