Resizing (including size-changing, miniaturization, magnification, shrinking, and enlargement, is a theme in fiction, especially science fiction.
In popular works, many of the physical effects of such shrinking are often ignored, notably changes in mass or density, and the scaling of certain physical variables.
Early instances in fiction
There are many examples of resizing in Chinese fiction such as Journey to the West (sometimes translated as Monkey). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has repeated resizing themes, where Alice grows or shrinks as she eats or drinks potions.
Excessive growth
Common causes of excessive growth in fiction include poisons of various kinds and radioactive contamination.
The novel The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth by H. G. Wells describes a kind of food that can accelerate and extend the growth process, which when introduced to the world causes great upheavals. Though one of Wells' lesser-known works, many of the features of the novel have been incorporated into other works.
Excessive growth is often described as result of advance in biology (in Well's novel, for example, the food was developed by two biologists). In reality, excessive growth is usually related to some illness; fictional excessive growth, however, are generally more than healthy, and have powers proportionate to their size (in the same way that the physical limitations related to size in reality are ignored).
In Wells' novel, giants have great powers, and they seek to continue growing and improving; only the small people with their small minds stand in their way. This is a symbol of social groups with great potential supressed by mainstream society, and an expectation for them to eventually change the world (through a radical way).
Films such as Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Them! (which is about giant ants) are other examples of this category.
Shrinking machines
The shrinking is usually accomplished using a machine of some kind. For example, in the films Fantastic Voyage and Innerspace the machine looks something like a Star Trek transporter, and is large enough to accommodate the target. In the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, on the other hand, the machine looks like a laser device which operates near the target.
Both types of machine normally have the ability to reverse the shrinking process (though sometimes, as in Fantastic Voyage, the reversal happens automatically after a certain period)
In The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series, miniaturizing cloning technology known as micloning (maikuro-n ka in Japanese) plays a significant role in the coexistence of a giant alien race called Zentradi and humanity.
Related topics
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Miniaturization — besides referring to shrinking things and people, miniaturization in science fiction also refers to redesigning products to make smaller ones.
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