Science Fiction

[Insane3]

I love storytelling (video games, litterature, movies, comic books, etc.). Certain genres of narrative are commonly treated with less maturity, they are expected to be more entertaining and less edifying. Science fiction is one of those genres that, apart from a few exceptions like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Fahrenheit 451, is expected to have high entertainment value and sacrifice narrative complexity and artistic/philosophic/political/social discourse.

I created this thread with the intent of discussing science fiction in general. What do you like about science fiction? What are your favorite stories from this genre? Do you prefer your science fiction fiercely realistic or wonderfully imaginative? Am I wrong? Am I pretentious? Would you rather have intercourse with a Drell or a Turian?

[Cipher_Peon]

I would say that 2001: A Space Odyssey is pretty much the embodiment of true science fiction rather than the exception. To be honest, I'm not really keen on either science fiction or science fantasy. I enjoy attacking people with swords

[Insane3]

I would say that 2001: A Space Odyssey is pretty much the embodiment of true science fiction rather than the exception. To be honest, I'm not really keen on either science fiction or science fantasy. I enjoy attacking people with swords

I understand what you mean but I think a minority of the science fiction movies and stories in general display such an... experimental narrative. I mean... it might be one of the first movies that come to mind when speaking of science fiction but it's so unconventional to the genre!


And swords, you know... there's Star Wars.

[Witticus]

I do art in the sense that I feel something terrible will lead us to something more horrible in the future. Like one of my drawings depicts a race of people known as centaurs, but they're just fat people with support legs on their belly fat. Here's a pic of an early version of that.

I've also done sarcastic posters for things called Animatronic Funerals, Mecha Gene Therapy, and some other stuff.

I love the idea of simple things being taken too far in the future.

[FujiSkunk]

Science fiction is one of those genres that, apart from a few exceptions like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Fahrenheit 451, is expected to have high entertainment value and sacrifice narrative complexity and artistic/philosophic/political/social discourse.

Umm, what?

If anything, science fiction is a hotbed for high-minded debate, then and now. Thanks to authors like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, William Gibson, Phillip K. Dick, and even more "mass produced" writers like Stephen King, Robin Cook and Michael Chrichton, there is no shortage of excellent science fiction to be had. Or if you'd rather just plop down in front of the screen, at least watch Blade Runner, Children of Men, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 12 Monkeys and some of the better Star Trek movies and TV episodes before deciding science fiction is nothing more than the latest Hollywood alien invasion extravaganza.

And I'll be the first to admit I haven't seen or read nearly as many classics as I should, so there are plenty more examples out there.

[lvmathemagician]

Good science fiction is subversive, it will entertain you and while you're not looking it will teach you something. SF works well in the short story format. I urge you to check out many of the short stories written from 1950 - 1980. Great stuff.

Neuromancer is excellent. Read it.

[Insane3]

Yes, I have seen those movies. That's exactly the problem. I have seen them, but what else is there to see? Every year brings new science fiction movies in which the great potential that is explored in those movies (I wouldn't agree about Star Trek movies, though) is wasted.

Here are a few examples of major science fiction productions of 2011:
Battle: Los Angeles, Super 8, X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Cowboys and Aliens, Real Steel, The Thing
Was any of those movies anything more than good entertainment at best? There's the exception of Another Earth, but this movie really felt like nothing more than a wannabe indie movie to me. A great cinematography, but not much flesh around the bones. An aesthetic that is irrelevant to the content.

The problem with science fiction is that it's risky. It costs a lot to produce because it often depends heavily on special effects. Don't get me wrong, some producers will take some risks. Melancholia, if you consider it science fiction, is certainly a very uncommon movie (although I wouldn't exactly consider Lars Von Trier a risk). In 2009, the movie Moon was quite a remarkably unconventional production considering how heavily it depended on CGI.

But once again, that's my point: it's remarkable to see productors take so much risks.

[Insane3]

Good science fiction is subversive, it will entertain you and while you're not looking it will teach you something. SF works well in the short story format. I urge you to check out many of the short stories written from 1950 - 1980. Great stuff.

Neuromancer is excellent. Read it.

Yes I do intend to read it, I've read very interesting things about it. It seems like quite a premonitory book.

I think litterature and animation have better examples of great science fiction than cinema because they don't rely on special effects. Dune is one of my favorite novels (the movie and miniseries... not so much)

[Insane3]

I do art in the sense that I feel something terrible will lead us to something more horrible in the future. Like one of my drawings depicts a race of people known as centaurs, but they're just fat people with support legs on their belly fat. Here's a pic of an early version of that.

I've also done sarcastic posters for things called Animatronic Funerals, Mecha Gene Therapy, and some other stuff.

I love the idea of simple things being taken too far in the future.

I like the irony of your piece. I think science fiction is a very good niche for irony.

[exploder]

I love the Alien series. Plus, the Predator series. And Terminator of course.