HOLLYWOOD SCIENCE: THE CALL FOR SCI-FI FILM
AND TV TO BE MORE REALISTIC
Source: coventrytelegraph
The science, or lack of it, in sci-fi shows and films has fuelled many a debate on fan forums – some of which I’ve been involved in, mostly in an attempt to inject common sense.
I studied sciences at college prior to journalism but, for my own sanity and sense of enjoyment, I know when to suspend disbelief and allow myself to be absorbed into a story. That depends, of course, on the quality of a film’s storytelling.
Well, it’s not just the nitpicking fanboys who scrutinise every scene. Scientists and those working in the entertainment industry are now collaborating over the science in science fiction, aware that modern audiences can be incredibly critical.
At a meeting this past weekend of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, it was revealed that scientists and filmmakers are now forming groups to share knowledge and make stories as plausible as possible.
Read more here…
MARS NEEDS WOMEN
Source: smartpopbooks
Science fiction is broken. Like poetry and art music, science fiction threatens to spin itself into a self-referential genre so disconnected from everything else that only initiates can find value in it, a tiny irrelevant genre jealously guarded by hardcore fans. So much insider knowledge accrues about each created universe that it pushes away the newcomer. A genre that fired the imaginations of those who actually got humanity into space is reduced to teddy bear aliens, macho swagger, and jiggle. Those of us who love sci-fi are so hungry for it that we will devour nearly anything, which only serves to keep the standards low and the scenarios familiar.
What is the cure for sci-fi’s problems? A goofy knitted hat. A frilly dress. A birthday cake. You and me, and people we know, in space: Firefly.
Sci-fi at its best has higher goals than any other genre. Its creators bring us hope, fear, and truth.
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Do you feel science fiction needs to be more plausible? Sure science fiction mirrors humanity, but isn’t it nice to sometimes get lost in a preposterous story lines? Why does everything have to be conceivable? Isn’t it nice to suspend disbelief just for a while? What are your thoughts?
