Is it a dearth period or a quality dearth or what?
Maybe . . . it’s a lull before the real drama breaks out in the open?
I don’t know - there just doesn’t seem to be any backing/market for thoughtful sci-fi films, where the story and themes awe you instead of the SFX. Not many risks are being taken.
Children of Men had the most original and thought provoking premise to a scifi story in years.