Science Fiction has become a poisoned well . .

7-27-06 | Marc Costanzo

[marc costanzo]

The essay below was originally written in the early Spring of 2001:

With the passing away of LEXX ends an intriguing albeit tawdry experiment in Sci-fantasy. One that breaks with conventions, or should I say cliches of TV sci-fi of the 90's . The politically correct pabulum, the multicultural indoctrination, the BladeRunner motifs, and not the least; the steroid mutated superbabes that can punch the lights out of men, but never get punched back in return !?

How about creating a new sci-fi anthology with none of the puerile baggage of Rod Serling, Rockne Obannon, Michael J. Stracinsky, etc .. It is time to end their reign of un-American cynicism and fatalism !

[marc costanzo]

One more thing - what are the titles of good science fiction movies made in the past five years? I've seen all the classics and I'm looking for DVDs to watch on Satuday nights.<<

What good Sci-Fi movies ?

There are none .

Last good movie of science fiction merit was DARK CITY,
which preceded MATRIX by a year !
DARK CITY was a superior fillm all around ! !

[No Truce With Kings]

Start with Eric Flint's 1632 series. Weber's Harrington is hard to beat, too. Drake's later works -- especially his Cinnibar series with O'Leary is a lot less grim than his early works. I like it.

Ringo writes war-porn for Ranger/SEAL/Special Forces types. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have been enjoying his "Ghost/Kildar" series.

[JamesP81]

I have no idea what "LEXX" is, but my perception (and I admit to having moved to the periphery over the past few decades) is that Science Fiction in a written medium is alive and well.

This is also my perception and I think scifi lends itself better to print than film. I'm even trying to write my own scifi novel. This is not going as well as I'd like but is going.

[Sensei Ern]

Maybe they should make a show based on Heinlein's Starship Troopers, instead of slapping the name on a bad Orkin Man nightmare.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Blah! I like Blade Runner and just about every bleak insane future P.K. Dick cooked up. Looking forward to seeing them ruin "A Scanner Darkly".

[marc costanzo]

This is also my perception and I think scifi lends itself better to print than film. I'm even trying to write my own scifi novel. This is not going as well as I'd like but is going.
<<

I am into shrt stories myself, I even wrote a very short one many years ago when I first entered college .

It was inspired by some abandoned creature dwellings described in Clarke's EXILE OF THE EONS and an enlarged electron-microscope photograph of a Dust Mite,
now are those creatures alien !

[Bernard Marx]

REAL science fiction affecionados NEVER use the term "sci fi."

Ah, another member of the Secret Fellowship.

[lesser_satan]

bump 4 later

[Max in Utah]

As a kid (20 years ago), I read the usual, Asimov, Heinlein, etc. I recently meandered through the bookstore's scifi section, and did not have a clue as to which books were worth reading.

Sounds like me. Heinlein, Herbert, Niven and Pournelle were my favs.

I had the misfortune of selecting Darwin's Children by Greg Bear. I stopped reading after about the third reference to the Evil Republicans' oppression of innocent Americans. I'll light my next campfire with the pages of that one.

[marc costanzo]

>>Maybe they should make a show based on Heinlein's Starship Troopers, instead of slapping the name on a bad Orkin Man nightmare<<

They have done that already, ROUGHNECK: StarShip Troopers Chronicles, came out in 1999 - -

Much closer to the spirit of the book than that stupid movie by Ed Neumier and Paul Verhoeven

[JamesP81]

Hammer's Slammers

A great concept for a story, but to be honest, I find Drake's writing to be so bad that it grinds on the nerves. Seriously. I am constantly having to re-read pages in his books just to figure out what's going on.

[marc costanzo]

Put me on for now

[JamesP81]

Much closer to the spirit of the book than that stupid movie by Ed Neumier and Paul Verhoeven

Oh, I know. They pissed all over Heinlein's great book with that sad excuse of a movie. It bore only a passing resemblance to the book. A very passing resemblance. In fact, the movie was about as well connected with the book as democrats are with reality.

[JamesP81]

I am into shrt stories myself, I even wrote a very short one many years ago when I first entered college .

Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew. I've got about four ideas for what I think would make good science fiction novels, and I'm actively working on one and semi-actively working another one. My intent isn't short stories; I want my stuff sitting on the rack at Barnes and Noble.

Oh well. I guess if you want to win big you have to dream big.

[PzLdr]

I used to be a tanker. So Hammer's Slammers [which he based on the 11th ACR] resonated with me. Always liked the stories. I would imagine Honor Harrington would have a better shot at a series. More PC. The uberwarrior/military genius is a woman.

[marc costanzo]

>>"When Worlds Collide" is there, proudly. (Did they ever do "After Worlds Collide" by Wylie & Co?) <<

Sadly no, and they never will .
AFTER WROLD'S COLLIDE is to religous, to Biblical sounding,
In the novel, those who were selected to go aboard were chosen by Eugenics - - a definite no no in todays PC tight assed world !

[freedumb2003]

Ah, another member of the Secret Fellowship.

More like Old School -- Asimov, Campbell, Heinlein, Bradbury, Ellison (new Old School), Farmer.

[PzLdr]

I preferred Anderson's fantasy to his Sci-fi.

[marc costanzo]

The best idea for a Science Fiction novel is not horror nor social commentary,
but a good detective story like one written by Chrighton or Arthur Conan Doyle or Edgar Allan Poe

Use the Scientific Method to solve a mystery !

[Calvin Locke]

Oh, the Skiffy channel stretches in to fantasy and horror. Am I happy about them "pushing the envelope"?
No, but a at least it that genre can be tolerated.

However, I thought they went off their rocker with ECW, and it's not like Law & Order isn't on half
a dozen other channels any given night, any day of the week.

Spare me the The Hoff's Knight Rider. And any number of other bad shows. The B shows that know they're
"B" and treat themselves as such are far more entertaining than Ghost Hunters, and other unwatched and
forgotten shows.

Even Dr. Who is annoyingly PC.