Visions of the Future: The 2000s- Nothing New Under the Sun

One of the defining features of the first decade of the twenty-first century was globalization. Advances in internet technology allowed detailed information to be sent over long distances instantaneously. In 2002, the euro became the currency of the economically connected European Union.

The new globalization did not necessarily foster peace and universal understanding, however. Tensions continued to increase in the Middle East. The United States was pulled deeper into the conflict after the attack on the World Trade Center towers in 2001.

Science Fiction:

Literature-

In 2000, Ken MacLeod wrote Cosmonaut Keep, which won the Arthur C. Clarke award in 2001, and the Hugo award in 2002. It played on the conflict that had marked the previous half-century, as it featured a rebooted U.S.S.R., which once again grappled against the United States. It also told the story of earth colonists trying to develop trade relations with an interstellar trade union.

The same year, Ursula K. Le Guin published her first follow up novel in The Hainish Cycle since 1974, The Telling. The plot centered on the conflict between native culture and corporate culture.

Many consider Schild’s Ladder, written by Greg Egan and released in 2002, to be the hardest science fiction published to date.  It presents a construction in differential geometry as the main science element of the story.

Kim Stanley Robinson presented an alternate history of earth in which the Black Plague had killed 99% of Europe’s population, and postulated the historical ramifications of such a catastrophe in The Years of Rice and Salt, published in 2002.

The first historically focused dictionary on science fiction was published by Oxford University Press in 2007, and entitled Brave New Words.

Young adult fiction became a more and more lucrative genre, with the publication of series such as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter saga, and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games features a near-future dystopia in which North America is separated into twelve districts, from each of which young people are sent yearly to compete in a battle to the death. The first novel, called The Hunger Games, was published in 2008.

Film-

Minority Report was a 2002 film starring Tom Cruise, and directed by Steven Spielberg.  Based on a Philip K. Dick story, it featured individuals with psychic powers who were able to solve crimes before they were committed.

Signs, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, took the terror of invasion explored in stories such as War of The Worlds, and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, and focused in on one disheartened preacher and his family as they struggled to survive an extraterrestrial attack. It came out in 2002.

Star Wars completed its prequel trilogy about the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker with Attack of the Clones in 2002, and Revenge of the Sith in 2005.

Acclaimed creators of many computer animated family films, Pixar Studios, delved into science fiction in 2008 with Wall-E. The titular robot was left on earth to clean up after the humans, who had over-polluted it, and left the planet on a generation ship.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation films concluded in 2002 with Star Trek: Nemesis. In 2009, J.J. Abrams directed a reboot of Star Trek: The Original Series called simply, Star Trek, which starred a new cast as the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in a universe slightly altered from the one fans knew and loved.

Television-

In 2001, Star Trek released its first ever prequel series with Star Trek: Enterprise. It starred Quantum Leap’s Scott Bakula as captain of the first Starfleet ship to set out on a deep space mission, as well as the first Starfleet ship called Enterprise.

Joss Whedon’s Firefly, which focused on the lovable renegade crew of The Serenity premiered in 2002, and was infamously cancelled after one season. Due to a firestorm of fan fury, the crew was given a final outing in the 2005 film Serenity.

Wildly popular survival sci-fi show Lost premiered in 2004. The premise was a philosophical and postmodern look at the survivors of a plane wreck stranded on an island.

The same year, Battlestar Galactica received a darker, more nihilistic update that became an instant favorite within the science fiction community.

Due to the popularity of Stargate: SG-1, a spinoff show was launched in 2004 that focused on a Stargate headquarters in the Pegasus galaxy, which was located in the original city of Atlantis, built by a race known as The Ancients.

After being cancelled in 1989, and creating a television movie in 1996, Doctor Who finally made a comeback in 2009, with a reboot series that picked up where the film had left off. It starred Christopher Eccleston as the ninth incarnation of The Doctor, and Billie Piper as his companion Rose Tyler. The series continues on today, with Peter Capaldi now playing the 12th Doctor.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Visions of The Future- Top 5 Most Iconic Sci-fi Characters of the 20th Century

Remember way back in April, when I made a similar post about the characters of the 19th century? Well, this is like that but with 20th century characters. Sound simple? I thought so too, until I sat down to write the list.

Here is what I managed to come up with after weeding out some characters that I thought were iconic, and leaving what are,(hopefully), the legends of modern mythology.

5. The Doctor (Doctor Who)-

A character that has survived on television over a span of fifty-three years and twelve main actors certainly deserves a spot on this list. What is about the Doctor that continues to compel us? Is it the mystery? The quirkiness? The compassion? Perhaps it is that perfect blend of elements that keeps us asking the question “Doctor Who?”

4. Captain America (Marvel Comics)-

Even as the product of the Second World War, Captain America draws in readers and viewers from all generations. His belief that goodness and nobility still exist, and that there is still a right thing to do is particularly striking in an era of postmodern anti-heroes.

3. Darth Vader (Star Wars)-

I really wanted to put the entire original Star Wars crew at this spot in the list, but eventually, I settled for Darth Vader. Ultimately, the first six films are about his fall and redemption. And aside from R2-D2, no other character designs have reached quite the level of public recognition as that sinister, black mask.

2. Spock (Star Trek)-

Once again, I wanted to put the entire original crew on the list. They embody space age optimism, and the hopes and fears of the final frontier. But Spock is the most iconic, and the most, well, fascinating.

1. Batman and Superman (DC Comics)-

I tried to pick one. I really did. You can’t separate Batman and Superman, though. They represent the two sides of human nature- cynicism and hope. And yet both work together, (ideally), to fight injustice and promote peace.

I’m really interested to hear your opinions on this subject. Who do you think were the most memorable sci-fi characters of the 20th century? Who are your favorites? Take a moment to comment if you feel so inclined.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Visions of the Future: The 1960s- Opened Frontiers

The 1960s were a turbulent time. That is probably an understatement. From what people read in their newspapers and saw on their television screens, it looked like the whole world was falling to pieces. In the United States, at least, the Vietnam war and the continuing Cold War were raging on the outside, and the anti-war movement and civil rights struggles on the inside. The world was plagued by a rash of assassinations, and nuclear war continued to be a constant threat.

However, in spite of all this chaos, the arts and sciences continued to thrive. The 1960s saw an unprecedented explosion of music and popular culture, some of the icons of which continue to be popular to this day.

Exciting developments in space exploration seemed to be occurring daily. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first human being to visit outer space. The first real “Voyage to the Moon” was taken by “The First Men in the Moon”, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, in 1969.

Science fiction was slowly becoming reality, as the 1960s saw the introduction of The first working laser, industrial robot, geosynchronous communications satellite, and supercomputer.

Science Fiction:

Literature-

In the year 1960, Walter M. Miller Jr. published A Canticle for Leibowitz, a post apocalyptic story in the unique setting of a Catholic monastery. The novel follows Miller’s world thousands of years, as the earth rebuilds. The monks of the monastery preserve scientific knowledge until they believe the rest of the world is ready for it. A Canticle for Leibowitz is hailed as both a science fiction and literary classic.

The next year, Polish author Stanislaw Lem released Solaris, a philosophical tale of first contact that explores the limitations of the human race. As earth tries to make contact with a sentient planet, its people realize just how inadequate their methods of communication are for the task.

Dune, held to be one of the best-selling sci-fi novels ever written, was released by Frank Herbert in 1965. It is the epic tale of a young noble struggling to control an important planet under the feudal system. It was later continued in five sequels.

The next year, science fiction alumnus Robert Heinlein continued his illustrious career with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It presents a believable future history in which a lunar colony stages a revolt against Planet Earth. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress received the 1967 Hugo Award.

A new sci-fi and fantasy award was established in 1966- The Nebula Awards. Overseen by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, it recognizes the best in American science fiction short stories, novellas, novelettes, and novels. The category of scripts and screenplays was added in 1974. The first novel award was given to Frank Herbert’s Dune, and the first short story award to Harlan Ellison’s “‘Repent Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktock Man”.

In 1968, Philip K. Dick published Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a post apocalyptic classic about androids, which explores what it means to be human. Then again, what else would you explore in a novel about androids? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep served as the inspiration for the 1982 film, Blade Runner.

Magazines and Comics-

The science fiction magazine industry was in a period of change during the 1960s, with everything from titles to editors in flux. John W. Campbell changed the name of Astounding Science Fiction to Analog Science Fact and Fiction; Frederick Pohl took over as editor for Galaxy and If magazines; and Michael Moorcock was put in charge of New Worlds in Great Britain.

The ‘60s also saw the rise of many of the great superhero teams we know today, including: The Justice League (1960), The Fantastic Four (1961), The X-Men (1963), The Avengers (1963), and The Teen Titans (1964).

Movies-

In 1960, George Pal, who had previously produced H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, directed and produced the film adaptation of The Time Machine. It starred Rod Taylor, as the Time Traveler, and served as an exciting and culturally relevant romp into Wells’ predicted future.

Planet of the Apes, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Charlton Heston, and written in part by Rod Serling, came out in 1968. It explored themes of evolution, social acceptability of ideas, time travel, suspended animation, and post-human life, and launched a franchise which has spanned 47 years of film and television history.

The same year, an unusual collaboration between author Arthur C.Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick resulted in a film and a novel, both entitled 2001: A Space Odyssey. The story is an evolutionary history of mankind that explores humanity’s ultimate end and place in the universe. The movie, though slow-paced, and slightly psychedelic at times, is remembered for its realistic science, and groundbreaking special effects, and is considered by some to be one of the best science fiction films of all times.

Television-

If the 1930s were the decade when sci-fi magazines became popular, and 1950s were the decade when sci-fi broke into the film industry, then the 1960s were the decade when science fiction television came into its own. With new widespread access to the medium, television became an important conveyor of news, popular culture, and stories.

Most of the science fiction on television in the 1950s was in the form of anthologies, such as The Twilight Zone, (which ran until 1964), or children’s shows. It was in the 1960s that high quality, science fiction serials came into the mainstream.

In 1963, the BBC released the first episodes of a quirky family time travel show starring William Hartnell as an enigmatic character called “The Doctor”, Carole Ann Ford as his granddaughter Susan, and William Russell and Jacqueline Hill as their schoolteacher companions. The very first episode, “An Unearthly Child”, was aired twice, as its original release date was November 23rd, the day after U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Over the fifty years since its inception, Doctor Who has grown from a quirky evening seriall, to a staple of British pop culture, to a worldwide phenomenon. The show’s longevity is due in part to the clever decision to write the inevitable change of lead actors into the lore. When William Hartnell’s failing health led to his leaving the show in 1966, the authors decided that the Doctor’s race, the Time Lords, could renew their physical forms when they became damaged to the point of death. So, William Hartnell was replaced with Patrick Troughton. Today, the Doctor is on his twelfth ‘regeneration’, played by Peter Capaldi.

In January of 1966, established comic book hero Batman appeared on the small screen with his sidekick Robin in the satirical, pop art serial, Batman. This campy, moralistic show was incredibly popular, and brought several superhero and Batman tropes into the mainstream, including visible sound effects (Bam! Pow! Whamo! etc) during fight sequences, and Robin’s constant use of exclamations such as “Holy Remote Control Robot, Batman!” (There is a list of all of them on Wikipedia. You should look it up. It will brighten your day.)

Alright, guys. I’ve made it.

Later that same year, On September 8th, 1966, the first episode of a certain technicolor space exploration series aired. The episode  was called “The Man Trap”, and it starred William Shatner as Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise, DeForest Kelley as the ship’s surgeon, and Leonard Nimoy, as the mysterious, pointy-eared first officer, Mr. Spock.

Star Trek, the creation of Gene Roddenberry, was a weekly exploration of themes about humanity through the bizarre and exciting adventures of the diverse, lovable crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. It changed forever the way the general public saw science fiction, and inspired generations of scientists, doctors, engineers and astronauts, as well as writers, and artists.

What started out as a show that was barely able to stay on the air three seasons through fan campaigns has evolved over the past forty-nine years into a franchise consisting of six television series, ten movies (alright, fine, twelve), and numerous novel, comic book, and video game adaptations. Obviously, I have much more to say about Star Trek, and I have plans to say it next year, as I blog through The Original Series in honor of the show’s fiftieth anniversary.

The next year, 1967, saw the debut of an influential British spy science fiction show called The Prisoner. It starred Patrick McGoohan as a former secret agent trapped in a prison designed to look like a peaceful, (albeit slightly dystopian), village, and ran for 17 episodes.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora