Visions of the Future- Top 5 Eras Since the Golden Age

Around when I was researching the 1920s in sci-fi history, I wrote a similar post to this one about the various eras leading up to the “Golden Age” of sci-fi that lasted from the 1930s to the 1950s. Well, just like most sci-fi franchises these days, I’m updating that concept for the modern times.

Here are five eras of science fiction history after the “Golden Age”:

1. Space Age Optimism (Late 1950s- late 1960s)-

In spite of the threat of nuclear war, the western world still held out hope for a glorious future, where mankind had tamed the world with technology, and reached out for the stars. Star Trek: The Original Series is one of the best examples of this humanist ideology. Design and architecture were also influenced by this projection into the future. The pinnacle of this era of sci-fi history was probably the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, when real human beings fulfilled the prophecies of science fiction writers by setting out into space, and setting foot on the moon.

2. Space Age Pessimism (1970s)-

Man had been to space, and to the moon, and yet the world was still a fallen place. Sci-fi writers of the 1970s questioned the bright future that had previously envisioned through stories like Logan’s Run, and Alien. Science fiction might have slid further down into this dystopian cynicism were it not for a certain 1977 space fantasy that split the genre into two diverging paths.

3. Franchise Sci-fi/ Cyberpunk (1980s)-

After Star Wars, there was a saturation of space adventures like Battlestar Galactica in popular culture. Many creators followed Star Wars’ example, and attempted to build multi-faceted franchises that appealed to younger audiences. However, not all science fiction fell into this trend. A new sci-fi sub-genre called cyberpunk became popular with some. Blade Runner, the film based off of Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”, is a good example of the fusion of high technology and the dark underbelly of society.

4. Nostalgia (1990s-2010s)-

The most recent trend in mainstream science fiction has been a return to the stories of our youth. I’m not saying that there have been no original ideas in the past twenty or so years. I’m only noticing the tendency to remake old material. The 1990s saw some great new ideas, such as Stargate, which took their cues from previous sci-fi and lovingly referenced it. More recently, we have seen continuations of older franchises, such as Star Wars, and an exorbitant amount of reboots and adaptations, such as the Star Trek reboots, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptations of Marvel Comics’ stories. This isn’t all bad. In fact, some of these are very good stories that deserve to be brought back to public attention. However, it does leave one to wonder what the contribution of this generation will be to the future of the genre.

5. Metaphysical Focus? (2010s-?)

What does the future hold for science fiction? For many years now, science has been tied in with the secular, and science fiction has been considered a secular art. However, with the increasing religious tension in the world, and the quest of the millennial generation for metaphysical significance in life, it is becoming more and more evident that secularism isn’t going to lead us to that bright and shining future. To me, it seems that science fiction must incorporate spiritual elements as reality more and more in order to be honest about the world around us. I think that now is the prime time for Christians to break into the genre, and make an impact on the culture through sci-fi stories. Maybe I’m just an idealist, and need to hop in my time machine and go back to the 1950s, but I really do see an awakening in Christian geek culture that could lead to a new wave of literature, TV, and film that recognizes the truth of both the physical and metaphysical aspects of humanity.

What do you think of these categories? What do you think is coming next for science fiction? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Top-5 Thursday: 1950s Sci-fi Movies

Some were ridiculous. Some were hokey. Some were over-the-top. And some were classics. The 1950s was the decade in which science fiction took over the cinema. Although the first science fiction film was technically released in 1902, it wasn’t until the 1950s that technology and public interest intersected so that science fiction could become a film genre as well as a literary genre. The films that came from the 50s pioneered and inspired concepts which continue to shape science fiction to this day.

Here are 5 of the classics that revolutionized the genre and the industry.

5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)-

In the 1950s, Walt Disney decided to make his first foray into live action film, with an adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The studio spared no expense to make the film as visually stunning as possible, and it ended up being one of the most expensive films made up to that date. However, Disney more than made up for their lavish costs, as the colorful, steampunk adventure was an incredible success. It holds the distinction not only of being the first live-action Disney film, but also of being the first science fiction movie filmed with CinemaScope technology.

4. Forbidden Planet (1956)-

If you are a fan of Star Trek, or Star Wars, and you watch Forbidden Planet for the first time, it may seem a little familiar. That is because Forbidden Planet had a great impact on both Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas. (When I first watched the film, I felt like I was watching a prologue to Star Trek: The Original Series pilot, “The Cage”). Based off Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Forbidden Planet peeks into the depths of the human soul through the technicolor lense of science fiction film. Forbidden Planet is also the debut film for Robbie the Robot, an iconic machine who would go on to have a fascinating carreer of his own in television and movies.

3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)-

Invasion of the Body Snatchers successfully encapsulated the fears of the American public at the time of its release. With communism on the outside and mccarthyism on the inside, it seemed to some individual identity was being suppressed at every turn. The special effects of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is minimal, but that only serves to make the aliens portrayed in the film all the more terrifying. Though it was not well-received by critics at first, it has since been hailed as an important landmark in science fiction, film, and cultural history.

2. The War of the Worlds (1953)-

It seems like it’s hard to go wrong with The War of The Worlds. First, H.G. Wells published it as the quintessential alien invasion story in 1898. Next, Orson Welles crafted it into the frighteningly realistic radio drama that had listeners watching the stars in 1938. Then, in 1953, director Byron Haskin adapted into the most popular science fiction film of the year. The special effects and sound effects of the film stand the test of time, and have made a definite impact on popular culture. Each adaptation of The War of the Worlds has appealed to the time and culture of its audience, and the 1953 version does so masterfully, seamlessly weaving nuclear themes into the premise of the story.

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)-

The Day the Earth Stood still is a surprising film. It begins with the same basic plot as many alien invasion stories, where a flying saucer lands, and people panic. This time, however, the alien is not the threat- the humans are. Told in a thoughtful and sympathetic manner, this Cold War morality tale is perhaps one of the most unique films of the decade, and of the alien-invasion sub genre. Its well-deserved status as a classic has turned peaceful invader Klaatu, and his robot assistant Gort into icons referenced throughout science fiction and pop culture.

What movies would you have added to this list? What are your favorite 1950s science fiction films, and why? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Visions of the Future: The 1950s- Atoms and Stars

Science was mankind’s savior and his destroyer. The world lived in reach of the stars and under the shadow of the atom. The related competitions between Communism and Capitalism- the Cold War and the Space Race- demonstrate the dichotomy of the role of science and technology in the 1950s.

The ‘50s kick off what is often known as the atom age- a time of great optimism about the future atomic power could bring about. However, the new advances in nuclear technology also led to the amassment of atomic weapons on the parts of the United States and the Soviet Union that had the potential to end the world many times over.

Another common term for the era heralded by the 1950s is the Space Age. The discoveries of the industrial revolution and two world wars put the exploration of the final frontier into the realm of possibility at last. However, the competition to be the first to touch the heavens escalated into another Soviet-American conflict- The Space Race.

The technological advances in the 1950s that sparked so much fear, hope, and competition included the tests of the first hydrogen bombs, the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, the polio vaccine, intercontinental television, the foundation of CERN, and NASA, and the creation of the first nuclear power plants.

As it was a time saturated with science and speculation, it only makes sense that science fiction flourished during the 1950s.

Science Fiction:

Literature-

Rising science fiction superstar Isaac Asimov had been publishing stories about robots and artificial intelligence since the beginning of the 1940s. Finally, in 1950, nine of these short stories were compiled into I, Robot, which continues to be one of his most popular works to this day. In the second story, “Runaround”, Asimov introduces the Three Laws of Robotics, which serve as the code of conduct programmed into every robot in his universe. These laws have gained wide acceptance in the sci-fi community, and are still referenced in both science fiction and pop culture to this day.

Another iconic anthology was released in 1950, this time by Ray Bradbury- The Martian Chronicles. It tells in vividly beautiful language of the future history of Earth’s interaction with the planet Mars.

In 1953, the first Hugo Award was given to Alfred Bester for his novel The Demolished Man. It is a science fiction police detective drama which speculates as to the nature of criminal justice in a world where telepathy exists.

That same year, Ray Bradbury published what has become perhaps his most influential work, Farenheit 451, the tale of a dystopian world where books are banned, and “firemen” burn any books that are found.

Also in 1953, Arthur C. Clarke published Childhood’s End, in which a peaceable alien race takes over planet earth by creating an apparent utopia, which leads to the downfall of the human race.

Another in the new wave of 1950s dystopian novels was Time Out of Joint, published by Philip K. Dick. It was a bizarre work of sci-fi that questioned the very nature of reality.

In 1959, Daniel Keyes published his short story “Flowers for Algernon” in the April edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It concerned the moral and ethical issues of an experimental surgery on a mentally disabled man meant to increase his intelligence. Keyes went on to expand the story into a full-length novel in 1966.

Magazines-

The science fiction magazine industry boomed in the 1950s, with fifteen new magazines created in the year 1950 alone. One of these was Galaxy Science Fiction, and influential magazine which was considered to have an intellectual edge on all of its competitors.

Galaxy published the short story which Ray Bradbury later expanded into Farenheit 451, and the serialization of Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man.

Film-

The 1950s are considered by many to be the Golden Age of Science Fiction Film, and not without reason. Though there were many science fiction B-movies released in this decade, some of the most influential sci-fi films ever came from the minds of 1950s film-makers.

Destination Moon, released in 1950, holds the distinction of being one of the earliest non-horror sci-fi movies. Breaking the mold of Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man, Destination Moon is the story of the possible troubles and triumphs of America’s first lunar landing.

The Day the Earth Stood Still, from 1951, is a surprising departure from ordinary alien invasion stories, and has much to say to the post-war society it was made for.

In 1953, another popular adaption of H.G. Well’s classic The War of the Worlds was produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers was released in 1956. It was a well-made and powerful commentary on the restriction of individuality, which was a deep-rooted fear in a society fighting against communism.

Japanese film, Godzilla, which is seen by many today as the beginning of a corny B-movie franchise, carried very different connotations for the Japanese audience of 1954. It was a creative and thoughtful response to the creation of the atomic bomb, which had been field tested on two of Japan’s cities at the end of the Second World War.

Forbidden Planet, released in 1956, was a beautiful, technicolor space adventure based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It was an inspiration for many science fiction creators to come, including Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas.

Television-

The 1950s were the era of science fiction television anthologies. One of the earliest iconic anthologies was Science Fiction Theatre. It began in 1955, and was hosted by Truman Bradley. Science Fiction Theatre was an inspiration for later television anthologies such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, and was even referenced in the Back to The Future franchise as Marty McFly’s father’s favorite television show.

The man of steel made his way onto the small screen in 1952 with the show Adventures of Superman. These weekly technicolor episodes starred George Reeves in the titular role of the quintessential American superhero.

Perhaps the best science fiction/fantasy/horror television show ever began airing in 1959. Hosted by its enigmatic creator Rod Serling, the Twilight Zone was a hard sell to studios, but a massive success. The weekly stories explored moral and metaphysical concepts in creative ways, and often ended in dark and surprising plot twists.

The Twilight Zone featured many actors who had already played, or would go on to play iconic roles in film and television, including Rod Taylor, William Shatner, Robert Redford, and George Takei. The concepts explored in The Twilight Zone have inspired and informed almost all of the science fiction that has been created since.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora