Visions of the Future: The 1970s- Trapped Between the Darkness and the Light

The cultural upheaval that characterized the 1960s continued into the 1970s. Revolution and war affected more and more of an increasingly globalized war. While the United States discontinued their participation in the Vietnam War, tensions mounted in the middle east. This led to much violence, and an oil crisis that affected much of the western world, and motivated increased ecological awareness. Social life in the west became atomized, as opposed to the more communal nature of 1960s culture, bringing about what author and journalist Tom Wolfe has dubbed, the “Me Decade”.

Computer technology continued to develop throughout the seventies, especially bolstered by the continuing development of the integrated circuit, or “microchip”. Acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking proposed his theories about black holes, and the boundaries of the universe. Also, the world’s first space station program, Salyut, was launched by the Soviets in 1971. The United States’ first space station, Skylab, was put into orbit in 1973.

Science Fiction:

Literature-

In 1970, Larry Niven, an acclaimed science fiction author, who had already proved himself through his short fiction, and his work on television shows such as The Outer Limits, published Ringworld. This quirky space adventure told the tale of a two-hundred-year-old man on his journey outside of known space. Niven later added onto this universe with four sequels and four sequels. Ringworld received the Nebula award in 1970, and the Hugo and Locus awards in 1971.

Sci-fi veteran Arthur C. Clarke published Rendezvous With Rama, the story of human explorers sent to investigate an alien ship in earth’s atmosphere, in 1973. It is considered one of his best works, and won the Hugo and Nebula awards for the year of its publication. The same year, Thomas Pynchon published Gravity’s Rainbow. It is a complex tale about a mysterious device implanted in a WWII rocket, that deals with issues both of physics and metaphysics.

The Nebula Award winner for Best Novel in 1974 was Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed, which she set in a complex universe full of societies mirroring the clashing political ideologies of earth.

In 1979, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. published Slaughterhouse-Five, which recounted and fictionalized some of his experiences fighting in World War Two. The nonlinear tale is told from the perspective of Billy Pilgrim, a man having flashbacks on his life, while he believes he is trapped in an alien zoo. It takes a postmodern perspective on the significance of life, death, and evil.

Magazines-

In 1972, Ben Bova, who had been running the magazine since John W. Campbell’s death in 1971, officially became editor of Analog Science Fact and Fiction. In 1973, Indiana State  University began publication of Science Fiction Studies, one of the first academic journals on the subject of science fiction. The John W. Campbell Award was established in 1973 in memory of the great science fiction editor. Asimov’s Science Fiction began publication in 1974, and continues to be one of the most illustrious markets in the genre to this day.

In 1979, Darko Suvin published his groundbreaking work on the philosophy of science fiction, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction, in which he describes the nature and purpose of a true science fiction story.

Radio-

In 1978, the award winning radio drama The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy was first broadcast on the BBC The quirky, comedic story of a hapless survivor of the late human race as he is dragged on an intergalactic voyage with a motley assortment of aliens and robots, lasted for two series on the radio. Author Douglas Adams later converted his story into a “trilogy” of five novels. It has also been adapted into a television series, a film, and even a video game.

Television-

Science fiction television became wildly popular in the 1970s, with sensations like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who bringing the genre great popularity. The quantity of sci-fi shows skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the quantity sometimes came at the expense of quality.

In 1973, three television movies about about an injured astronaut named Steve Austin, who is rebuilt with bionic implants were aired. These were followed up by the five season television show, The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors, and its 1976 spinoff, The Bionic Woman, starring Lindsay Wagner. The entire series was based off a 1972 novel called Cyborg, by Martin Caidin.

1973 was also the year that Star Trek’s first spinoff series was broadcast. Star Trek: The Animated series lasted for two seasons, and starred the entire original crew,(minus Walter Koenig, who ended up writing an episode), as their cartoon counterparts. It brought back favorite writers such as David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana, and even brought on acclaimed sci-fi writers like Larry Niven. The Animated Series holds the distinction of being the first Star Trek series to win an emmy, for “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth”.

Battlestar Galactica, a series aesthetically inspired by Star Wars, first aired in 1978. It is the story of humanity’s struggle to find a new homeworld as they battle the alien-robots, the Cylons. It was created by Glen Larson, who was a Mormon, and some of his theology can be seen reflected in elements of the story. The original series, starring  Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict, was followed up by the less successful Galactica 1980, and a very popular 2003 remake.

Marvel Comics’ The Hulk was brought to life on the small screen in 1978. The Incredible Hulk starred Bill Bixby as tormented scientist Dr. David Banner, and Lou Ferrigno as his big, green alter ego. One of the most memorable aspects of the show was its end theme music, “The Lonely Man Theme”, composed by Joe Harnell.

Movies-

As the “Space Age” coming to a close, the idealistic future people had imagined was not forthcoming. Many of the sci-fi movies of the 1970s reflected the bleak outlook on the future brought about by the Cold War, and other world crises.

The Andromeda Strain, released in 1971, was an alien invasion film. This time, however, the invaders were an alien virus that threatened to wipe out all life on earth. The story was based on the novel by Michael Crichton. It was directed by Robert Wise- who was famous for his work on Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as well as The Sound of Music- and starred Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson, and Kate Reid as four scientists trying to stop the disease from destroying humanity.

Science fiction classic Logan’s Run came out in 1976. It was a dystopian story of a world that was nearly perfect- except for the part where citizens had to die at age thirty. The main character, Logan- played by Michael York- used to hunt down those who tried to escape their fate. On the eve of his own destruction, he sets out with a woman named Jessica- Jenny Agutter- on a quest for life outside the dome.

On May 25, 1977, a science fiction/fantasy film was released that provided a refreshing break from the bleak,apocalyptic fare, and made incredible advances in special effects technology. Neither science fiction nor cinema would ever be the same after George Lucas’ Star Wars, (later Star Wars IV: A New Hope). I’m not going to talk about the movie too much right now, because you’re going to hear an awful lot about it next week, when I blog through the Star Wars saga in preparation for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.

The same year as Star Wars came out, Steven Spielberg released Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a unique first contact movie in which aliens make contact with an ordinary worker through telepathic communication.

The Man of Steel appeared in his first feature length film in 1978, in the Richard Donner directed Superman. Superman/Clark Kent was played by Christopher Reeve; Lois Lane was played by Margot Kidder, and arch-villain Lex Luthor was played by Gene Hackman.

1979 saw the release of science fiction/horror thriller Alien, (directed by Ridley Scott), and the Enterprise crew’s big screen debut, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (directed by Robert Wise).

Many of these films would follow the example of Star Wars, creating franchises that continued into the 1980s and beyond.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

The 1940s- Heroes and Villains

Summary:

The 1940s were a decade dominated by World War II. This conflict, fueled by ambition, conquest, and desperation, rivaled, and even surpassed the Great War in its scope, causing the two wars to be renamed World War I and World War II. It was a time when human depravity was on display, and when human morality had a chance to triumph. Yet, there were many areas of murky grey when it came to the Second World War as well.

Many of the moral questions raised by World War II involved the new technologies which were being invented and utilized in battle. Radar,  ballistic missiles, computers, and jet aircraft were all employed in the war effort. Most notably, the atomic bomb was developed and used during the course of the war. The first, and to this date, the only, use of an atomic bomb in battle was when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki- effectively ending the war.

As human nature reared its ugly head, and issues of morality and technology presented themselves, science fiction came right alongside all of it- to make commentary on it, question it, and speculate about it.

Science Fiction:

As I have previously mentioned, there was an explosion of high-quality science fiction material from the end of the 1930s through the 1950s. This is explosion is known as the golden age, and the 1940s fall right at the center of it.

Literature-

In 1941, science fiction giant Isaac Asimov published his acclaimed short story “Nightfall”, which he later expanded into a full-length short story. It speculates on a world that is surrounded by six suns preparing to experience a very rare phenomenon known as “night”.  The same year, the notable author Theodore Sturgeon, who wrote many classics on his own, as well as adding to other science fiction projects later on, published Microcosmic God. This book tells the story of a man who creates a race of intelligent beings, and evolves them rapidly to invent highly advanced technology for his own gain.

Also in 1941, Robert A. Heinlein, another name revered throughout science fiction literature, published “Universe”, the first short story in his collection Orphans of the Sky. These stories concern what has come to be known as a generation ship- a ship on which a population of humans lives, reproduces, and dies until it can reach its faraway destination.

One of the first major science fiction anthologies, The Other Worlds: 25 Modern Stories of Mystery and Imagination, was edited and published by Phil Strong in 1941.

Around 1942, Isaac Asimov began work on the stories that would become one of his most famous accomplishments, the Foundation series. Foundation is about a future history in which the science of psychohistory allows those who study it to predict future events.

Christian theologian and expert wordsmith C.S. Lewis continued his Space Trilogy in 1944 with Perelandra. He speculates on what the temptation and fall of mankind may have looked like under different circumstances, and on another planet. He concluded the series in 1947 with That Hideous Strength.

The first academic analysis of science fiction as a genre was released by J.O. Bailey in 1947. It was called Pilgrims Through Space and Time.

George Orwell published his dystopian novel 1984 in the year 1949. The world he created was one of war, tight government surveillance, and individual thought. This novel has since taken its place in both literary and science fiction history.

Magazines-

The war impacted all areas of life, including the magazine publication industry. In 1941, a severe paper shortage in England forced editor John W. Campbell to shut down Unknown Magazine in order to preserve Astounding Science Fiction.

However, a new addition to the array of English science fiction magazines came in 1946 when New Worlds began publication. It would go on to become one of the most influential British sci-fi magazines.

Another important magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, released its first issue in 1949.

Film-

A fifteen chapter Batman serial was released in American theatres in 1943. It was Batman’s first on screen appearance. The caped crusader himself was played by Lewis Wilson. Douglas Croft played his sidekick Robin; and the villain, a Japanese agent named Dr. Daka was played by J. Carrol Naish. It ran for fifteen installments, and served as both entertainment, and war propaganda.

Superman also made his first live-action appearance in 1948 in a fifteen-part serial in which he was played by Kirk Alyn. This was not the first time Superman took to the screen, however, as an animated Superman serial was released from 1941-1942.

Comics-

The universe of comic book characters exploded with new additions in the 1940s. DC Comics characters The Flash, Green Lantern, and Robin were created in 1940, along with the superhero team up Justice Society of America. Captain Marvel was also introduced in this year. In 1941, two of the most iconic characters after Superman and Batman, Captain America and Wonder Woman, debuted in comics.

Television-

Television was just becoming a widespread phenomenon at the end of the 1940s, and science fiction was already on the cutting edge. Though the show is not widely remembered, Captain Video, beginning in 1949, holds the distinction of being the first American science fiction television show. It told the story of a hero protecting the world from galactic terrors alongside his teenage sidekick. While rather unassuming, Captain Video paved the way for some of the most memorable science fiction in the history of the genre.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Top-5 Tuesday- Four Eras of Sci-fi History We've Been Through and One We're about to Enter

There are very many opinions- scholarly, and not-so-scholarly- on how to divide the history of science fiction. Since we are about to enter a period of science fiction history considered by many to be the “Golden Age”, I thought it was about time to add my not-so-scholarly opinion to the pile.

So, here is a list of what I consider to be the four eras of science fiction we’ve explored so far, and the one era we are about to explore.  It is, of course, in chronological order.

1. Romantic Dread

For the first fifty or so years of science fiction, the genre was dominated by romanticist authors such as Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. The romanticists watched as man tried to conquer nature, and envisioned the future this could lead to. Stories such as Frankenstien, and “Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”, as well as satirical,political stories, such as A Voyage to the Moon by George Tucker defined this era.

2. The Gilded Future

When Jules Verne burst onto the scene in the 1860s, he placed a more positive spin on the industrialist future. His machines allowed for adventure and exploration. The speculation of H.G. Wells normalized many of the quintessential elements of science fiction, including time travel and alien invasions. This era lasted approximately until the Great War.

3. Escapist Artists

The bulk of the science fiction produced from the 1910s to the early 1920s was pulp-style action adventure, such as the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the serialized Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.  It appealed to a war-torn populous looking for bright, hopeful futures, and pristine heroes.

4. Popular Mechanics

The first science fiction magazines began to be published in the mid-1920s, bringing science fiction as a genre into the mainstream. Short stories like “124C41+”, and movies such as Metropolis, were the contributions of this era to the body of work that is science fiction.

5. The Golden Age

Who am I to argue with the experts? Many place the golden age of science fiction between 1937 and 1950- and with good reason. This era boasts some of the biggest names in science fiction literature, such as Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and even C.S. Lewis.

I can’t wait to dive into the history and ideas of science fiction in the golden age with you all. I’ll be back tomorrow, as we begin in the 1930s.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora