Academic literature on the topic 'Science fiction Science fiction films'

The movie theatre may seem like an odd place for politics, but almost all movies could be considered “political.” Even stranger is the notion that those spacemen, monsters and aliens we are so accustomed to seeing in science fiction films may be more than just entertaining us, they may be conveying a political message. In fact, most science fiction films make deeply political statements about the society from which they emerge.Science fiction films provide a unique opportunity for movie makers to comment on the implications of both human and “non-human” behavior. Through science fiction, one can look ahead to the way the world “might” look if the right wing, left wing, scientific rationalists, corporations, etc., take over and create their own “Brave New World.” It is an opportunity to play out the implications of various political philosophies for all to see and evaluate.


 
 
 The article reflects on how characters with the features of the mythological Cassandra function in science fiction films. Such references are part of the rich tradition of building fictional depictions of the near or distant future on the foundation of mythical stories. The study aimed to examine the considerable and complex meaning which Cassandra conveys through the ages and to determine its usefulness in constructing pop culture ideas about the current condition of humanity. In contemporary fiction, Cassandra is brought to the fore more often than in ancient sources, and her fullest portrait is drawn in those films that both consider her a figure of the powerlessness of the prophets and take into account her personal drama. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) by James Cameron, 12 Monkeys (1995) by Terry Gilliam, Minority Report (2002) by Steven Spielberg, and Arrival (2016) by Denis Villeneuve, the figure of Cassandra is examined through her prophetic gift, the alleged madness of the seer and the fearfulness of the prophetism itself.
 
 

The article treats the problem of using dramaturgy means in fiction popular science films. Plot constructions of the most popular genres are analyzed such as: melodrama, social drama in fiction kulturfilms of the twenties. As well as the phenomenon of the fiction popular science film of the new type - scientific-feature.

In the dreams our stuff is made of, Thomas M. Disch talks about the influence and pervasiveness of science Fiction in American culture and asserts the genre's power in “such diverse realms as industrial design and marketing, military strategy, sexual mores, foreign policy, and practical epistemology” (11-12). A few years earlier, Sharona Ben-Tov described science fiction as “a peculiarly American dream”—that is, “a dream upon which, as a nation, we act” (2). Recently, Kim Stanley Robinson has claimed that “rapid technological development on all fronts combined to turn our entire social reality into one giant science fiction novel, which we are all writing together in the great collaboration called history” (1-2). While such diagnostic statements may ring true to American ears, they cannot be taken at face value in the context of Hellenic culture. Despite the unprecedented speed with which the Greeks absorb and consume both the latest technologies (like satellite TV, video, CD and DVD players, electronic games, mobile and cordless phones, PCs, and the Internet) and Hollywood's science fiction blockbuster films, neither technology per se nor science fiction has yet saturated the Greek mind-set to a degree that makes daily life a science-fictional reality. Greek politicians do not consult science fiction writers for military strategy and foreign policy decisions or depend on imaginary scenarios to shape their country's future. Contemporary Hellenic culture does not acquire its national pride from mechanical devices or space conquest. Contrary to the American popular belief that technology is the driving force of history, “a virtually autonomous agent of change” (Marx and Smith xi), the Greek view is that a complex interplay of political, economic, cultural, and technoscientific agencies alters the circumstances of daily life. No hostages to technological determinism, modern Greeks increasingly interface with high-tech inventions, but without locating earthly paradise in their geographic territory and without writing their history or shaping their social reality as “one giant science fiction novel.”

Resumo: Esta revisão sistemática da literatura teve como objetivo identificar a forma que os filmes de ficção científica (FC) abordam questões do ensino das Ciências e o enfoque Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS). A pesquisa utilizou bancos de dados com os seguintes descritores: “Ensino de Ciências, CTS, Ficção Científica e Cinema”. Os resultados evidenciaram que desde a década de 1980, os filmes de FC são utilizados como recurso metodológico no ensino de Ciências, mas ainda são escassos os estudos que relacionam o CTS com os filmes de FC. Nas quatro pesquisas encontradas, entre 2012 e 2019, a articulação dos três componentes da tríade CTS, raramente ocorre de forma coerente com os referenciais, prevalecendo o realce na ciência, ou em tecnologia e, majoritariamente, na sociedade, sobrelevando as questões socioambientais.Palavras-chave: Ensino de Ciências; Enfoque CTS; Arte e Ciência; Cinema; Filmes de Ficção Científica. The use of scientific fiction films for teaching sciences with a focus on science, technology and society: a systematic review of literatureAbstract: This systematic review of the literature aimed to identify the way that science fiction films (SF) address issues of science teaching and the focus on Science, Technology and Society (STS). The research used databases with the following descriptors: “Science Teaching, STS, Science Fiction and Cinema”. The results showed that, since the 1980s, SF films have been used as a methodological resource in science teaching, but there are still few studies relating STS to SF films. In the four researches found, between 2012 and 2019, the articulation of the three components of the STS triad, rarely occurs in a coherent manner with the references, with emphasis on science or technology and, mainly, on society, prevailing, raising socioenvironmental issues.Keywords: Science teaching; Focus on STS; Art and Science; Movie theater; Science fiction

Science fiction, as a genre, has always been a place for religion, either as an inspirational source or as a part of the fictional universe. Religious themes in science fiction narratives, however, also invoke the question of the relationship, or the absence thereof, between religion and science. When the themes of religion and science are addressed in contemporary science fiction, they are regularly set in opposition, functioning in a larger discussion on the (in)comparability of religion and science in science fiction novels, games, and films. In the games The Outer Worlds and Mass Effect Andromeda, this discussion is raised positively. Involving terminology and notions related to deism, pantheism, and esoterism, both games claim that science and religion can co-exist with one another. Since digital games imbue the intra-textual readers (gamer) to take on the role as one of the characters of the game they are reading (avatar), the discussion shifts from a descriptive discourse to a normative one in which the player cannot but contribute to.

This article discusses representations of Los Angeles in science fiction films in the context of the aesthetic tradition of the sublime. The article argues that a Los Angeles science fiction sublime is achieved through representations that feature nature and culture hybrids, elaborate design and special effects (including the destruction of Los Angeles monuments), and detective narratives that provide labyrinthine investigations that challenge our understanding of identity, history, and being. Given that these tendencies have gained prominence only since 1980, the article considers postmodernism as an aesthetic category that can help us understand how Los Angeles spaces are integrated in the neoliberal world system.