Best scifi ever.

[kupocake]

Aliens. Because if I said Zeta Gundam i'd be ostracized. Nah really Aliens. The ultimate action film that has been copied so many times. Awesome, strong main female character who is just the right mix of butch soldier-woman and mother figure. Shame Alien3 killed everyone off Well, everyone who hadn't been killed in Aliens anyhow

 

[CptStern]

Well I would have to say that Star Wars is probably the best sci-fi series, but Stargate needed some love so I voted for it. Stargate loses points for that stupid Atlantis show, though. I hope the director for that show gets a Wraith hand stuck in his chest.

By the way Darkwolf, the new Cylons may be pointy, but the old Cylons win for being very shiny. (It was almost like they were made out of diamond).

/me prepares to be pummeled by nerds

oh god star wars is just horrible science fiction ..it's a melodrama opera set is space ...god all of you have horrible taste

what the hell happened to GOOD science fiction like

2001 a space oddessy
A Clockwork Orange
Slaughter house 5
Vim Venders Until the End of the World

oh and Aliens is NOT science fiction ..it's a military movie set in space ..with the twist being the female civilian being the tough one. The first one science fiction (although it can be argued that they cross the line between horror and science fiction) the rest of them were genre pics set in space

 

[DeusExMachina]

You cannot hate on Empire Strikes Back. You just...it isn't legal. Anywhere.

2001, Clockwork Orange, and Slaughter-House-Five are far better books than movies. And technically, Clockwork isn't science fiction either...and Kubrick's a jerk for never reading the final chapter and not including it in the film.

 

[Que-Ever]

oh and Aliens is NOT science fiction ..it's a military movie set in space ..with the twist being the female civilian being the tough one. The first one science fiction (although it can be argued that they cross the line between horror and science fiction) the rest of them were genre pics set in space

what? It's sciency. It's fiction.

 

[Direwolf]

It's set in a future that is in some manner logically derived from our present time. That qualifies it for me.

 

[CptStern]

You cannot hate on Empire Strikes Back. You just...it isn't legal. Anywhere.

2001, Clockwork Orange, and Slaughter-House-Five are far better books than movies. And technically, Clockwork isn't science fiction either...and Kubrick's a jerk for never reading the final chapter and not including it in the film.

sure it's science fiction ..it's set in the future and thematically touches on utopia/distopia ..and yes the books are better but that's expected

I liked empire strikes back ...but lucas intended it to be like a saturday matinee serial from the 30's and 40's

 

[DeusExMachina]

I liked empire strikes back ...but lucas intended it to be like a saturday matinee serial from the 30's and 40's

I don't know about that, he wanted David Lynch to direct Empire.

 

[CptStern]

no, I meant star wars as a whole ..and yes he did, read his biography ..star wars plays very much like indiana jones except it's more operatic

david lynch would have been a bad choice imho ..you just cant put someone of his caliber to direct pulp action movie

 

[DeusExMachina]

I think he could've made something really great with Empire. If he were allowed to edit the script to his liking, it could've been something completely spectacular and something completely Lynch that was even entertaining to the masses.
Then again, Lucas probably wouldn't like his ideas.

You ever see Lucas' early film, THX 1138? That's science fiction right there.

 

[CptStern]

ya I've seen it a few times it's good science fiction (although a bit derivative)

empire retained that pulp operatic feeling although darker in tone ..probably why it was the best of the bunch

 

[smwScott]

Blade Runner and 2001 are the best science fiction films, bar none. I can't stand all that Stargate/Firefly/Star Trek crap and the Star Wars movies are only popcorn entertainment, nothing more (not that there's anything wrong with that though).

Science Fiction is definitely not one of my favorite genre's but it does have a few standout films (none of which were included in this poll).

 

[Zephos]

Aliens is NOT science fiction ..it's a military movie set in space ..with the twist being the female civilian being the tough one. The first one science fiction (although it can be argued that they cross the line between horror and science fiction) the rest of them were genre pics set in space

Prepare for pummeling!

How can you not say it's science fiction? It has androids, high tech weaponry, ALIENS (OMG LIEK SCIFI *ahem* though they do share some similiarities to insects), dropships/spacecraft and more. Maybe I'm missing something here...

 

[gick]

George Lucas couldnt direct a piss-up in a brewery. I hate him.

 

[Sparta]

Serenity/Firefly as good as Star Wars? Get the **** out.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Voted Firefly because it's on this list.
But if Alien/Aliens/Terminator 1 + 2/Blade Runner were on the list, I'd have had a far harder time choosing.

 

[CptStern]

Prepare for pummeling!

How can you not say it's science fiction? It has androids, high tech weaponry, ALIENS (OMG LIEK SCIFI *ahem* though they do share some similiarities to insects), dropships/spacecraft and more. Maybe I'm missing something here...

it's using the conventions of science fiction: spaceships, aliens etc but it's essentially a military action movie set in space ..there was next to no science fiction in the entire movie ..but dont get me wrong, I still think it was a great movie ...just not true science fiction .....read a Brave New World ..or any other of the novels I listed and compare it to aliens, I think you'll see what I mean

 

[Que-Ever]

http://www.panix.com/~gokce/sf_defn.html

I think that might help people decide what is and what isn't science fiction.

 

[CptStern]

after a quick glance I can rightfully say that the majority of films/tv shows in this thread doesnt fit into the majority of those definitions

 

[Direwolf]

Yeah, but it also shows how people can argue over this definition forever. I'd just as soon go with the broadest and most generall accepted definition and go from there. No need to be dissecting everything and trying to qualify whether or not it meets certain criteria.

 

[CptStern]

true ..I just want to disassociate shows like Andromeda from science fiction ..the more shows like that the more people will associate science fiction with "kiddie" programming

give me the embedding over buck rogers any day

 

[DeusExMachina]

Science Fiction is really only good in books. Kurt Vonnegut and Neal Stephenson being the kings of it (in my opinion).

The only good show on television that I could deem good science fiction will probably always forever be Firefly and of course, Cowboy Bebop (though that's an anime). I hear the new Battlestar Galactica is good, but I haven't tried watching it much.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Neal Stephenson

**** yeah!

Firefly

**** yeah!

Cowboy Bebop

**** yeah!

 

[DeusExMachina]

If you're into Stephenson, you'll definitely love Vonnegut. I'd suggest picking up Sirens of Titan first, then moving on from there.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Well, I'm going to Scotland during the upcoming easter holiday so I will include that into my big list of books to read!

 

[CptStern]

Science Fiction is really only good in books. Kurt Vonnegut and Neal Stephenson being the kings of it (in my opinion).

The only good show on television that I could deem good science fiction will probably always forever be Firefly and of course, Cowboy Bebop (though that's an anime). I hear the new Battlestar Galactica is good, but I haven't tried watching it much.

twilight show is the closest to science fiction on tv that I can think of offhand

never read stephenson but I've read most of vonnegut's books ..faves being breakfast of champions, slaughterhouse 5 and player piano ..havent read Sirens of Titan yet

 

[Fishlore]

I voted for Firefly. I've never watched Battlestar or Stargate so I can't give an opinion on them. I never liked Star Trek in any of it's incarnations all that much, though I certainly don't hate it. I hate Star Wars though. I can sit through 4 and 5 if I absolutely have to, but the rest are some of the poorest excuses for film making I've ever seen in my life. The stories, writing, dialogue and acting send shivers down my spine they are so bad.

I love the Firefly 'verse though. It's all about characters to me and how they develop. Firefly has depth in that area and that's what's important to me.

 

[DeusExMachina]

twilight show is the closest to science fiction on tv that I can think of offhand

never read stephenson but I've read most of vonnegut's books ..faves being breakfast of champions, slaughterhouse 5 and player piano ..havent read Sirens of Titan yet

Sirens of Titan is probably my favorite Vonnegut. Breakfast and Slaughter-House coming in at a close 2nd and 3rd. Cat's Cradle isn't really his best as everyone says it is, but it is classic Vonnegut which is never bad. Haven't read Player Piano yet.

 

[Direwolf]

true ..I just want to disassociate shows like Andromeda from science fiction ..the more shows like that the more people will associate science fiction with "kiddie" programming

give me the embedding over buck rogers any day

Thats entirely understandable. I think the responsibility mostly lies in the hands of those making science fiction though, although we should be more discerning in what gets our money. That said, I honestly think we're seeing a turn around in the public perception of sci-fi and its due to the very high quality of some of the stuff that is now popular. It's probably never been as socially acceptable as it is right now, and the TV ratings and box office sales reflect it.

 

[Greatgat]

Sirens of Titan is probably my favorite Vonnegut. Breakfast and Slaughter-House coming in at a close 2nd and 3rd. Cat's Cradle isn't really his best as everyone says it is, but it is classic Vonnegut which is never bad. Haven't read Player Piano yet.

It's good. I also have a soft spot for Timequake for some reason. Such a bizarre concept: A book about a book that failed and what it was about. So fun!

 

[Sainku]

Science fiction is used mostly to describe fantasy set in the future regardless of actual science content. I don't like it, but thats the way it is.

 

[CptStern]

Thats entirely understandable. I think the responsibility mostly lies in the hands of those making science fiction though, although we should be more discerning in what gets our money. That said, I honestly think we're seeing a turn around in the public perception of sci-fi and its due to the very high quality of some of the stuff that is now popular. It's probably never been as socially acceptable as it is right now, and the TV ratings and box office sales reflect it.

I think science fiction in popular culture has become more infantile over the years ..it was in it's heyday during the 50's when it was more about political and social commentary and again in the late 60's and early 70's with the moonlanding still fresh in people's minds. Then came 2001 a space oddesy, it was a cultural phenomenom that resonated with people because it was a a social/political commentary on the human condition ..it brought science fiction into the adult world after years of being regulated to pulp fiction magazines and saturday morning serials. Asminov, bradbury, bester, Dick and even vonnegut paved the way for intelligent science fiction that was dicussed along side other great works of literature ...star wars changed all that with it's own culture revolution

Science fiction is used mostly to describe fantasy set in the future regardless of actual science content. I don't like it, but thats the way it is.

oh and fantasy took a back seat to science fiction for decades ..it peaked around the tolkien/lovecraft/burroughs era but was then replaced by science fiction (what you would describe as fantasy in space) ..it wasnt till the mid to late 70's that fantasy became mainstream again

 

[Direwolf]

I wouldn't say that all science fiction has become more infantile over the years as much as more infantile science fiction has been created. Its just one of the side effects of its growing popularity. It happens to be a great vehicle for escapism, so it can serve both the purposes of commentary and entertainment. If anything it just shows how versatile and adaptable the genre can be.

 

[Sparta]

I don't even see how Firefly should be counted, as its more of a western than it is Sci-Fi.

Count Serenity, by all means, but Firefly just seems stupid.

 

[Sainku]

oh and fantasy took a back seat to science fiction for decades ..it peaked around the tolkien/lovecraft/burroughs era but was then replaced by science fiction (what you would describe as fantasy in space) ..it wasnt till the mid to late 70's that fantasy became mainstream again

I wasn't saying that all science fiction is a fantasy in space, that was a really bad term for me to use. I would have no problem calling 2001 or even Star Trek ( even though it would qualify for the fantasy in space thing as well ) a peice of science fiction. But something like star wars would not qualify as science fiction in my mind.

 

[CptStern]

I wouldn't say that all science fiction has become more infantile over the years as much as more infantile science fiction has been created. Its just one of the side effects of its growing popularity. It happens to be a great vehicle for escapism, so it can serve both the purposes of commentary and entertainment. If anything it just shows how versatile and adaptable the genre can be.

a very good example would be the movie Minority Report ..it's based on a short story by Phillip K Dick ..probably one of SF's greatest writers ..the movie deviates from the story to a point where it's almost unrecognizable ..in the story there's one small segment of action whereas the movie version is mostly action ..they also removed the political and societal commentary that was so integral to the story ...compare that with another Philip K Dick movie to be adapted to the screen: Bladerunner ..the former movie was a vehicle for a major movie star "Tom Cruise in the minority report" whereas the latter was just a retelling of the story with the twist of mixing film noir with european and cutting edge american sci-fi at the time (William gibson, Bruce sterling) who were part of Post Modern science fiction ..also briefly known as cyberpunk

I wasn't saying that all science fiction is a fantasy in space, that was a really bad term for me to use. I would have no problem calling 2001 or even Star Trek ( even though it would qualify for the fantasy in space thing as well ) a peice of science fiction. But something like star wars would not qualify as science fiction in my mind.

heh you need to read the thread from the beginning

 

[Llama]

2001: A space oddesy
(I cant spell for shit, but hey ^^ )
The best Sci-Fi film ever.

 

[Azner]

heh...

 

[Direwolf]

a very good example would be the movie Minority Report ..it's based on a short story by Phillip K Dick ..probably one of SF's greatest writers ..the movie deviates from the story to a point where it's almost unrecognizable ..in the story there's one small segment of action whereas the movie version is mostly action.

I might argue that Speilberg did his best in adapting it to make it watchable, but even if we ignore that where do we put A Scanner Darkly? Obviously its not out yet, but by all accounts is pretty faithful to the book, which is another Philip K Dick.

 

[Raziaar]

Star Wars...

not necessarily the movies(and of course not episode 1, 2, 3, pieces of shit), but the lore of the universe its set in. The ships, the creatures, the aliens, the planets. It's just unbelievably awesome.

 

[CptStern]

I might argue that Speilberg did his best in adapting it to make it watchable, but even if we ignore that where do we put A Scanner Darkly? Obviously its not out yet, but by all accounts is pretty faithful to the book, which is another Philip K Dick.

ugh ...starring: Keanu Reeves


that pretty much tells you the quality of the movie ..I could be wrong but reeves isnt the best choice for serious films ..robert downy jr I like

Richard Linklater is the director ...and he's hit and miss ..while he did direct Waking Life he aslo directed the Bad news Bears


total recall was another adaptation of a Philip k dick short story ... the only memorable part of the movie is the campy comedy and sharon stone in tights kicking ass ...man she was hot back then