The Death of Science Fiction and Fantasy

[destinymaker]

I've been noticing a very scary trend, i.e: Transformers 2, Knowing, The Time Traveler's Wife, Gamer, Pandorum and Surrogates (are the primary worst SF films of the year). The only good SF are: District 9, Moon and Star Trek. What the trend is, is that there have been per capita more bad SF films than good SF films, it seems as though with every year that passes more terrible SF titles emerge and even less in SF TV. Defying Gravity being the one and only SF title I can name this year that is by definition bad, SGU well I still have hope for it. Anyone else believe SF is headed down?

[DigiFluid]

Sci-fi has always been made up of more hilariously bad b-grade stuff than top-notch stuff. That's why we love it so much.

I think you must not have been paying attention

[ShadowMaat]

Defying Gravity being the one and only SF title I can name this year that is by definition bad...

By whose definition? If you think it's bad, fine, but that doesn't make it a solid fact.

As for the rest of it... *shrug* Again, it's all a matter of opinion. Not fact. I don't think there's a trend of "bad" science fiction of late. There's a lot that I personally don't like, but looking into other genres I see the same amount of "junk" being lobbed at us so it isn't as if it's unique to SF&F. IMO TV and movies tend to be a form of mindless entertainment... which is getting just a bit more mindless, lately. LOL!

You can probably find similar amounts of garbage if you start looking back a bit, too. Some of it was even considered pretty great at the time but has since lost some of its shine. That's the nature of malleable medias like film and television.

There's also a matter of numbers. It feels like there's a lot more scifi stuff out there lately, so there's more to love/hate. Saying there were four brilliant examples of the genre in year X as compared to the four execrable examples THIS year kinda leaves out the fact that there were only six total productions in year X as compared to the twelve this year (and yes, those numbers are completely random). I hope that makes some sorta sense.

The point is that I think scifi is becoming a little more trendy in Hollywood these days so were seeing more examples than usual... and as usual it's a pretty mixed bag in terms of quality. An argument could probably be made that something gets lost in the translation as Hollywood tries to produce scifi stuff that panders to a wider audience, but again, I don't think that's anything new and striving for the lowest common denominator is something that happens across the board, regardless of genre. Some of the new comedies out there, for example, seem even more appalling than most of the scifi, IMO.

I don't think the genre is dying. I don't think it's in trouble. Good stuff is still getting produced and will continue to get produced and as long as that's still happening I don't think there's any cause for alarm.

[destinymaker]

I guess what I meant to say was that there has been a decline in truly intellectual SF and in pretty much every genre is suffering this. The common problem with corporate executives these days is that they exert more power than that of the creators themselves. They commonly assume that the audience is dumb, which I am sure is not always the truth. But, this does not change the fact that intellectually based SF, Fantasy, Comedy and Romance are becoming almost completely extinct. Now, we haven't gotten that far, but I believe we must nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. My problem is that quality x is to me intellectual, and that is running out in my opinion. Now, this smeg about SF being b-grade work, that makes me cringe because SF hasn't always been b-grade. Think about 2001 (wasn't well received when it came out but has become generally accepted as a good SF film), Forbidden Planet (which at its time could've been considered b-grade, but an early example of quality SF), Star Trek: TOS (given it has been said, it isn't b-grade), Star Wars 4,5,6 (not as b-grade as it is mainstream pop culture venue), and Blade Runner (the same as with 2001, although it is scene as more "entertaining" than 2001). So, if you like SF for its b-quality go right ahead, but I guess I appreciate the genre more than you...

[s09119]

I've been noticing a very scary trend, i.e: Transformers 2, Knowing, The Time Traveler's Wife, Gamer, Pandorum and Surrogates (are the primary worst SF films of the year). The only good SF are: District 9, Moon and Star Trek. What the trend is, is that there have been per capita more bad SF films than good SF films, it seems as though with every year that passes more terrible SF titles emerge and even less in SF TV. Defying Gravity being the one and only SF title I can name this year that is by definition bad, SGU well I still have hope for it. Anyone else belief SF is headed down?

I found Pandorum and Surrogates quite good, thanks... but I won't argue that sci-fi is generally, as always, producing more bad stuff than good.

[Krichton]

Since when has there ever been a year when more good scifi films came out then bad? Scifi and fantasy as a genre has virtually lost all originality since the 80s. Everything nowadays is based on a book.

[Replicator Todd]

The movie industry has been declining in the past few years IMO. In fact, the entertainment industry has been declining, video games are very bad right now, most TV shows quality are declining, its my opinion but its hard to deny sometimes...

[Cold Fuzz]

I guess what I meant to say was that there has been a decline in truly intellectual SF and in pretty much every genre is suffering this. The common problem with corporate executives these days is that they exert more power than that of the creators themselves. They commonly assume that the audience is dumb, which I am sure is not always the truth. But, this does not change the fact that intellectually based SF, Fantasy, Comedy and Romance are becoming almost completely extinct. Now, we haven't gotten that far, but I believe we must nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. My problem is that quality x is to me intellectual, and that is running out in my opinion. Now, this smeg about SF being b-grade work, that makes me cringe because SF hasn't always been b-grade. Think about 2001 (wasn't well received when it came out but has become generally accepted as a good SF film), Forbidden Planet (which at its time could've been considered b-grade, but an early example of quality SF), Star Trek: TOS (given it has been said, it isn't b-grade), Star Wars 4,5,6 (not as b-grade as it is mainstream pop culture venue), and Blade Runner (the same as with 2001, although it is scene as more "entertaining" than 2001). So, if you like SF for its b-quality go right ahead, but I guess I appreciate the genre more than you...

You gave some examples of sci-fi that you consider to be intellectually based. What would be examples of intellectually based comedy or romance? Is there objective criteria that defines the separation between intellectually-based sci-fi and B-quality or is it mainly subjective?

[Exiled Master]

I've been noticing a very scary trend, i.e: Transformers 2, Knowing, The Time Traveler's Wife, Gamer, Pandorum and Surrogates (are the primary worst SF films of the year). The only good SF are: District 9, Moon and Star Trek. What the trend is, is that there have been per capita more bad SF films than good SF films, it seems as though with every year that passes more terrible SF titles emerge and even less in SF TV. Defying Gravity being the one and only SF title I can name this year that is by definition bad, SGU well I still have hope for it. Anyone else believe SF is headed down?

You are lamenting that there is now enough level footing on the iceberg that is good SF to stand on. Dollhouse and TSCC have both been strong examples of the genre in the past year or so. (sadly, the superior TSCC was canceled in favor of Joss Whedon's current pride and joy)

[Blencathra]

I agree with Digifluid. There have always been some absolute clunkers in sci fi. Makes the gems stand out more. For me the absolute gem this year was Torchwood - Children on Earth.

Perhaps we should start a new thread for the clunkers. There are plenty of em.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I've been noticing a very scary trend, i.e: Transformers 2, Knowing, The Time Traveler's Wife, Gamer, Pandorum and Surrogates (are the primary worst SF films of the year). The only good SF are: District 9, Moon and Star Trek. What the trend is, is that there have been per capita more bad SF films than good SF films, it seems as though with every year that passes more terrible SF titles emerge and even less in SF TV. Defying Gravity being the one and only SF title I can name this year that is by definition bad, SGU well I still have hope for it. Anyone else believe SF is headed down?

Of the movies you've listed, I've seen Transformers 2, Knowing and Gamer and I liked all 3 of them. I'd say your opinion of those movies is a little too subjective to base the theory that sci-fi/fantasy are dead on it.

[Captain Obvious]

the problem is the current world economy. they have to make movies with a broader appeal because the normal geekier fanbase cannot shell out in droves like we used to. Hell, even lucas would be crazy to release another star wars movie right now. even if it had been filmed and was ready to go, and cost some paltry sum, it would be a joke $$ wise compared to what it would do in say 2-3 years.

expect a much better crop of movies in a year or 2. I recommend catching up on your reading until then

[Girlbot]

I have been a scifi fan since I read my first scifi book at age 5. I personally dislike the fact that today many of the sci fi in movies is based on blowing up things, instead of storylines. Just because they have special effects, doesn't mean they have to use them all in one film. So movies like Transformers 2 isn't my favorite thing. I agree with those who have said that entertainment in general seems to be changing, or declining in content. Seems like there is more available in the genre today, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily good sci fi.

[Nanjana]

Hi
I think that everyone is looking with other eyes of it!
I'm a fan of that genre since I saw Captain Kirk with 4 years. There was always a few series or movies I did not like but everyone has it that way!
I personally love Transformers and I was in both movies in the cinema! I could not get enough of them, so I buyed them.....I have the same with Alien, many don't like Alien says it's bad movies.....It's everyones own taste!!!!!!

[jds1982]

So you lament the decline of intellectual sci fi, but you list the new Star Trek film as an example of good sci fi. Did you consider the new Star Trek an intellectual sci fi? As far as I could tell it was the least intellectual sci fi movie this year.