Remember those common themes in Science Fiction?

[Scoobing]

I think that SG-1 and SG-A are showing and have shown that theres something about us that is different. I mean the Asgard and the Tok'ra have been out there for thousands of years, and little has changed amongst the Goa'uld. We show up and the entire galaxy is changed. It's our way of looking at things, our way of doing things (small victories) the drive we have to explore, and the need we feel to form alliances.

I have this feeling that SG-A is going to delve into the fact that we have a kind of responsibility in the universe. We are the second evolution of the ancients, once part (or perhaps the head) of the most powerful alliance in the universe. In SG-1 (Alliegence) we see the Tau'ri as mediators. We have our own space force now, I mean could you imagine that 8 years ago.

I love this type of sci-fi that works on so many levels, and the works on the higher levels and allows you to form your own ideas that migth fit, but they don't send you down a closed path.

[Darth Buddha]

On the other hand, don't you think the arrival of a dozen teams of four to let's say eight people having such a massive impact on the Milky Way is rather contrived? With little economic or manpower investment, a group of folks who didn't have a devil of a lot of info change the whole game.

That's different from Atlantis, where a slightly larger force starts out with gaining access to a massive amount of information of very advanced nature. There it might be a bit less contrived.

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Another common theme in SF is that mutations make you stronger - a whole lot stronger.

A once-common mutation scenario was the radio-active mutations.

[Wandering Tamer]

I think it's clear that one idea that goes through shows is that humans come onto the scene and within a few years everything is fine. And that happens to be a big gripe of mine.

ST: Deep Space 9 the Dominion had existed for thousands of years. They had defeated civilization after civilization that had once been powerful and then we come along and beat them up in three years. WTF??

SG-1 the Asgard had been fighting the Replicators for who knows how long, the Go'auld had ruled the galaxy for ten thousand years, we show up and in eight years both are gone. The Asgard who couldn't even scratch the surface of Ancient Tech and we suddenly understand it in three years.

ST:Voyager the Borg who the Federation as a whole has barely survived three times is defeated or badly crippled by one ship that isn't even a war ship. OMG!!!

anyway, I was also thinking that some of the characters that show us the most about humanity aren't always human. the manakin from Twilight Zone that was human for a month and forgot she was a manakin. Data, Odo, and Spock were all go mirrors for humanity. And then there are the Ancients in SG-1. They show humans and how we view others that we think of less then us.


ok, i'm done now.

[Tracker]

The Asgard who couldn't even scratch the surface of Ancient Tech and we suddenly understand it in three years.

We are the second evolution of the ancients, once part (or perhaps the head) of the most powerful alliance in the universe.

Possibly the Ancient tech was easier because we are the second evolution. It would explain why Jack was able to survive having the repository knowledge dumped in his brain not once, but twice. Also, remnants of the Ancient culture survived (ie myths, Latin, etc), so it's not as if we're working from square one.

[Atlantis1]

Another common theme in SF is that mutations make you stronger - a whole lot stronger.

There was a short lived series that went along that theme called "Prey". The new evolution of man was stronger and meaner.

[Atlantis1]

The biggest gripe I have with Sci-Fi is the notion that humans are the "diplomats" and the least likely to start a war.

I agree. The movie "Independence Day" made us out to be victums. (I liked ID4.) However the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" did somewhat do the opposite and had the humans shoot first and ask questions later.

[Scoobing]

I think it's clear that one idea that goes through shows is that humans come onto the scene and within a few years everything is fine. And that happens to be a big gripe of mine.

I agree with you, and sometimes it can be a problem. However, with SG-1 we have seen the Tau'ri (I'm just using that to distinguish between other humans) grow to where they currently are in the show mostly as I would expect. They have formed alliances, gone out exploring, brought back technology that has been backwards engineered or use out in the field. With the exception of the space program (which IMO was way to fast, but hey its a TV show ), I can accept whats gone on to take us to where we are today.

What I'm trying to say that is within the show, the massive development of the Tau'ri seems to be justified, based on the actions and developments we have seen over the past 8 years, they have not made them all powerful just for the sake of it.

And, people will like shows where we (the underdogs) rise to a position of reletive power.

[Darth Buddha]

I think it's clear that one idea that goes through shows is that humans come onto the scene and within a few years everything is fine. And that happens to be a big gripe of mine.

ST: Deep Space 9 the Dominion had existed for thousands of years. They had defeated civilization after civilization that had once been powerful and then we come along and beat them up in three years. WTF??

Well, to give DS9 credit, all they did was defeat an expeditionary force on the alpha quadrant side of things, and they did so as part of an alliance of the Klingon, Romulan, and eventually even Cardassian fleets.

The Dominion on the Gamma Quadrant side wasn't defeated... though it's an open question what would have happened if the bioweapon used against The Founders had actually wiped them out. Would the Voorta and the Gem'Hadar have let the empire fall apart?

SG-1 the Asgard had been fighting the Replicators for who knows how long, the Go'auld had ruled the galaxy for ten thousand years, we show up and in eight years both are gone. The Asgard who couldn't even scratch the surface of Ancient Tech and we suddenly understand it in three years.

Yep, cheesy!

ST:Voyager the Borg who the Federation as a whole has barely survived three times is defeated or badly crippled by one ship that isn't even a war ship. OMG!!!

Voyager, worst of all the Treks!

anyway, I was also thinking that some of the characters that show us the most about humanity aren't always human. the manakin from Twilight Zone that was human for a month and forgot she was a manakin. Data, Odo, and Spock were all go mirrors for humanity. And then there are the Ancients in SG-1. They show humans and how we view others that we think of less then us.

And yet, Spock, Data, and Odo were in some ways critical mirrors. Odo especially was capable of some pretty damning critiques.

[Dahak]

One of the biggest themes is Sci-Fi is that humans are the heirs to an old great race. Sometimes they are the descendants through some convuluted manor like on SG1. Or they are the adopted heirs due to humans "great capacity for growth".

[Unas]

Here's another:

A long gone civilization that was once dominant but now exists as rumours and legends among aliens.

[Darth Buddha]

Here's another:

A long gone civilization that was once dominant but now exists as rumours and legends among aliens.

Fits in well with the lost civilizations here on earth...

Of course SGA combines lost civilizations of earth with lost civilizations in space.

Call me simple-minded, but I sitll prefer the Vorlons.

[Wandering Tamer]

I think that idea is used as a way of explaining ancient ruins on our planets. I mean, we have ruins of societies that date back further then we can record history. It does make for interesting spin offs.

I was also wondering what everyone thought about an Ancient race seeding life in the galaxy. The Ancients did it and so did that race in STar Trek.

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

One of the biggest themes is Sci-Fi is that humans are the heirs to an old great race. Sometimes they are the descendants through some convuluted manor like on SG1. Or they are the adopted heirs due to humans "great capacity for growth".

FYI, David Brin did a great job with this theme in his Uplift trilogy.

[Dahak]

I think that idea is used as a way of explaining ancient ruins on our planets. I mean, we have ruins of societies that date back further then we can record history. It does make for interesting spin offs.

I was also wondering what everyone thought about an Ancient race seeding life in the galaxy. The Ancients did it and so did that race in STar Trek.

So did the Thrint and Pax Protectors in Nivens Known Space series. Also the 2nd Imperium in the Dahakverse.
This is a common plotline in SF because of the need to explain how alien races can live on the same planets, eat the same food, and even interbreed when the plot requires it. So if some ancient race seeded the galaxy in the distant past it makes all of those things far more likely. It also explains away the pesky Fermi's Paradox that SF writers don't want to have to deal with.