science fiction and it's rightful place

[Infinite-Possibilities]

"Science fiction" doesn't have any one single message any more than "fiction" in general does. They are rarer than the alternatives, but there are most definitely certain Sci-fi stories that embrace some sort of spiritual truth. Battlestar Galactica and LOST are probably the two most recent examples that are well known.

[mescalito4]

too true (Battlestar Galactica and LOST)
Science fiction to me is much more than what ordinary fiction is in that it attempts to work within (in a lot of cases) the furthest reaches of our understanding and the different scenarios the technologies of the future may present to us... So in this respect I think it may be preparing us for possible pitfalls in humanities future

[Gatefan1976]

How will you find them if they're invisible?

Ukko Is the lost boy king, He leads the flying hunt and they can find *anything*

[aretood2]

Yes and yes. Science-fiction sells us on a materialist world, because it often drives home that reality is nothing more than a physical world. Science-fiction often ignores or insults the notion of God and the spiritual world. As for averting humanity from self destruction, a lot of science-fiction stories try to warn us of our own nature. These stories, I love.

One of the things about Babylon 5 (and I got this from reading JMS's comments, the creator of the show) is that two different people often took opposite messages from the same episode...messages that contradicted each other. Science Fiction never really was an instrument to mock God or the belief in God, but to lay out a question about ourselves. That's when you get the "okay" sci fi shows that are either all explosions or are preachy and the "great" sci fi shows that actually give the viewers this option. And then there are a few outliers.

Babylon 5, great sci fi. They treat the audience with respect and actually allow ourselves to believe what we want while raising provocative questions.

Stargate, (I'm a fan of this show btw ) Don't get me wrong, I love it, however very often I am not left with the same option coming from Stargate's TPTB as I was with Babylon 5. It's good sci fi, but nothing big. They give you their message and it's the end of it.

Star Trek, Preachy, yet popular. Total lack of understanding of the social sciences at times, at other times amazing. This is an outlier. While it does at times allow the viewers to come to their own conclusions, at times it makes up its mind for us. It also butches a few things in their attempts at social commentary. Take the Bajorans' reaction to the lack of a response from the Prophets as an example. Not how humans would react, and yes these are aliens but let's face it. Alien societies in Sci Fi are often a mirror of an aspect of Human societies.

What I want to see is science-fiction embracing God and spirituality and trying to reconcile God and science as coexisting without contradiction.

Babylon 5 does this...or does it? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. It's your call really.

Isaac Asimov at times does this in much the same way as Babylon 5.

Andromeda sort of does this, but it is more subtle about it.

Stargate doesn't know what it's doing when it comes to this.

The Star Treks....refer to my comments about them.

Something to consider... God created man, man created the scientific method, science says man evolved from primordial slime and that God can't be proven. Well, if God created man, then shouldn't God supersede science as something that man invented and is inherently flawed? I'm not saying science should be tossed out the window. However, I do think humanity worships science as if it were a god in and of itself. That's kind of creepy, no?

God created man, God gave man science, man uses science to solve its own problems, God therefore concentrates on spirituality with man....man corrupts both. How about that?

[maneth]

One interesting thing to ponder that both J. Michael Straczynski who wrote most of Babylon 5 and Isaac Asimov referrred to above admitted to being atheists. Indeed, Asimov was a fairly opinionated one.

[Linda06]

One interesting thing to ponder that both J. Michael Straczynski who wrote most of Babylon 5 and Isaac Asimov referrred to above admitted to being atheists. Indeed, Asimov was a fairly opinionated one.

Really? I never knew that.

I don't mind religion in the shows as long as it's quite subtle and not rammed down my throat. One thing I hate and that is being preached to. I'm an atheist and I'm fine with that as I hope others respect that choice. Everyone should be entitled to believe in who or what they want.

[maneth]

Absolutely, I wholly agree with you.

[The Urban Spaceman]

Mr Elephant and I also agree.

[aretood2]

One interesting thing to ponder that both J. Michael Straczynski who wrote most of Babylon 5 and Isaac Asimov referrred to above admitted to being atheists. Indeed, Asimov was a fairly opinionated one.

Being able to tell a story without directly preaching all the time is one of the things that makes JMS really good at writing.

To answer the thread title itself, Science fiction is just fiction. And fiction does what fiction does. There's no need to start preaching to be a good and thought provocative show, one just needs to be able to write a good and convincing story with a real diverse pool of characters that represent society properly.

[Goose]

I don't mind science fiction (or fiction of any kind, really) that challenges my beliefs (in fact, those are my favourite), but I don't want to be preached to. I want to be challenged, but I also want to make up my own mind. I want to think, but I don't want to be told what to think.

[Cold Fuzz]

No, I would call you religious.

Quite correct. Being religious and being spiritual are two completely different things, just as God and religion are two different things.

As for these elephants, I'm rounding up some bears and wolves for a hunt. Nothing like a fresh kill.

I don't mind science fiction (or fiction of any kind, really) that challenges my beliefs (in fact, those are my favourite), but I don't want to be preached to. I want to be challenged, but I also want to make up my own mind. I want to think, but I don't want to be told what to think.

Wholeheartedly agree. I think that's why I find complex characters in sci-fi (or any genre) to be the most interesting. Complex characters--as in characters that aren't black & white cutouts--make difficult moral decisions in stories and exist in a grey area of realism. Babylon 5 certain had its share of grey characters and so did BSG. Such characters challenge an audience.

[maneth]

Indeed they do, and one reason why both BSG and B5 are among my all-time favorite shows.

[The Flyattractor]

....I got a comment but I will withhold it....Cause Shep is wierd.

[Brian]

First, to respond to the OP. For us to understand or comprehend anything it has to be rooted in something we comprehend and wrap our minds around on a daily basis. Thus no "non-materialized worlds".

Also:

I'm not anti-science. Man is flawed, man created the scientific method, so naturally... science will be flawed. I am not against science, I just ask that people recognize that it can be inherently flawed from time to time.

That is the most profoundly ludicrous, obnoxious and arrogant thing I have ever read on this website.

[Girlbot]

.

As for these elephants, I'm rounding up some bears and wolves for a hunt. Nothing like a fresh kill.
.

*arms crossbow*

I sometimes think that too much analysis of Science Fiction ruins the sheer enjoyment of the moment for me.
I just like to go with the story and ignore any supposed science discrepancies. After all those discrepancies are sometimes applications of physics not yet known by man. But man's imagination can perceive the possibilites although they can't yet prove them.

*goes hunting with Cold Fuzz*