Science fiction: explain please

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Sci fi asks, "what if..." or/and "why not?"

For example, Dick Tracy comic strip had a wrist watch
with a video screen. Today we have a cell phone with a camera. Maybe in the future someone will invent anti gravity shoes for people that are obese. :high:
Set the dial on the footwear to the specific weight you desire for the day.
 
Heinlein and Bradbury were my favorites :thumb:
 
My holy trinity: Asimov, Bradbury & Heinlein. While the story is not actually sci-fi, my favorite book of all times is: "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Bradbury. If you're a father, I think you might really like it.

Clarke & Niven also rocked the house.
 
TomWaits & you said:
I love Vonnegut. That's the extent of my sci-fi knowledge. Guys LOVE sci-fi.

Explain please.
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Fantasy and Science Fiction satisfies many things. First of all, it's a fiction, so it's an escape. Science fiction is forward-looking to a better world/planet(s)/universe. It offers limitless possibilities for creativity since you can bend and mold anything from the type of planet to the aliens on it. It can add an extra layer to the reading/viewing because it can be transformed into everything from softporn (John Norman's "Gor" books) to western ("Star Wars") to suspense (the famous short story "The Cold Equations") to mystery (Asimov's Robot novels and some of his short stories). It allows people an escape from their humdrum regular lives because for a short while they can pretend they're in that novel/movie (much as sports allow people to identify). What's not to like?

I like Isaac Asimov for old-school. More modern, I like Anne McCaffrey (Pern series, Damia series, Acorna series, Ship series) as well as Terry Brooks (Shannara series which is just dumbed-down Tolkien) and Terry Goodkind (Sword Of Truth, mainly the first book, "Wizard's First Rule", second book, "Stone Of Tears", and fourth book, "Temple Of The Winds"). For films, there are too many to name, but of course you have "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" (go in order with the series, first the original "Star Trek" and then "ST:TNG" and "DS9", but you can skip "Voyager" and "Enterprise"... for films, do "2, The Wrath Of Khan", "4, "The Voyage Home", and maybe a couple of the first ones with the TNG crew) but you also have things like "Blade Runner", "Terminator", and others (much of which you'll find is based on old sci-fi stories anyway). You can even delve into animation, which has about five billion Japanese entries, from the old "Starblazers" to the more modern "Akira".
 
Science Fiction is like that stodgy old aunt that pinches your cheek as she's telling you how much you've grown.

She's actually got a squid head and is from the 19th dimension and is just waiting for you to get to the tasty age where she can rip off your head and suck your brain out.

If you can explain how that is not cool in any sense, then you will never understand Science Fiction.

Asimov's Robot stories are excellent scifi. Ray Bradbury is probably Annihilus's favorite in the genre, there is no mistaking any of his stories when you read them. He didn't just write scifi though. H.P. Lovecraft wrote an excellent scifi story too (just one tho :( ).
 
I love Sci-Fi. and Fantasy

As a kid I started with Asimov,Heinlein, Harry Harrison and Peirs Anthony just to name a few.

Lately I have been getting into Alternative Histories.
For instance John Birmingham's Axis of Time Trilogy where a military experiment throws a multi-national fleet from the year 2021 back in time to the start of June 1942 near the Hawaiian Islands.

or

Harry Harrison's Eden trilogy where the astoroid that killed the dinosaurs never happened and they evolved along with man.

My favorite is Harry Turtledove. One of his series is the Worldwar series where WW2 is interupted by an alien invasion.
 
Oh, forgot Jim Butcher's "Dresden" series of books. (Andf I'm still pissed that they canceled the show.)
 
Be honest here. Who amung us WOULDN'T want to be a wizard? Think of all the cool shit you could do!

Fantasy and science fiction allows us to vicariously live through guys that do cool shit that no one else can.
 
Jingleheimer jaric said:
Be honest here. Who amung us WOULDN'T want to be a wizard? Think of all the cool shit you could do!

Fantasy and science fiction allows us to vicariously live through guys that do cool shit that no one else can.
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A wizard? :high: :shake:

Get your Fantasy out of our Science Fiction you nerd.
 
Annihilus said:
A wizard? :high: :shake:

Get your Fantasy out of our Science Fiction you nerd.
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Well, they're pretty intertwined. Despite it's roots in spaceships and aliens and whatnot, the "science" in "science fiction" doesn't necessarily always mean "technological advancement". Likewise, "Fantasy" doesn't necessarily mean "swords and sorcerers of a bygone/alternate age". Take Anne McCaffrey's Pern for example: it's a world populated with dragons and an agrarian culture which seems to be ancient, but it turned out their ancestors actually arrived there in spaceships.

I like both.
 
Annihilus said:
A wizard? :high: :shake:

Get your Fantasy out of our Science Fiction you nerd.
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Oh yeah, I forgot you sci-fi guys are the definition of cool...

:rolleyes:

Lets face it, you're lumped into the same category we are by the rest of the world, so we might as well stick together.

Besides, is there anything fundamentally differant from a Jedi and a wizard like Gandolf? Yeah the technology and settings are differant, but it's essentially the same character model.
 
JD10367 said:
Well, they're pretty intertwined. Despite it's roots in spaceships and aliens and whatnot, the "science" in "science fiction" doesn't necessarily always mean "technological advancement". Likewise, "Fantasy" doesn't necessarily mean "swords and sorcerers of a bygone/alternate age". Take Anne McCaffrey's Pern for example: it's a world populated with dragons and an agrarian culture which seems to be ancient, but it turned out their ancestors actually arrived there in spaceships.

I like both.
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You are high and that's a fact. Get your 'facts' out of our Science Fiction you heathen hippie.
 
jaric of teh jungle said:
Oh yeah, I forgot you sci-fi guys are the definition of cool...

:rolleyes:

Lets face it, you're lumped into the same category we are by the rest of the world, so we might as well stick together.

Besides, is there anything fundamentally differant from a Jedi and a wizard like Gandolf? Yeah the technology and settings are differant, but it's essentially the same character model.
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George Lucas killed science fiction with his friggin' Jedi wizards.

It's going to take 200 years to overcome his destruction. You and JD and your Hobbits and Ewoks need to create your own Fantasy playland thread where you can play with the unicorns and puppy dogs and fairy princesses.

Be sure to take Princess Leia with you (except slave Leia, you can leave her behind).
 
jaric of teh jungle said:
Besides, is there anything fundamentally differant from a Jedi and a wizard like Gandolf? Yeah the technology and settings are differant, but it's essentially the same character model.
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Gandalf had a better sense of humor. Those Jedis could be grim.
 
RavenZ said:
Gandalf had a better sense of humor. Those Jedis could be grim.
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The force is serious business. You lose your temper once and you end up Darth Vader.

Meanwhile Gandolf spent all his time smoking pipeweed and hanging out with midgets.

It's no suprise he would be the more whimsical character.
 
jaric of teh jungle said:
The force is serious business. You lose your temper once and you end up Darth Vader.

Meanwhile Gandolf spent all his time smoking pipeweed and hanging out with midgets.

It's no suprise he would be the more whimsical character.
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While it's true Gandalf is sort of a hippie, he took down the Balrog. Plus he came back in the flesh, not just a see-through like those dead Jedi.

Lightsaber vs Gandalf's staff?
 
RavenZ said:
While it's true Gandalf is sort of a hippie, he took down the Balrog. Plus he came back in the flesh, not just a see-through like those dead Jedi.

Lightsaber vs Gandalf's staff?
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The staff itself...well that's going to the lightsaber, however I'm certain Gandolf would know some sort of spell that would shield it.

I do know that that would make an awesome episode of "deadliest warrior" Jedi vs wizard
 
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