Sci Fi Earthbound and Futuristic

Science fiction can be described as “fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component.” Many works can fit in more than one sub-genre. Two such sub Genres would be earth bound Sci Fi and futuristic Sci Fi. Most sci fi fits into one of these divisions some will fit in both For instance I would describe Stephen Spielberg’s ET is earth bound, its set on earth in what was contemporary America, Where as Spielberg’s/Kubrick’s AI is both earthbound and futuristic. AI is set on earth sometime in the not too distant future.

For arguments sake I am going to split Sci Fi into two sub genres earthbound or futuristic. Then I will take the movies and see if they are hard or soft Sci Fi. These are both false dichotomy’s but it stops me from making 101 sub genres. (As is my natural inclination)

Earthbound Sci fi films

ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

• Amblin Entertainment
• Universal Pictures
• Directed By: Steven Spielberg
• Written By: Melissa Mathison

ET is a childhood favourite of mine earthbound well shot, great score.

AI Artificial Intelligence(2001)

• Amblin Entertainment
  Stanley Kubrick Productions
• Dreamworks
• Directed By: Steven Spielberg
• Written By: Steven Spielberg

A.I.  Is both earth bound and futuristic. This is only the second entry into this list and already the lines between earthbound and futuristic are blurring

Futuristic Sci fi films

2001 a space odyssey (1968)

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Warner Bros
• Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
• Written By: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke

Directed by Stanley Kubrick (below pictured on set), this film is futuristic. (or was futruristic)

Serenity (2005)

Spin of the TV show Firefly, both a western and Sci Fi, both futuristic and antebellum in style

• Universal Pictures
• Directed By: Joss Whedon
• Written By: Joss Whedon

Forward Unto Dawn (2012)

Set in a future military academy, we follow a bright young contrarian, through the events  that turn him into a leader (see soft sci fi below)

• Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries,
• Vanguard Cinema
• Directed; Stewart Hendler
• Written by; Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing

Hard Sci fi in print

Broadly speaking works of hard SF are heavy on scientific detail and accuracy. Writers of hard SF include:

Greg Bear:

Bleeding edge science. His novel Darwin’s Radio (1999) won the 2000 Nebula. And has recently finished the Halo Forerunner trilogy.

Isaac Asimov:

A PhD in biochemistry, Author Foundation series and “The Three Laws of Robotics”.

Arthur C Clarke:

One of the major names in science fiction, the author of the sentinel and 2001

Hard Sci fi in cinema

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick it was futuristic but grounded in a possible future reality 2001 (above)  looks at artificial intelligence and evolution amongst other subjects. (above.)

Blade Runner (1982)

Earthbound and Futuristic, heavy on the “soft” Sciences and hard science, reference point Sci Fi noir

Interstellar (2014)

“The story involves time travel and alternate dimensions and sees a group of explorers travel through a wormhole. The script is based on scientific theories developed by Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, gravitational physicist and astrophysicist at Caltech.”

Soft Sci Fi in print

With Soft SF, the focus on sociology, psychology, and philosophy. I think soft is a misnomer but as is the nature of the Sci fi communities there will be plenty of people to disagree with me

Ray Bradbury:

is known from The Martian Chronicles (1950) and Fahrenheit 451 (1953). His novels are often both earthbound and futuristic

Frank Herbert:

He is best known for his Dune universe. not without hard Sci Fi elements

Karen Traviss:

often writes military Sci fi but can be lumped in with soft Sci fi, although not without  Harder elements. Karen concentrates on human relationships with in a military set up on a futuristic canvas. E.g. Halo kilo 5 trilogy

Soft Sci Fi in cinema and TV

ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Directed Steven Spielberg has a boy with estranged parents befriending and lost alien child it has science element’s such as symbiosis but is not considered hard Sci Fi

AI Artificial Intelligence(2001)

Again,  Heavy on the “soft” sciences with hard science but made twenty years after Blade Runner, so  I  am putting it with soft Sci Fi

 

Firefly (2002-2003) above

• Mutant Enemy Productions
• Fox
• created by Joss Whedon

Forward unto Dawn (2012)

• Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries,
• Vanguard Cinema
• Directed; Stewart Hendler
• Written by; Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing

Set in a future military academy, we follow a bright young contrarian, through the events  that turn him into a leader. Considered soft Sci Fi it deals with the training of officer recruits in a future military academy and how they deal with an unexpected and overwhelming first contact and alien attack. Science elements are secondary to the social and political ones.

Also…

Gravity 2013

So after some thought my position on hard or soft and futuristic or earthbound, science fiction is: These definition are to hard and absolute, outdated even, like right or Left when you talk about politics. Sci fi is just to complicated you can’t fit it all into any two boxes.