Why Dystopian Sci-Fi Keeps Me Up at Night (And Why That’s a Good Thing)
I’ve been consuming dystopian science fiction ever since I was around sixteen years old. Want to know the truth? These novels, films, and games are...
Movies & TV Shows
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Been There, Done That: My Four Decades of Reading About the End of Everything
Full disclosure: This post has been slowly marinading in my head since shortly after I turned sixty. Hence its timing. Anyway… Having watched human spacecraft...
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From HAL to Samantha: How My Obsession with AI Characters Shows We’re Finally Ready to Embrace Digital Consciousness
I’ll never forget that first time HAL 9000’s smooth, unemotional tone sent shivers down my spine. I was about 15 years old and watching “2001:...
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Why Romance Keeps Ruining My Favorite Sci-Fi Movies
I have a confession to make, something that’s been bothering me for years as both a fan of science fiction and as someone who teaches...
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The Problem with Tidy Endings in Our Broken Worlds
When I walk into a theatre and see a post-apocalyptic story being told in some new form (whether it’s a blockbuster or a low-budget indie),...
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When Sci-Fi Breaks Our Hearts: Characters Who Got Screwed Over by Their Own Stories
I’ve been teaching science fiction to teens for well over a decade and I can honestly say they’re far harsher critics when it comes to...
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Children of Men The Dystopian Thriller That Hit Too Close
I remember vividly my first experience watching Children of Men in 2006; I had never felt like so uneasy watching a dystopian film before. Contrary...
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Ten Essential Sci Fi Films Of The 2000s And Why They Still Matter
Arguments began before we sat down. Quinn started the fight defending Children of Men‘s long takes while Max scoffed at “arty single-shot bullshit.” Diane crossed...
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Why I Keep Going Back to Old-School Sci-Fi Instead of Modern CGI Spectacles
I was 12 years-old when I first put on that beat-up VHS tape of Blade Runner and it changed everything for me. It was long...
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How Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner Taught This Engineer to Appreciate Science Fiction as Art
It was 1983 and my wife rented the movie Blade Runner on VHS – at that time video rental stores were relatively new and renting...
