3 ms·

I think of it as "cargo cult sci-fi"--adopting the trappings of spaceships and ray guns without understanding or caring about the science. But you're wrong to

I think of it as "cargo cult sci-fi"--adopting the trappings of spaceships and ray guns without understanding or caring about the science. But you're wrong to say that it's a modern issue. That kind of sci-fi has been around since the 1920s at least, pretty much since the moment sci-fi got popular. The facade of grim cynicism may be newer, but it dates to the '80s at least.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
> I think of it as "cargo cult sci-fi"--adopting the trappings of spaceships and ray guns without understanding or caring about the science. Except for the diamond+ hard subgenre, Sci-Fi isn't really about the science anyway. The science serves as a mechanism for introducing premises that allow us to explore aspects of the human condition.
- ianai 8y ago
  I wish it were more often used to flesh out how things could work differently. Like an introduction to ideas outside the mainstream.
- PhasmaFelis 8y ago
  Sure, but there's a difference between medium-soft sci-fi and space fantasy. Star Trek is deeply unrealistic, but it at least attempts to, as you say, use its gadgets to explore interesting premises. Star Wars is fantasy with ray guns.
  - krapp 8y ago
    A lot of Star Trek comes really close to being "fantasy with ray guns" too, let's be honest. I mean, which is really sillier, subspace or hyperspace?
    - vidarh 8y ago
      The difference comes in what they do with it. In Star Wars they "just" pursue the interests of the characters, and the focus is on the excitement, while in most of Star Trek the resolution of conflict is about solving some moral dilemma. They're very similar in that the tech is mostly veneer, but they're very dissimilar in why the details of the tech doesn't matter.
    - PhasmaFelis 8y ago
      It's often exactly that, for sure. But sometimes it tries for something more.
  - vidarh 8y ago
    Star Trek are basically Greek-style morality plays. They could as well be e.g. Aesop-style fables in most instances. And they adopt traditions of Greek theatre of clearly signposting the characters through appearance without worrying the least bit about hitting the viewer over the head with it. Less so in the newer series, but TOS, TNG, Voyager and DS9 very much follows a structure of setting a scene, introducing a conflict that at it's core is usually based around a simple dilemma of morality or ethics, and having a part of the resolution be a dialogue that explicitly addresses the dilemma.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago

> I think of it as "cargo cult sci-fi"--adopting the trappings of spaceships and ray guns without understanding or caring about the science. Except for the diamond+ hard subgenre, Sci-Fi isn't really about the science anyway. The science serves as a mechanism for introducing premises that allow us to explore aspects of the human condition.

ianai 8y ago
I wish it were more often used to flesh out how things could work differently. Like an introduction to ideas outside the mainstream.
PhasmaFelis 8y ago
Sure, but there's a difference between medium-soft sci-fi and space fantasy. Star Trek is deeply unrealistic, but it at least attempts to, as you say, use its gadgets to explore interesting premises. Star Wars is fantasy with ray guns.
- krapp 8y ago
  A lot of Star Trek comes really close to being "fantasy with ray guns" too, let's be honest. I mean, which is really sillier, subspace or hyperspace?
  - vidarh 8y ago
    The difference comes in what they do with it. In Star Wars they "just" pursue the interests of the characters, and the focus is on the excitement, while in most of Star Trek the resolution of conflict is about solving some moral dilemma. They're very similar in that the tech is mostly veneer, but they're very dissimilar in why the details of the tech doesn't matter.
  - PhasmaFelis 8y ago
    It's often exactly that, for sure. But sometimes it tries for something more.
- vidarh 8y ago
  Star Trek are basically Greek-style morality plays. They could as well be e.g. Aesop-style fables in most instances. And they adopt traditions of Greek theatre of clearly signposting the characters through appearance without worrying the least bit about hitting the viewer over the head with it. Less so in the newer series, but TOS, TNG, Voyager and DS9 very much follows a structure of setting a scene, introducing a conflict that at it's core is usually based around a simple dilemma of morality or ethics, and having a part of the resolution be a dialogue that explicitly addresses the dilemma.