3 ms·

Currently reading The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner and '70s pessimistic eco-dystopias were really onto something.

JKCalhoun 3y ago
My favorite era of sci-fi films, but I suppose I'm biased having grown up in that era. Make no mistake, I was blown away when "Star Wars" came out like everyone else, but damn, it killed what had been a delicate and thoughtful genre of Hollywood.
- ChoGGi 3y ago
  The 70's are my favorite as well (born in the 80's).
- pavlov 3y ago
  There was a window after Kubrick’s “2001” and before “Star Wars” when science fiction in Hollywood was allowed to be for adults. Robert Wise’s 1979 “Star Trek” is an interesting and unique transitional case because it retains the 2001-inspired ponderous abstract storytelling but got a Star Wars level budget. Personally I love it for that, but I know most people disagree. (Speaking of Wise, his “Andromeda Strain” is an absolute 1970s sci-fi gem.)
- lproven 3y ago
  > it killed what had been a delicate and thoughtful genre of Hollywood. Well said. SF was just growing up and maturing into something important and worth having, and then that stupid fairy-tale-in-space came along and blew it all to hell. I still resent it for that.
discarded1023 3y ago
Enjoy it mate, and all the other fat Brunners. (His Stand on Zanzibar is most of Gibson's Neuromancer ... more than a decade before.) Give the thin ones a miss.
- wombatpm 3y ago
  Jagged Orbit fits in there as well.
- jhbadger 3y ago
  Brunner in general is kind of proto-cyberpunk. Especially The Shockwave Rider.
- piltdownman 3y ago
  TIL. Not sure how I missed this on my trawl of Hugo Winners/Seminal 20th Century Sci-Fi.
- matthewdgreen 3y ago
  I’m baffled by any discussion of Brunner (on HN no less!) that doesn’t start and end with The Shockwave Rider.
antonvs 3y ago
Make sure you read The Shockwave Rider if you haven't already.
verisimi 3y ago
They were either into something, or suggesting something that we have picked up and run with.

My favorite era of sci-fi films, but I suppose I'm biased having grown up in that era. Make no mistake, I was blown away when "Star Wars" came out like everyone else, but damn, it killed what had been a delicate and thoughtful genre of Hollywood.

ChoGGi 3y ago
The 70's are my favorite as well (born in the 80's).
pavlov 3y ago
There was a window after Kubrick’s “2001” and before “Star Wars” when science fiction in Hollywood was allowed to be for adults. Robert Wise’s 1979 “Star Trek” is an interesting and unique transitional case because it retains the 2001-inspired ponderous abstract storytelling but got a Star Wars level budget. Personally I love it for that, but I know most people disagree. (Speaking of Wise, his “Andromeda Strain” is an absolute 1970s sci-fi gem.)
lproven 3y ago
> it killed what had been a delicate and thoughtful genre of Hollywood. Well said. SF was just growing up and maturing into something important and worth having, and then that stupid fairy-tale-in-space came along and blew it all to hell. I still resent it for that.

discarded1023 3y ago

Enjoy it mate, and all the other fat Brunners. (His Stand on Zanzibar is most of Gibson's Neuromancer ... more than a decade before.) Give the thin ones a miss.

wombatpm 3y ago
Jagged Orbit fits in there as well.
jhbadger 3y ago
Brunner in general is kind of proto-cyberpunk. Especially The Shockwave Rider.
piltdownman 3y ago
TIL. Not sure how I missed this on my trawl of Hugo Winners/Seminal 20th Century Sci-Fi.
matthewdgreen 3y ago
I’m baffled by any discussion of Brunner (on HN no less!) that doesn’t start and end with The Shockwave Rider.

antonvs 3y ago

Make sure you read The Shockwave Rider if you haven't already.

verisimi 3y ago

They were either into something, or suggesting something that we have picked up and run with.