2026-11-13
I've been into Sci Fi for a long time, long enough to know that much of what is seen as Sci Fi isn't.... at least by my standard anyway. So what's the standard? Well... for starters...
- The story has to at least at the core be about an as-factual-as-possible concept and explore the ramifications that this concept has, while remaining as factual as possible.
- Story conveniences are allowed to assist you to get to the point of the story, or in the case of a movie simplify production, but should they should be only a side isssue and not key to the story. For example if you want to tell a story about time travel explaining factually how it works is not needed ('cos we don't even know), and if you're doing a movie it's fine to accept artifcial gravity as it really makes production so much harder.
- Being in space or in the past has nothing to do with Sci Fi; for example a story about time travel can start in the 1700s and be steam powered if need be. Going back to the earlier point, you don't need to explain how everything works, especially if no one really knows. Afterall, a lot of Sci Fi was written in the 1800s (such as Jules Verne), and it's not made invalid due to it's age. Conversly, a story set in 2102 is not instantly Sci-Fi by nature of it's setting. It could be a pure romance and just use the period as a way to make it different. Same story being set in space. If your story is set in space but glosses over all science then it really isn't Sci-Fi.
- Finally, I'm not saying things that are not Sci-Fi are not good. Just that they are not Sci-Fi. I like my fiction as fictional as possible in most cases...
Examples? I've got a few! Do note there are spoilers here...
- Firefly. Great show, but it's 90% a western. Hundreds of teraformed moons with Earth-like atmosphere and gravity? No FTL yet everthing within a few days of travel? There certainly are some potential Sci-Fi elements, such as the Pax, but these have all the science of the average Zombie flick. Telepathic powers are smilar; it makes it Fantasy sure, but Firefly could have most of story moved to Fantasy Western environment and it would loose little. Are there any Fantasy Western stories? That is mixing magic with a Western? I suppose Indian culture often mixes that kinda stuff in.
- Star Wars. Nope. Almost nothing Sci-Fi here. Planets with one eco-system? Losing your light speed but still finding a safe refuge near by? Small fighters with light speed? Hovering Destroyers? (And I'm missing out on some of the really crazy stuff...) It's fantasy in space.
- Babyon 5. It's close at times. It makes some serious efforts with things like Earth space fighters, but that's the exception. I love the show, but it's really just a political drama in space with some crazy philosophy tossed it.
- Star Trek. Sadly generally no. Too often problems are solved with technobabble, and the solutions and stories have poor consistency. For example, people get old because of a disease, but it's solved by altering the body using a transporter trick. Does this mean that people can be de-aged in general? Sure seems that way to me...
Examples of more Sci-Fi?
- Planetes. Show about a space junk team mostly. Quite good details. Don't really want to ruin the story though.
- The Martian. Pretty good for the most part.
- 2001. Hard to fault this one. Really the only thing that was fantastical is the timelines, but there was a lot of positivity of Space research in the early 70s, which is surprising as if you look into it, it was a massive effort for NASA to get the amout of Moon shots they did.
- Interstellar. Good for the most part. Some major inconsistencies such as rocket off the Earth, then single stage to orbit thereafter, even on heavy gravity planets? And the whole Blight thing; surely a giant enclosed habitat on Earth would be easier than giant enclosed habitats in Space....
Yeah, in short I'm picky, and this rant is getting too long already so I'll probably sub rant this later. The whole trigger for this was watching "Project Hail Mary". Sci-Fi it is not. Both of the alien species are crazy wierd, and crazy convenient that their crazy weirdness is the key to solving the problem. ...and the language learning. Wow. Seems too fast to me. But, like many, I like the positivity and thus I like the movie. But "Hard Sci-Fi"? Nope.
