It's like music and movies: A lot of the original stuff is "underground", past or present. The mainstream ideas that sell the most are usually copy and paste, or serialized to make the most profit. Sci-fi is mostly inexhaustible imho as it's not just the ideas themselves that matter, but the unique perspectives that are brought forth to explore said ideas. There will always be new perspectives or angles to explore.
I think the problem with SF is the same problem as with the entire planet: late stage capitalism. Small anecdote: It used to be that investor returns on profits never exceeded 40%. This left most corporations with enough meat on the bone to weather storms and to take a fewrisks. Now investor returns are commonly over 60%. Most companies are profoundly risk averse, relying on squeezing as much as possible from existing IPs (with fan bases), customers and their own employees. I could be talking about any product here, but it works particularly well for media companies. Mergers mean higher prices, less competition and fewer actual creatives in the mix. This is just one of many negative trends resulting from negative wealth distribution. And all of this is to the backbeat of an existential crises that will hit its stride in about 20 years (according to the latest studies). Hard times are often fodder for creativity, but it seems our institutions are compromised, the media is dedictated to keeping us divided and distracted, and the vast majority of the population has been seized in a rictus of fear and indecisiveness. Presumably there is less risk within the publishing industry, but I don't really know.
I love science fiction as a genre. I like fantasy but usually like to go for a blend of sci-fi and fantasy because SF feels closer to reality. I think you articulated my thoughts perfectly when you said that sci-fi worlds are like a mirror of our own world and is a creative way to explore the question "What if...". Also, sci-fi tends to explore philosophical questions more than other genres.
The expanse. Altered carbon. Oblibion. The edge of tomorrow. Chapie, district 9 and elyseum. Just to mention some that, not only successfully transcend the original media, but also dropped 'fresh air' by the buckets.. Add some of them that by riding a trope not only break the sci-fi/fantasy boxing line with passion.
There's 2 problems at the moment. 1. The constant remakes/reboots/sequels. Do we really need a new BSG that only ended just over a decade ago? What will it bring new, especially when one arm of sci-fi at the minute is AI robots rebelling is constantly being run into the ground. The easy option of using an already existing IP that saves money on advertising and already has an audience. 2. Original ideas jumping feet first into being 'weird' for weird sake. I really wanted to love Raised By Wolves. The world building and lore really new with some fresh ideas and performances. But as it went on it just became too weird and failed to explain anything really. Similar to Westworld it collapsed under its own weight and I feel a desire to be "different" and "intelligent" when it just became, confusing, sluggish and then trying to be 'too clever'. I feel Foundation is similar but I'll always give new sci-fi a try. Even if now I expect to be disappointed
I think part of the problem is that sci-fi media is too eager to simply replicate in order to keep cash flow. Rehashed ideas aren't inherently bad, I don't think, it's just up to the creators to find original ways to introduce the ideas and give them new life, but today we seem to be stuck with the easy copy and paste path.
What a great video! The old guard is vanishing but what will take its place? Analog magazine no longer gives a John Campbell award (best writer) because he set the tone that haunts this genre.."stale, sterile, male, white, exalting in the ambitions of imperialists, colonialists, settlers & industrialists.” Each week I spend a few hours at the bookstore and have noticed a huge shift in sci-fi. A good 80% is forgettable - outworn tropes (EMP, nuclear, pandemic apocalypse, evil AI, corporate rule, teens save the world, Area 51, alien invasion, dystopias, future empires with unpronounceable names). New writers think originality is the use of hot button topics - race, gender, AI, corporate power, politics, wealth gap, etc . We are in a holding pattern as technology rushes ahead faster and what is possible and probable constantly change. As for movies, a friend left Hollywood and gave me an earful. The older East-coast Jewish guys who gave us hit and hit have been replaced with young, inexperienced, unacquainted folks who rarely read and don't care. Remakes and sequels are popular because they are easier and cheaper (sunk costs). Financial - not artistic - reasons lead to a lack of originality in film sci fi. I said there are hundreds of great novels and he laughed. They are too complex and not applicable for the formulaic approach used today.
Very thoughtful and encompassing response, thank you. Sometimes a topic of discussion has no clear response yet the comments offered, when sifted through provide a much clearer reply along productive lines. As such, the most notable thing I can think of to add to your elaborate considerations: In general those who produced high quality output be it art or cultural materials, they tended to do several things: 1. They used their own personal experiences to translate into their work 2. They may have explored a number of different subject domains to a high degree or skill level as source material to draw on 3. The area or domain itself, they often would have mastered or become highly familiar with in the same way earlier writers would be in tune with classical sources such as biblical, Shakespearian, Greek and Roman sources 4. The Culture itself may well have been familiar with some common grounding amongst the people which can make a big difference compared to many different people with many differences in their groundings with each other (thus the market of target audience becomes necessary for the dumbing down effect). Looking at things this way, it may help to explain where "originality" comes from into what we can call "secondary cultural materials or artifacts". Let's say this is the "right way" and contrast it with what you raised such as the financial or commercial imperative in the process of modern production eg Big Publishers or even worse the implantation of propaganda in Big Productions in Hollywood or Disney due to political manipulations.
Thank you for yet another very interesting and informative video about my favourite genre, science fiction. I appreciate your direct and concise style and your clear and articulate delivery which stands in sharp contrast to the mumbled and rushed ramblings found on so many other channels. Keep up the good work!
You can’t reboot iconic characters nor a story that classified as a classic. It’s true artists take from the old, but it’s how you shape common elements with fresh perspectives. You want stories filled with characters that relate, but don’t feel familiar. Sci-fi can speak new intriguing narratives. My new favorite is Red Rising that’s has a unique universal empire that separates the masses by talents and the colors that represent them. Main character loses his love, decides to reinvent himself to take down the Universal Authoritarian government. It does remind you many other sci-fi’s, but commonalities are used as literally tools to explore space anarchy in new way.
The German space opera pulp series 'Perry Rhodan' has kept it's fans happy for over 60 years now being a weekly series plus spin-offs and one-shots. Their restart from 2011 is published parallel to the original series. A space opera series that sometimes explores new ideas and concepts, tries and sometimes succeeds to evoke a sense of wonder while entertaining people. And it's the greatest science fiction series in the world with with over 5,000 pulps and novels published since 1961.
in the US I think we are in a rut (especially in movies). I'm over big-budget sci-fi films & TV shows, and I cringe when I hear 'reboot'. I've enjoyed some of the Netflix shows from other countries - Dark, Ragnorak, The Silent Sea and Kingdom is a fresh take on zombies. Lower-budget movies like Arq, Spectral, Time Trap, Extinction, and IO have been surprisingly good. I'm ready for the B-movies to return - don't need great special effects if the story is solid. You are right though, in literature, there are more interesting takes on common sci-fi plots with the diversity of authors we have now.
There's a lot of original & interesting sci-fi happening on the lit and graphic novel side. Nnedi Okorafor's "Binti" trilogy Aliette de Bodard's Xuya Universe stories & novels Ryka Aoki's "Light From Uncommon Stars" NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy Brian Vaughan's & Fiona Staples' "Saga" comic series (while it features a lot of tropes but it combines them in a really interesting way) Most of Samuel Delany's books still feel fresh Paul Park's "Starbridge" trilogy, thirty-odd years old now, still feels pretty original
Beatrix Potter once said "Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality." To bring more originality to sci-fi, I think we need to explore ideas from other genres or just different parts of life in general.
I do think the "risk" factor is the biggest problem facing the genre. Especially considering the emphasis on Big Budget = Success mentality. I also think that the idea of using sci-fi to challenge the status quo or introduce esoteric concepts seems harder with modern audiences sense of comfort. Hopefully the success of something like Godzilla Minus One may help convince the suits to scale it back a bit and maybe give a shot at at mid budget films with off beat ideas. Personally I really need to check out some of these newer books I've heard about.
Aeon 14 created by M. D. Cooper puts together great many sci-fi elements in coherent and serious ways: space opera, cyberpunk, mechas, ring worlds, Dyson sphere, equivalent of the Matrix, nano machines, advanced equivalent of neural link, sentient AIs, time travel, and more. Between Worlds by J.L. Williams is about a man recruited to alien military. This is big on a world building and gender dynamics in a female dominated universe where a male dominated Earth is an exception.
I agree that Severance was a surprise and a delight although I am worried about second season (I hope it is not lost in ways of "Lost" ...) As far as scifi: it seems you have a blind spot for adult animations? Both Pantheon seasons were mind blowing near term future stories (based and improved Ken Liu's Hidden Girl short stories) and Cyberpunk Edgerunners which is the best cyberpunk of last 10 years for me. Outside scifi there are mind blowing creations like One Piece universe with amazing worldbuilding and heart wrenching stories (equal or surpassed Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Tolkien) and Arcane that is something out of this world. For non fiction but science and space so good it i feels like fiction: "JPL and the Space Age" series on youtube is as innovative and surprising as majority of fiction but it is real ...
I think one tv show that should ALWAYS get mentioned as good sci-fi is Westworld, especially season 1. This is one of the best tv seasons ever filmed imo and one of the most beautiful, profound and thought provoking explorations of ai/robots gaining consciousness.
Have you seen the recently released series called Scavengers Reign? It shows xenobiology on a scale that to my knowledge has never been done on television and it's wonderfully weaved into the story, not just there for the visuals.
Although I love reading grand space opera, I believe in the past there was more of the elements of science fiction on the small scale, where an unusual futuristic idea and its consequences are explored. This sounds more like a short story, but could be a novel of 250 pages or less.
The thing that I don't like is that people's idea of creative means making the movie or video game as ridiculous as possible. It's like why do they put lame ass light saber's in star wars. Sword's are outdated so why put advanced sword's in star wars. Light saber's are completely nerdy and childish. How about they just focus on the gun's instead. Believe it or not you can still be creative without making every science fiction movie or video game like a fucking cartoon. The grunt's from halo are also a fucking joke. They run from master chief with their hands up in the air and say in their cute pathetic little fucking voices the demon is here. Also why do they gotta make the grunt's all harmless and cute looking? I like the way they made peebee look in mass effect. Even tho she's a alien peebee didn't look cartoonish she actually looked like how I could imagine aliens might look like if alien's existed. I don't believe In alien's for religious reasons but aliens can be cool in video games and movies if they aren't fake looking, comical looking, cartoonish, cutesy cutesy looking creatures like stupid pethedic little grunt's that run from master chief and act like idiots. Movie's don't have to be realistic for me but video games have to be realistic for me to have fun playing them. If I'm playing a science fiction game I don't want the gun's to look like toy water gun's cuz I actually like gun's and take gun's seriously so I wanna shoot cool futuristic guns that don't exist yet and don't look like toy's. It's a escape from the boring reality of us still being really low tech prepared to our full potential. The plasma rifles in halo are a great example of science fiction gun's that look incredible. Yes some people may think they look cartoonish but that's because we're not used to technology that looks that high tech. Too me silly cartoony looking gun's look like gun's with chainsaws attached to them like in gears of war. I'm sure the game devs thought they were being creative but they failed spectacularly at being creative. Game developers really need to learn the difference between being creative and just making things in video games look like stupid fucking kid's toy's. Seriously game devs they can put in way more effort into creating these video games than that. Just making gun's look as detailed as possible isn't enough you actually gotta know how to make the gun's look cool otherwise the gun's just look like the game developers that created them have no taste. As far as science fiction movies go sometimes the ridiculous things in movies just make me laugh but science fiction video games are my way of experiencing a realistic high tech world that I currently don't live in. When I control the character's I'm living through the character's so since I would hate for real life to look like a cartoon I don't want the characters I'm controlling and living my life through to look like a cartoon.
A comparison to popular music may seem somewhat relevant: a rehash of what was new once upon a time, maybe technically better these days, but generally speaking just "the same old song". Yet, if the songwriters/authors are good then the music and books are enjoyable - and, luckily, once in a blue moon we'll come across something that makes us remember just how wonderful a genuinely new take on things can be. I remain optimistic while waiting for new generations of talented kids! ❤
It depends on how wide your trope is. For example, if you call "Time Travel" a trope, then you could say that anything after H.G. Wells "The Time Machine" is derivative. If you call "Space Travel/Exploration" a trope, then anything after Jules Verne "The First Men in the Moon" is derivative. If your tropes are this wide, then there are probably only a small handful of categories. In any case, I always enjoy your content - especially when you ask questions like these...
While I generally with your comment I must make a small observation: was also written by Wells; Verne's first moon novel was From the Earth to the Moon (De la Terre à la Lune). Verne's travellers never actually landed on the moon, as is made plain in his later novel Around the Moon (Autour de la Lune). Sorry to be such a pedant but I just can't help myself. 😉
@@SteampunkEngineering - good points. It's been a while since I read the classics (currently re-reading Foundation). Pedants Unite (as long as we can all agree on a time/place and what the defintion of a pedant actually is...)
Originality doesn't need to be just milieu and environment. A detective investigating a space corporation malfeasance, is a bit cliched, even when it done by a robot(replicant). Yet Murderbot is an awesome series that seems to be well loved and critically received. I think originality is a key to SF; but a good author can spin tired cliches into an entrancing story, if they couldn't main stream fiction would have been done years ago. Nice to see "Klara and the Sun" getting some love, it needs to be better known.
While viewed with a superficial lense, everything will be familiar in some way. But that is mostly superficial, imho. Not to say sf has never been full of derivatives. There has always been a deluge of mass-produced derivative content made by authors and publishers thinking that if osmething sells, they need more of the same thing (a common misconception that repeatedly leads to fads in both literature and cinema/tv throughout this and the previous century). Also, one medium that still gets ignored a lot is videogames. Titles like Stray, Horizon Zero Dawn/Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us (admittedly a bit older), or, to point deliberately at something older, Bioshock are barely even a blip on the radar of the sf scene despite being highly successful titles in the genre with original ideas.
I loved watching American Sci-Fi movies in the 80's. Even the most low budget movies often had some very interesting and original concepts. But Anime is still churning out one original movie after another. I've you've never entered the world of Anime, I've written a list for you with some classics: Parasite (Kiseijuu): This series presents a unique concept of alien parasites that take over human bodies, leading to a symbiotic relationship between the host and the parasite. Gantz: After dying, individuals are transported to a room with a black sphere called Gantz, which forces them to participate in a high-stakes game where they must hunt down aliens hiding on Earth. Points are awarded for each kill, with the possibility of earning enough to be granted a second chance at life or superior weaponry. Death Note: This series revolves around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the person's name while picturing their face. The series explores the moral implications of having such power. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin): This series presents a unique post-apocalyptic world where humanity lives within enormous walled cities to protect themselves from Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. Made in Abyss: Features a young girl who descends into a massive, mysterious pit known as the Abyss to find her mother, encountering strange creatures and harsh realities of survival. My all time favorite and a real space Sci-Fi adventure story with a ton of depth is: Trigun Don't be fooled into thinking it's only a ridiculous comedy. It shifts and very interesting concepts get explored.
Not original at all? Compared to what? I guess my portrayal of those concepts missed the mark as those movies are far more original than any Hollywood movies I've seen in the last 20 years. @@aaronlaughter6471
Good overview - thanks. A part of the 'It's complicated' answer is the factor of the reader/viewer/consumer fining all this varied content. There is over a hundred years of SF output and amazingly new people are born, learn to read, discover SF for (their) first time. They may 'self-channel' themselves being the thought that 'it's all very same-y' I would guess all of us have areas/styles/sections of SF that if we came across them we would realize there is an extra breath of 'imagined stories' out there, new concepts to be covered that we as individuals have yet to find. Certainly true in the realm of the written word which by it's very nature is a solitary activity. In movies - and now so in the Streaming TV world - production costs have, I believe, impeded experimentation or searching out quality niche material.
10:40 ... I enjoyed Raised By Wolves! The 2nd season faltered a bit (hampered by having to wait 2 years) but still engaging and I was very disappointed when I learned it was cancelled!!
I would urge folks looking for new sci-fi to hunt down anthologies of short stories. These often have a bit more leeway than full novels in terms of creativity--the ability to highlight that one 'what if' without having to do as much world-building after that gives a lot of creative freedom, and multi-author anthologies, in particular, let you find new gems amidst the all the dross. Also, for those who despair, I want to remind you that the classics of the 'golden age' of sci-fi were NOT the only science fiction being written then; rather, they're the ones that survived. For every Foundation, there's a hundred long-forgotten duds that five people read, and only one actually liked. Do an experiment--go to a used bookstore and find a random pulp paperback from the 50s, by an author you've never heard of, and give it a read. Trust me, it'll probably be a rip-off of someone you HAVE heard of, or just a rehash of a bunch of old story tropes. (Though every once in awhile, this experiment will find something at least fun to read, if not particularly good from the highbrow critic perspective.)
Authors and writers who push new ideas into sci-fi have always been few and far between. Iain M Banks was a great author who did so and is much missed. When we look back at previous works what we miss is those that failed to survive the ultimate test: time. I would recommend watching Sapphire and Steel from the 1980s if you want to see a really interesting series around time travel.
I can think of one book series that introduces a new idea: Grand Central Arena by Ryk E. Spoor. The premise is that humanity, in a future where technology has rendered the need for work, war, and everything else but entertainment largely obsolete. It is in this setting that humanity's first faster than light engine is developed. A racing pilot is recruited to be Earth's first captain, as the skillset she possesses is the closest thing humanity still has to experience with commanding and flying a vessel in space. The drive is activated, and the crew finds themselves...elsewhere. It ends forever everything humanity had thought they knew about the nature of the universe, FTL flight, and the origins of life. Instead, the universe apparently revolves around the Arena...a mysterious alternate space where alien races compete to complete their goals. All FTL technologies possible merely cause the ship to emerge in Arenaspace, and the Arena itself enforces its rules upon all races who discover it. You get the idea. It's a pretty dang original idea.
The real issue is that major entertainment corporations don't want original projects for fear of high risk. Some works I've read could be beautifully done as a film. But this can only manifest after three things. First, it must be made by an independent artist who doesn't fear economic risk. Second, it must be well done. Third, it must garner some recognition. Until that happens, we'll see the same problem happen again and again.
I may be a bit lucky, as I read a ton of science fiction into my early to mid-twenties then I got on a literary fiction kick, and didn’t read as much science fiction. In the last couple of years I have started to read much more science fiction (I retired and started writing my one science fiction and needed to study the genre of the 21st Century), In this new literary journey I have found lots of new and interesting material. I wonder if maybe you find a lack of originality because you are saturated in a world of science fiction. It is like someone who only reads Harlequin Romances complaining that there are no original love stories. Yes, many of the tropes have been done to death, but it is in the tropes that we find familiarity. If something is too different is may take time to find an audience. Dune was so strange that it was rejected and ended up being published by a company that publishes car repair books (Chilton). Why, because it was too innovative and strange. I also like Margaret Atwood who does write science fiction, but doesn’t embrace that genre because she writes literary fiction. You can look at Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” which one a Pulitzer, but is a dystopian (although not sure if it is truly SF because we never know what brought about the dystopian world).
Originality might not be dead, but it certainly feels dormant - on the screen, at least. That said, I think there's some original stuff being done by indie authors. It just doesn't get as much visibility.
I think much of the money for sci fi is in the wrong hands, and the sci fi is being turned into a backdrop to something else. Anyway, if you want a fresh take on War of the Worlds, you might really enjoy my independent production... my subs are really rating it... and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it (It's a series on RUclips). Thanks for the vid, and I like your points of view here, while remaining balanced and not negative. Cheers
I'm currently reading the Dune series, I'm about to finish Children of Dune and start God emperor. It's incredible, it makes me not even want to watch that new star wars garbage. I think there has been some great sci fi but it's not really common. I love Interstellar and Love Death & Robots, those are both less than 10 years old. I believe Denis Villenueve is making Rendezvous With Rama so I'm going to read that after Dune, then I'm gonna read Lord of the Rings 😁
Give a try to Pantheon series. Also it might be that best place to search for innovative indie sci-fi is right here on youtube since it doesn't require any significant budget to distribute. But you will need patience and time in order to find a good stuff.
Seen the 1st season, loved it, waiting to watch 2nd season, I mean the stuff is nothing new to me as a sci fi fan, but it is just such a joy to watch and it seems strange that almost no one seems to know about the series.
@@nineonine9082 second season has a mind bending final, you will love it =) Also you might like short story by professor David Kipping called "Outlasting the Universe" which serve as spiritual continuation to the series and modernized version of "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov. (Since my last comment with this recommendation was deleted I want to clarify to Darrel that I have no intentions of promoting anything including David Kipping's channel. It's just happens to fit the theme of the series and I want to share recommendation with other people who liked Pantheon.)
@@nineonine9082 I watched second season. I liked it much more than first season - realistic take on how societies and politics in changing world would work (or not work)
A profound qestion and a brave one, considering it comes from an author of 2 books (btw, is a third one coming?) I agree with the premise that innovation is written into the genre, and once it's dead, redaers will consider the genre itself dead. Personally, I think discussing Hollywood is slightly irrelevant - they simply don't attempt art. It's a show business factory (both Matrix 4 and Dune disappointed me). For generations, Hollywood writers imitated - then non-existant - large language models, and once those machines came to replace them, they went on strike. Luddism is their only weapon against the market they created themselves through bad writing. As for new ideas, they're going to continue popping up, from good writers, ie. artists. I'd be looking in books. Great video, Darrel
Movie studios are only interested in quick money, not in originality. It’s the same as with modern mainstream ‘music’. It all sounds more or less the same. Quickly produced to get as much money out of it as possible. Could it be that you read so many (types of) SciFi novels that every new one looks a bit familiar?
While I feel your pain, I can see both sides, and have two observations. 1) Most of the science fiction content of the last thirty years is made in and/or financed in the US, where producers want a profit, so they back the tried and true ideas. George Lucas had a helliish time finding the money to make his first Star Wars movie. 2) In the US, adult-level literacy rates are abysmal. Those who can understand science fiction are lawyers , scientists, or doctors who have little free time for reading. Those who read regularly tend to want escapism, reaching for action, mystery, or romance books. Same goes for the movie and tv watchers. Aside from sporting events, the sitcom and detective series are the most popular. Most people want to turn their brains off when they aren’t working. Still, every so often we get The Matrix or Everything Everywhere, All at Once, and the intellectual scifi enthusiasts have material for discussion and bonding, while hoping for more. Still, content is improving, and movies like Arrival are demonstrating that huge special effects budgets are unnecessary for great films to be made. 😺✌️
Its normal that among the risc averse standart occasionaly a unexpected gem appears that managed to get through the mediocrity filter that rules cinema and TV. After all most are in this for the money.
I thought Scavengers reign and Pantheon were two of the most enjoyable programs of last year. Has it be done before in some aspects yes. It's the aspect of anything new that will bring originality. Just like Rebel Moon or Ready player one. Bubblegum for the brain is good sometimes.
No it is not dead, there is still original made sci fi stories, its just a matter of having to look for them as they might be harder to find cause they arent as promoted as much as like star wars or something similar. And its harder to make big epic sci fi stories anymore anyway cause all the major ideas have been taken so as a writer you're forced to either redo the major idea or use minor ideas.
I wish they'd make more movies based on PKD and Heinlein sci fi classics. The reason they don't do that is they're playing it safe with established IP's. I do think it's possible today to make these films with a relatively low budget with advanced fx technology, including AI.
@@ghostdreamer7272 There are so many wild, far out ideas in both Heinlein and PKD's body of work it's hard to pick out one. I'd love to see Moon is a harsh mistress as well as Stranger in a Strange Land, also The Penultimate Truth and We Can Build You.
Early 90s were quite a golden age , because of cgi release a lot creative tv shows went into production , today technology is even cheaper, but because woke agenda is shoved into everything we get a distant glimpse of what it should been ( Foundation)
I'm a simple man. All I need is just laser fights, explosions, boobies, doomsday super-weapons, explosions, *10,000 deaths in one hour, cool sci-fi designs, explosions, R-rated action, and proper "starship porn". 🙂 And did I mention LOTS of explosions, Michael Bay style? 😀 * - Let's see if anyone gets this reference. 🙂
I agree with Twai, but writers and filmmakers must go on, so, let's see new books and movies with old ideas. I miss authors like Dick, Bill Burroughs, Ballard, Bradbury, but we get what we have nowadays. I agrre wit your views, except regarding Dune, which I didn't like, and that goes back to Lynch. I did like Arrival, although a bit melodramatic. That's it.
people who have a surface level view into any genre or type of media or anything really, always say origionality is dead: - people who only see marvel movies and block busters say movies were better 40 years ago because they saw taxi driver 1 time - people say video games are dead only play the new spiderman game and complain about last of us 2 but never seek out indie gems - people say comics are dead because they see 1 out of context panel of a character saying something "woke" or whatever - music is dead because "inter pop singer here" it popular and not the rock band that i like which is actually still quite popular just not as new - people say books are going down hill because some booktok person who writes unserious smut blew up anyone who says stuff like this, or assume that the "essence" of something is lost usually doesn't fully understand the breadth of the genre or piece of media anyways and just want to complain. when people say stuff like this it's never about the media, it's about them being unwilling to actually look for things and challenge how they think.
Andor stands out from the rest but that is the exception, not the rule. Star Wars is a depressing reality. Especially with stories like Hyperion, Neuromancer, and Dune in Scifi literature to compare to
How much Octavia Butler have you read? I heard that her Xenogenesis is being adapted. That will be something completely out of left field, if it’s adapted well
[*points out to sea,*] Oh look; here comes the last wave... All it took was a couple guys like Tolkien and Lewis to completely overhaul the fantasy genre, sci-fi just needs its time.
I will be honest I am getting sick and tired of star wars being the ONLY sci Fi anyone ever talks about. I miss the feeling of something new, something that makes you FEEL like you are in a sci fi. The reason being is because everything just feels like a cash grab. Where is that "I am going to explore the edge of the universe vibe" where is that "let's explain this weird structure that glows" where has that creativity gone. I'm going to be honest can someone please make a sci Fi THAT IS NOT STAR WARS!?
No mention of The Expanse books and tv show? Really? George Lucas took all his inspirations - from Kurosawa to Flash Gordon - and created something new. Zack Snyder just literally takes anything he likes and dumps it on the screen and calls it art. One is a creator, the other is a moron. It's not about originality (what does originality even mean anyway?).It's about taking the same ingredients and creating something new. That's what all good sequels do, for example, that's why Aliens is such a good sequel to Alien.
Some of the most original Sf was is on the "woke" spectrum. U Le Guin, Star Trek Original etc The problem is that rather than being a considered subtext to a good story; modern media slaps you about the face with the "message" and fuck the story.
You think Villeneuve's "Dune" is perfect? You have got to be kidding me. Dude, it's a snooze fest. Not only is it a bad movie version of the book, it's a bad movie period.
I have to disagree with you there. The new "Dune" is slow, plodding, lacking in depth, uninspiring and boring. I really dislike it. The original movie was very much better and of course nothing is better than the book.
I agree, the unfortunate effect of film adaptations that fail to capture the essence of a story is as Tolkien suggested concerning filming or live performance of his books, it would turn it into pantomime.
Dude ur sooooo on cue here now I loves me some DRY sci-fi including George Lucas’s THX ( watch the remastered version even better) but man I had to take a bath 🛀 after watching this new version & everyone’s acting as though it’s brilliant when it’s NOT 🤭🤫🤫🤫❤️
Good lord did the morons come on here? Lynch's Dune is simply unwatchable shite who made the idiotic mistake of applying internal monologuing in everything. Vilineueve was brilliant in 1) trusting the audience would understand and figure it out. 2) made the film flow so much better. Additionally lynch's version didn't understand the core concept of Dune in that the first book is a commentary and critique of the hero story. Villenuve understands this and actually applies this in his film. Slow boring? Stop watching mcu movies.
The recent Dune Book 1 film is a very good interpretation of the novel's first half, though it takes some license I'd rather it hadn't. The second film goes far too far in the direction of taking licence. Overall though, I just think certain stories do not lend themselves to visual interpretation, and Dune is a prime example. It's not a skill issue either. There is too much valuable inner monologue in Dune which just doesn't translate to screen. And there are too many times where portraying Bene Geserit emotional self-control would just look like wooden acting.
I think we're in a "Dark Age" when it comes to Sci-Fi, but it's not just Sci-Fi right now as a culture we've seemingly forgotten how to dream.
Tropes provide a familiar foundation upon which to build. Tropes are merely a starting point. The challenge is the path taken from that point.
As Darryl say in 19:31
It's like music and movies: A lot of the original stuff is "underground", past or present. The mainstream ideas that sell the most are usually copy and paste, or serialized to make the most profit. Sci-fi is mostly inexhaustible imho as it's not just the ideas themselves that matter, but the unique perspectives that are brought forth to explore said ideas. There will always be new perspectives or angles to explore.
I think the problem with SF is the same problem as with the entire planet: late stage capitalism. Small anecdote: It used to be that investor returns on profits never exceeded 40%. This left most corporations with enough meat on the bone to weather storms and to take a fewrisks. Now investor returns are commonly over 60%. Most companies are profoundly risk averse, relying on squeezing as much as possible from existing IPs (with fan bases), customers and their own employees. I could be talking about any product here, but it works particularly well for media companies. Mergers mean higher prices, less competition and fewer actual creatives in the mix. This is just one of many negative trends resulting from negative wealth distribution.
And all of this is to the backbeat of an existential crises that will hit its stride in about 20 years (according to the latest studies). Hard times are often fodder for creativity, but it seems our institutions are compromised, the media is dedictated to keeping us divided and distracted, and the vast majority of the population has been seized in a rictus of fear and indecisiveness. Presumably there is less risk within the publishing industry, but I don't really know.
I love science fiction as a genre. I like fantasy but usually like to go for a blend of sci-fi and fantasy because SF feels closer to reality. I think you articulated my thoughts perfectly when you said that sci-fi worlds are like a mirror of our own world and is a creative way to explore the question "What if...". Also, sci-fi tends to explore philosophical questions more than other genres.
The expanse. Altered carbon. Oblibion. The edge of tomorrow. Chapie, district 9 and elyseum.
Just to mention some that, not only successfully transcend the original media, but also dropped 'fresh air' by the buckets..
Add some of them that by riding a trope not only break the sci-fi/fantasy boxing line with passion.
There's 2 problems at the moment. 1. The constant remakes/reboots/sequels. Do we really need a new BSG that only ended just over a decade ago? What will it bring new, especially when one arm of sci-fi at the minute is AI robots rebelling is constantly being run into the ground. The easy option of using an already existing IP that saves money on advertising and already has an audience. 2. Original ideas jumping feet first into being 'weird' for weird sake. I really wanted to love Raised By Wolves. The world building and lore really new with some fresh ideas and performances. But as it went on it just became too weird and failed to explain anything really. Similar to Westworld it collapsed under its own weight and I feel a desire to be "different" and "intelligent" when it just became, confusing, sluggish and then trying to be 'too clever'. I feel Foundation is similar but I'll always give new sci-fi a try. Even if now I expect to be disappointed
I think part of the problem is that sci-fi media is too eager to simply replicate in order to keep cash flow. Rehashed ideas aren't inherently bad, I don't think, it's just up to the creators to find original ways to introduce the ideas and give them new life, but today we seem to be stuck with the easy copy and paste path.
Hard to write stories about dystopian technological futures when the present is already there.
Fantastic video. Manga still bring amazing new sci-fi concepts. Knights of Sidonia, BLAME!, BIOMEGA.I recommend you have a look at these.
Tsutomu Nihei is great
What a great video! The old guard is vanishing but what will take its place? Analog magazine no longer gives a John Campbell award (best writer) because he set the tone that haunts this genre.."stale, sterile, male, white, exalting in the ambitions of imperialists, colonialists, settlers & industrialists.” Each week I spend a few hours at the bookstore and have noticed a huge shift in sci-fi. A good 80% is forgettable - outworn tropes (EMP, nuclear, pandemic apocalypse, evil AI, corporate rule, teens save the world, Area 51, alien invasion, dystopias, future empires with unpronounceable names). New writers think originality is the use of hot button topics - race, gender, AI, corporate power, politics, wealth gap, etc . We are in a holding pattern as technology rushes ahead faster and what is possible and probable constantly change.
As for movies, a friend left Hollywood and gave me an earful. The older East-coast Jewish guys who gave us hit and hit have been replaced with young, inexperienced, unacquainted folks who rarely read and don't care. Remakes and sequels are popular because they are easier and cheaper (sunk costs). Financial - not artistic - reasons lead to a lack of originality in film sci fi. I said there are hundreds of great novels and he laughed. They are too complex and not applicable for the formulaic approach used today.
Very thoughtful and encompassing response, thank you. Sometimes a topic of discussion has no clear response yet the comments offered, when sifted through provide a much clearer reply along productive lines.
As such, the most notable thing I can think of to add to your elaborate considerations: In general those who produced high quality output be it art or cultural materials, they tended to do several things: 1. They used their own personal experiences to translate into their work 2. They may have explored a number of different subject domains to a high degree or skill level as source material to draw on 3. The area or domain itself, they often would have mastered or become highly familiar with in the same way earlier writers would be in tune with classical sources such as biblical, Shakespearian, Greek and Roman sources 4. The Culture itself may well have been familiar with some common grounding amongst the people which can make a big difference compared to many different people with many differences in their groundings with each other (thus the market of target audience becomes necessary for the dumbing down effect).
Looking at things this way, it may help to explain where "originality" comes from into what we can call "secondary cultural materials or artifacts". Let's say this is the "right way" and contrast it with what you raised such as the financial or commercial imperative in the process of modern production eg Big Publishers or even worse the implantation of propaganda in Big Productions in Hollywood or Disney due to political manipulations.
Good comment! I get 30 minutes every few years in a bookstore.
Thank you for yet another very interesting and informative video about my favourite genre, science fiction. I appreciate your direct and concise style and your clear and articulate delivery which stands in sharp contrast to the mumbled and rushed ramblings found on so many other channels. Keep up the good work!
I LOVE this video. And thanks so much for encouraging people towards Indies.
You can’t reboot iconic characters nor a story that classified as a classic. It’s true artists take from the old, but it’s how you shape common elements with fresh perspectives. You want stories filled with characters that relate, but don’t feel familiar. Sci-fi can speak new intriguing narratives. My new favorite is Red Rising that’s has a unique universal empire that separates the masses by talents and the colors that represent them. Main character loses his love, decides to reinvent himself to take down the Universal Authoritarian government. It does remind you many other sci-fi’s, but commonalities are used as literally tools to explore space anarchy in new way.
hope for writers to shine
The German space opera pulp series 'Perry Rhodan' has kept it's fans happy for over 60 years now being a weekly series plus spin-offs and one-shots. Their restart from 2011 is published parallel to the original series.
A space opera series that sometimes explores new ideas and concepts, tries and sometimes succeeds to evoke a sense of wonder while entertaining people.
And it's the greatest science fiction series in the world with with over 5,000 pulps and novels published since 1961.
in the US I think we are in a rut (especially in movies). I'm over big-budget sci-fi films & TV shows, and I cringe when I hear 'reboot'. I've enjoyed some of the Netflix shows from other countries - Dark, Ragnorak, The Silent Sea and Kingdom is a fresh take on zombies. Lower-budget movies like Arq, Spectral, Time Trap, Extinction, and IO have been surprisingly good. I'm ready for the B-movies to return - don't need great special effects if the story is solid. You are right though, in literature, there are more interesting takes on common sci-fi plots with the diversity of authors we have now.
There's a lot of original & interesting sci-fi happening on the lit and graphic novel side.
Nnedi Okorafor's "Binti" trilogy
Aliette de Bodard's Xuya Universe stories & novels
Ryka Aoki's "Light From Uncommon Stars"
NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy
Brian Vaughan's & Fiona Staples' "Saga" comic series (while it features a lot of tropes but it combines them in a really interesting way)
Most of Samuel Delany's books still feel fresh
Paul Park's "Starbridge" trilogy, thirty-odd years old now, still feels pretty original
Beatrix Potter once said "Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality." To bring more originality to sci-fi, I think we need to explore ideas from other genres or just different parts of life in general.
I do think the "risk" factor is the biggest problem facing the genre. Especially considering the emphasis on Big Budget = Success mentality. I also think that the idea of using sci-fi to challenge the status quo or introduce esoteric concepts seems harder with modern audiences sense of comfort. Hopefully the success of something like Godzilla Minus One may help convince the suits to scale it back a bit and maybe give a shot at at mid budget films with off beat ideas.
Personally I really need to check out some of these newer books I've heard about.
Aeon 14 created by M. D. Cooper puts together great many sci-fi elements in coherent and serious ways: space opera, cyberpunk, mechas, ring worlds, Dyson sphere, equivalent of the Matrix, nano machines, advanced equivalent of neural link, sentient AIs, time travel, and more.
Between Worlds by J.L. Williams is about a man recruited to alien military. This is big on a world building and gender dynamics in a female dominated universe where a male dominated Earth is an exception.
I agree that Severance was a surprise and a delight although I am worried about second season (I hope it is not lost in ways of "Lost" ...)
As far as scifi: it seems you have a blind spot for adult animations? Both Pantheon seasons were mind blowing near term future stories (based and improved Ken Liu's Hidden Girl short stories) and Cyberpunk Edgerunners which is the best cyberpunk of last 10 years for me.
Outside scifi there are mind blowing creations like One Piece universe with amazing worldbuilding and heart wrenching stories (equal or surpassed Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Tolkien) and Arcane that is something out of this world.
For non fiction but science and space so good it i feels like fiction: "JPL and the Space Age" series on youtube is as innovative and surprising as majority of fiction but it is real ...
I think one tv show that should ALWAYS get mentioned as good sci-fi is Westworld, especially season 1. This is one of the best tv seasons ever filmed imo and one of the most beautiful, profound and thought provoking explorations of ai/robots gaining consciousness.
Thanks a LOT, Darrel, for all these videos! 🙂 ❤ 👍
Have you seen the recently released series called Scavengers Reign? It shows xenobiology on a scale that to my knowledge has never been done on television and it's wonderfully weaved into the story, not just there for the visuals.
Totally agree, and outstanding show with a level of visual storytelling I've never seen before in science fiction.
Although I love reading grand space opera, I believe in the past there was more of the elements of science fiction on the small scale, where an unusual futuristic idea and its consequences are explored. This sounds more like a short story, but could be a novel of 250 pages or less.
Creativity has declined because people believe quotes like the one you posted are true. So they don't really try anymore.
The thing that I don't like is that people's idea of creative means making the movie or video game as ridiculous as possible. It's like why do they put lame ass light saber's in star wars. Sword's are outdated so why put advanced sword's in star wars. Light saber's are completely nerdy and childish. How about they just focus on the gun's instead. Believe it or not you can still be creative without making every science fiction movie or video game like a fucking cartoon. The grunt's from halo are also a fucking joke. They run from master chief with their hands up in the air and say in their cute pathetic little fucking voices the demon is here. Also why do they gotta make the grunt's all harmless and cute looking? I like the way they made peebee look in mass effect. Even tho she's a alien peebee didn't look cartoonish she actually looked like how I could imagine aliens might look like if alien's existed. I don't believe In alien's for religious reasons but aliens can be cool in video games and movies if they aren't fake looking, comical looking, cartoonish, cutesy cutesy looking creatures like stupid pethedic little grunt's that run from master chief and act like idiots. Movie's don't have to be realistic for me but video games have to be realistic for me to have fun playing them. If I'm playing a science fiction game I don't want the gun's to look like toy water gun's cuz I actually like gun's and take gun's seriously so I wanna shoot cool futuristic guns that don't exist yet and don't look like toy's. It's a escape from the boring reality of us still being really low tech prepared to our full potential. The plasma rifles in halo are a great example of science fiction gun's that look incredible. Yes some people may think they look cartoonish but that's because we're not used to technology that looks that high tech. Too me silly cartoony looking gun's look like gun's with chainsaws attached to them like in gears of war. I'm sure the game devs thought they were being creative but they failed spectacularly at being creative. Game developers really need to learn the difference between being creative and just making things in video games look like stupid fucking kid's toy's. Seriously game devs they can put in way more effort into creating these video games than that. Just making gun's look as detailed as possible isn't enough you actually gotta know how to make the gun's look cool otherwise the gun's just look like the game developers that created them have no taste. As far as science fiction movies go sometimes the ridiculous things in movies just make me laugh but science fiction video games are my way of experiencing a realistic high tech world that I currently don't live in. When I control the character's I'm living through the character's so since I would hate for real life to look like a cartoon I don't want the characters I'm controlling and living my life through to look like a cartoon.
A comparison to popular music may seem somewhat relevant: a rehash of what was new once upon a time, maybe technically better these days, but generally speaking just "the same old song". Yet, if the songwriters/authors are good then the music and books are enjoyable - and, luckily, once in a blue moon we'll come across something that makes us remember just how wonderful a genuinely new take on things can be. I remain optimistic while waiting for new generations of talented kids! ❤
It depends on how wide your trope is. For example, if you call "Time Travel" a trope, then you could say that anything after H.G. Wells "The Time Machine" is derivative. If you call "Space Travel/Exploration" a trope, then anything after Jules Verne "The First Men in the Moon" is derivative. If your tropes are this wide, then there are probably only a small handful of categories.
In any case, I always enjoy your content - especially when you ask questions like these...
While I generally with your comment I must make a small observation: was also written by Wells; Verne's first moon novel was From the Earth to the Moon (De la Terre à la Lune). Verne's travellers never actually landed on the moon, as is made plain in his later novel Around the Moon (Autour de la Lune).
Sorry to be such a pedant but I just can't help myself. 😉
@@SteampunkEngineering - good points. It's been a while since I read the classics (currently re-reading Foundation). Pedants Unite (as long as we can all agree on a time/place and what the defintion of a pedant actually is...)
Originality doesn't need to be just milieu and environment. A detective investigating a space corporation malfeasance, is a bit cliched, even when it done by a robot(replicant). Yet Murderbot is an awesome series that seems to be well loved and critically received. I think originality is a key to SF; but a good author can spin tired cliches into an entrancing story, if they couldn't main stream fiction would have been done years ago. Nice to see "Klara and the Sun" getting some love, it needs to be better known.
While viewed with a superficial lense, everything will be familiar in some way. But that is mostly superficial, imho.
Not to say sf has never been full of derivatives. There has always been a deluge of mass-produced derivative content made by authors and publishers thinking that if osmething sells, they need more of the same thing (a common misconception that repeatedly leads to fads in both literature and cinema/tv throughout this and the previous century).
Also, one medium that still gets ignored a lot is videogames. Titles like Stray, Horizon Zero Dawn/Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us (admittedly a bit older), or, to point deliberately at something older, Bioshock are barely even a blip on the radar of the sf scene despite being highly successful titles in the genre with original ideas.
I loved watching American Sci-Fi movies in the 80's. Even the most low budget movies often had some very interesting and original concepts. But Anime is still churning out one original movie after another. I've you've never entered the world of Anime, I've written a list for you with some classics:
Parasite (Kiseijuu):
This series presents a unique concept of alien parasites that take over human bodies, leading to a symbiotic relationship between the host and the parasite.
Gantz:
After dying, individuals are transported to a room with a black sphere called Gantz, which forces them to participate in a high-stakes game where they must hunt down aliens hiding on Earth. Points are awarded for each kill, with the possibility of earning enough to be granted a second chance at life or superior weaponry.
Death Note:
This series revolves around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the person's name while picturing their face. The series explores the moral implications of having such power.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin):
This series presents a unique post-apocalyptic world where humanity lives within enormous walled cities to protect themselves from Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason.
Made in Abyss:
Features a young girl who descends into a massive, mysterious pit known as the Abyss to find her mother, encountering strange creatures and harsh realities of survival.
My all time favorite and a real space Sci-Fi adventure story with a ton of depth is: Trigun
Don't be fooled into thinking it's only a ridiculous comedy. It shifts and very interesting concepts get explored.
totally agree. GantZ is pushing the envelope!
I really liked Blame!
Nice! I have that on my watchlist already! I guess I have to watch it now. Thanks for the tip!@@EricKay_Scifi
None of that sounds original at all, just combining two ideas that was done better into a dual concept that doesn't work.
Not original at all? Compared to what? I guess my portrayal of those concepts missed the mark as those movies are far more original than any Hollywood movies I've seen in the last 20 years. @@aaronlaughter6471
Two words: Greg Egan.
Yes!
Good overview - thanks. A part of the 'It's complicated' answer is the factor of the reader/viewer/consumer fining all this varied content. There is over a hundred years of SF output and amazingly new people are born, learn to read, discover SF for (their) first time. They may 'self-channel' themselves being the thought that 'it's all very same-y' I would guess all of us have areas/styles/sections of SF that if we came across them we would realize there is an extra breath of 'imagined stories' out there, new concepts to be covered that we as individuals have yet to find. Certainly true in the realm of the written word which by it's very nature is a solitary activity. In movies - and now so in the Streaming TV world - production costs have, I believe, impeded experimentation or searching out quality niche material.
It honestly doesn't even mater. Just tell a good story.
10:40 ... I enjoyed Raised By Wolves! The 2nd season faltered a bit (hampered by having to wait 2 years) but still engaging and I was very disappointed when I learned it was cancelled!!
I would urge folks looking for new sci-fi to hunt down anthologies of short stories. These often have a bit more leeway than full novels in terms of creativity--the ability to highlight that one 'what if' without having to do as much world-building after that gives a lot of creative freedom, and multi-author anthologies, in particular, let you find new gems amidst the all the dross.
Also, for those who despair, I want to remind you that the classics of the 'golden age' of sci-fi were NOT the only science fiction being written then; rather, they're the ones that survived. For every Foundation, there's a hundred long-forgotten duds that five people read, and only one actually liked. Do an experiment--go to a used bookstore and find a random pulp paperback from the 50s, by an author you've never heard of, and give it a read. Trust me, it'll probably be a rip-off of someone you HAVE heard of, or just a rehash of a bunch of old story tropes. (Though every once in awhile, this experiment will find something at least fun to read, if not particularly good from the highbrow critic perspective.)
This is a well balanced assessment.
Authors and writers who push new ideas into sci-fi have always been few and far between. Iain M Banks was a great author who did so and is much missed. When we look back at previous works what we miss is those that failed to survive the ultimate test: time. I would recommend watching Sapphire and Steel from the 1980s if you want to see a really interesting series around time travel.
"Are we just rehashing old ideas in an attempt to make a quick buck?"
Yes.
Christopher Roucchio’s ‘Sun Eater’ Series is 🙌🏼🔥
I can think of one book series that introduces a new idea: Grand Central Arena by Ryk E. Spoor. The premise is that humanity, in a future where technology has rendered the need for work, war, and everything else but entertainment largely obsolete. It is in this setting that humanity's first faster than light engine is developed. A racing pilot is recruited to be Earth's first captain, as the skillset she possesses is the closest thing humanity still has to experience with commanding and flying a vessel in space. The drive is activated, and the crew finds themselves...elsewhere. It ends forever everything humanity had thought they knew about the nature of the universe, FTL flight, and the origins of life. Instead, the universe apparently revolves around the Arena...a mysterious alternate space where alien races compete to complete their goals. All FTL technologies possible merely cause the ship to emerge in Arenaspace, and the Arena itself enforces its rules upon all races who discover it. You get the idea. It's a pretty dang original idea.
If its original it gets cancelled by s2
Gibson said it best (paraphrasing) "One has to have a consistent now to predict the future."
I really like to hear opinions.
The real issue is that major entertainment corporations don't want original projects for fear of high risk. Some works I've read could be beautifully done as a film. But this can only manifest after three things. First, it must be made by an independent artist who doesn't fear economic risk. Second, it must be well done. Third, it must garner some recognition. Until that happens, we'll see the same problem happen again and again.
I may be a bit lucky, as I read a ton of science fiction into my early to mid-twenties then I got on a literary fiction kick, and didn’t read as much science fiction. In the last couple of years I have started to read much more science fiction (I retired and started writing my one science fiction and needed to study the genre of the 21st Century), In this new literary journey I have found lots of new and interesting material. I wonder if maybe you find a lack of originality because you are saturated in a world of science fiction. It is like someone who only reads Harlequin Romances complaining that there are no original love stories.
Yes, many of the tropes have been done to death, but it is in the tropes that we find familiarity. If something is too different is may take time to find an audience. Dune was so strange that it was rejected and ended up being published by a company that publishes car repair books (Chilton). Why, because it was too innovative and strange.
I also like Margaret Atwood who does write science fiction, but doesn’t embrace that genre because she writes literary fiction. You can look at Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” which one a Pulitzer, but is a dystopian (although not sure if it is truly SF because we never know what brought about the dystopian world).
8:03 - There was very little to none resemblance between the show Foundation & Asimov's books. It's what we on RUclips call "Bait & switch"
Originality might not be dead, but it certainly feels dormant - on the screen, at least. That said, I think there's some original stuff being done by indie authors. It just doesn't get as much visibility.
I think much of the money for sci fi is in the wrong hands, and the sci fi is being turned into a backdrop to something else.
Anyway, if you want a fresh take on War of the Worlds, you might really enjoy my independent production... my subs are really rating it... and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it (It's a series on RUclips). Thanks for the vid, and I like your points of view here, while remaining balanced and not negative. Cheers
I'm currently reading the Dune series, I'm about to finish Children of Dune and start God emperor. It's incredible, it makes me not even want to watch that new star wars garbage. I think there has been some great sci fi but it's not really common. I love Interstellar and Love Death & Robots, those are both less than 10 years old. I believe Denis Villenueve is making Rendezvous With Rama so I'm going to read that after Dune, then I'm gonna read Lord of the Rings 😁
STOP. Go no further, you will wish you had.
Give a try to Pantheon series. Also it might be that best place to search for innovative indie sci-fi is right here on youtube since it doesn't require any significant budget to distribute. But you will need patience and time in order to find a good stuff.
Seen the 1st season, loved it, waiting to watch 2nd season, I mean the stuff is nothing new to me as a sci fi fan, but it is just such a joy to watch and it seems strange that almost no one seems to know about the series.
@@nineonine9082 second season has a mind bending final, you will love it =) Also you might like short story by professor David Kipping called "Outlasting the Universe" which serve as spiritual continuation to the series and modernized version of "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov. (Since my last comment with this recommendation was deleted I want to clarify to Darrel that I have no intentions of promoting anything including David Kipping's channel. It's just happens to fit the theme of the series and I want to share recommendation with other people who liked Pantheon.)
@@nineonine9082 I watched second season. I liked it much more than first season - realistic take on how societies and politics in changing world would work (or not work)
@@aslom you might like short story called "outlasting the universe". I can describe it as spiritual continuation of the series
@@СергейСергеев-ф1ъ5х it is similar to one of stories in Hidden Girl which I loved - very Asimov or Clarke like in scope
Any plans to have audio versions of your books?
A profound qestion and a brave one, considering it comes from an author of 2 books (btw, is a third one coming?) I agree with the premise that innovation is written into the genre, and once it's dead, redaers will consider the genre itself dead. Personally, I think discussing Hollywood is slightly irrelevant - they simply don't attempt art. It's a show business factory (both Matrix 4 and Dune disappointed me). For generations, Hollywood writers imitated - then non-existant - large language models, and once those machines came to replace them, they went on strike. Luddism is their only weapon against the market they created themselves through bad writing. As for new ideas, they're going to continue popping up, from good writers, ie. artists. I'd be looking in books. Great video, Darrel
Thoughts on putting your books on audible?
You might enjoy reading Mark Fisher on Hauntology… as to Orville… i find derivative comedy cynically undermines the original
Movie studios are only interested in quick money, not in originality. It’s the same as with modern mainstream ‘music’. It all sounds more or less the same. Quickly produced to get as much money out of it as possible.
Could it be that you read so many (types of) SciFi novels that every new one looks a bit familiar?
Read anything by Alastair Reynolds and you will find plenty of new and creative ideas, brilliantly told!
While I feel your pain, I can see both sides, and have two observations.
1) Most of the science fiction content of the last thirty years is made in and/or financed in the US, where producers want a profit, so they back the tried and true ideas. George Lucas had a helliish time finding the money to make his first Star Wars movie.
2) In the US, adult-level literacy rates are abysmal. Those who can understand science fiction are lawyers , scientists, or doctors who have little free time for reading. Those who read regularly tend to want escapism, reaching for action, mystery, or romance books. Same goes for the movie and tv watchers. Aside from sporting events, the sitcom and detective series are the most popular. Most people want to turn their brains off when they aren’t working.
Still, every so often we get The Matrix or Everything Everywhere, All at Once, and the intellectual scifi enthusiasts have material for discussion and bonding, while hoping for more.
Still, content is improving, and movies like Arrival are demonstrating that huge special effects budgets are unnecessary for great films to be made.
😺✌️
Mainstream sci-fi is definitely getting tired , but plenty of awesome stuff outside the mainstream.
Have you watched Scavengers Reign? If not, I suggest you give it a try. Its animated yes, but I think its a fascinating sci-fi series.
Its normal that among the risc averse standart occasionaly a unexpected gem appears that
managed to get through the mediocrity filter that rules cinema and TV. After all most are in this
for the money.
I mean if we are being pedantic, nothing is truly original.
Thanks!
Thank you!
I thought Scavengers reign and Pantheon were two of the most enjoyable programs of last year. Has it be done before in some aspects yes. It's the aspect of anything new that will bring originality.
Just like Rebel Moon or Ready player one. Bubblegum for the brain is good sometimes.
No it is not dead, there is still original made sci fi stories, its just a matter of having to look for them as they might be harder to find cause they arent as promoted as much as like star wars or something similar.
And its harder to make big epic sci fi stories anymore anyway cause all the major ideas have been taken so as a writer you're forced to either redo the major idea or use minor ideas.
I wish they'd make more movies based on PKD and Heinlein sci fi classics. The reason they don't do that is they're playing it safe with established IP's. I do think it's possible today to make these films with a relatively low budget with advanced fx technology, including AI.
The comic book hero movies have ruined things with sequel after sequel of the same drama overdone the first movie.
Which would you say are the most original?
@@ghostdreamer7272 There are so many wild, far out ideas in both Heinlein and PKD's body of work it's hard to pick out one. I'd love to see Moon is a harsh mistress as well as Stranger in a Strange Land, also The Penultimate Truth and We Can Build You.
at least sci-fi isn't worse then science fantasy.
Hm,good question.
Early 90s were quite a golden age , because of cgi release a lot creative tv shows went into production , today technology is even cheaper, but because woke agenda is shoved into everything we get a distant glimpse of what it should been ( Foundation)
I'm a simple man. All I need is just laser fights, explosions, boobies, doomsday super-weapons, explosions, *10,000 deaths in one hour, cool sci-fi designs, explosions, R-rated action, and proper "starship porn". 🙂
And did I mention LOTS of explosions, Michael Bay style? 😀
* - Let's see if anyone gets this reference. 🙂
I agree with Twai, but writers and filmmakers must go on, so, let's see new books and movies with old ideas. I miss authors like Dick, Bill Burroughs, Ballard, Bradbury, but we get what we have nowadays. I agrre wit your views, except regarding Dune, which I didn't like, and that goes back to Lynch. I did like Arrival, although a bit melodramatic. That's it.
people who have a surface level view into any genre or type of media or anything really, always say origionality is dead:
- people who only see marvel movies and block busters say movies were better 40 years ago because they saw taxi driver 1 time
- people say video games are dead only play the new spiderman game and complain about last of us 2 but never seek out indie gems
- people say comics are dead because they see 1 out of context panel of a character saying something "woke" or whatever
- music is dead because "inter pop singer here" it popular and not the rock band that i like which is actually still quite popular just not as new
- people say books are going down hill because some booktok person who writes unserious smut blew up
anyone who says stuff like this, or assume that the "essence" of something is lost usually doesn't fully understand the breadth of the genre or piece of media anyways and just want to complain. when people say stuff like this it's never about the media, it's about them being unwilling to actually look for things and challenge how they think.
Andor stands out from the rest but that is the exception, not the rule. Star Wars is a depressing reality. Especially with stories like Hyperion, Neuromancer, and Dune in Scifi literature to compare to
Nope unoriginality is the product so you buy more no satisfaction
How much Octavia Butler have you read? I heard that her Xenogenesis is being adapted. That will be something completely out of left field, if it’s adapted well
[*points out to sea,*] Oh look; here comes the last wave...
All it took was a couple guys like Tolkien and Lewis to completely overhaul the fantasy genre, sci-fi just needs its time.
12:41 - You may want to add Blake Crouch's 'Recursion'
Is originality in sci-fi a dad? :D
I will be honest I am getting sick and tired of star wars being the ONLY sci Fi anyone ever talks about. I miss the feeling of something new, something that makes you FEEL like you are in a sci fi. The reason being is because everything just feels like a cash grab. Where is that "I am going to explore the edge of the universe vibe" where is that "let's explain this weird structure that glows" where has that creativity gone. I'm going to be honest can someone please make a sci Fi THAT IS NOT STAR WARS!?
Where is that feeling of "getting lost in the dream?"
No mention of The Expanse books and tv show? Really? George Lucas took all his inspirations - from Kurosawa to Flash Gordon - and created something new. Zack Snyder just literally takes anything he likes and dumps it on the screen and calls it art. One is a creator, the other is a moron. It's not about originality (what does originality even mean anyway?).It's about taking the same ingredients and creating something new. That's what all good sequels do, for example, that's why Aliens is such a good sequel to Alien.
At this point I'd have to say that earnestly asking if something is dead, is dead.
The woke mind virus isn't exactly helping with originality in the genre.
that's such a shallow, meaningless term which says "i don't like seeing more women and people of color in my media"
More grist for the mill ! The misuse of material bordering on propaganda from the ministry of truth.
Some of the most original Sf was is on the "woke" spectrum. U Le Guin, Star Trek Original etc The problem is that rather than being a considered subtext to a good story; modern media slaps you about the face with the "message" and fuck the story.
You think Villeneuve's "Dune" is perfect? You have got to be kidding me. Dude, it's a snooze fest. Not only is it a bad movie version of the book, it's a bad movie period.
I am quite serious.@@nekiyia
Even your “is originality dead” claim is a trope. Good on you gettin dat click money using a well worn trope of RUclips.
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I have to disagree with you there. The new "Dune" is slow, plodding, lacking in depth, uninspiring and boring. I really dislike it. The original movie was very much better and of course nothing is better than the book.
I agree, the unfortunate effect of film adaptations that fail to capture the essence of a story is as Tolkien suggested concerning filming or live performance of his books, it would turn it into pantomime.
I agree that it’s boring. I got into Dune after watching the Lynch extended version on Sci-Fi. The new version doesn’t add anything.
Dude ur sooooo on cue here now I loves me some DRY sci-fi including George Lucas’s THX ( watch the remastered version even better) but man I had to take a bath 🛀 after watching this new version & everyone’s acting as though it’s brilliant when it’s NOT 🤭🤫🤫🤫❤️
Good lord did the morons come on here? Lynch's Dune is simply unwatchable shite who made the idiotic mistake of applying internal monologuing in everything. Vilineueve was brilliant in 1) trusting the audience would understand and figure it out. 2) made the film flow so much better.
Additionally lynch's version didn't understand the core concept of Dune in that the first book is a commentary and critique of the hero story. Villenuve understands this and actually applies this in his film.
Slow boring? Stop watching mcu movies.
The recent Dune Book 1 film is a very good interpretation of the novel's first half, though it takes some license I'd rather it hadn't.
The second film goes far too far in the direction of taking licence.
Overall though, I just think certain stories do not lend themselves to visual interpretation, and Dune is a prime example.
It's not a skill issue either. There is too much valuable inner monologue in Dune which just doesn't translate to screen. And there are too many times where portraying Bene Geserit emotional self-control would just look like wooden acting.