What's your favorite kind of SCI FI?

[Vergolophus]

Talking to my dad earlier today, I realized that I am in love, love, LOVE with the art that goes into Space Dandy, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, and much more related things like 50s Sci-fi art and Disney's Tomorrowland representations.

I mean... My goodness! Just check out these pictures that were saved to my computer. Sorry I couldn't post them in the thread like so-- I was having technical difficulties. <

But yes, I am in love with themes of intergalatic cities, stations, space highways and truck stops, multiple aliens in the same place drinking at a bar or just doing everyday things like a universal society. Japanese influences make things a little bit more colorful, too! And you can tell I love Tomorrowland a lot for this. (Except for when they changed the audio for the Tomorrowland Transit. It used to carry the feeling of being in this intergalatic world now it's... bland...)

What do you think about this style or what is your favorite kind of sci-fi? I'd love to know and share some styles with different people if you don't mind! :>

 

[LazerMaster5]

I love films like Back to the Future, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Terminator, Alien, District 9, and so on. I love games like Half-Life, Halo, Star Fox, and Starbound. And if you haven't read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy yet, you need to do so.

 

[Vergolophus]

I've read the book, but yeah I need to see the movie!
Halo, Back to the Future, Alien, District 9, and Guardians of the Galaxy I'm pretty acquainted with. They're really awesome movies!

 

[Unsilenced]

I usually like semi-hard sci-fi, or "one big lie" sci-fi, so-called because there's usually only one big technology in the universe that's different from in our own. Faster than light travel is usually a freebie, but things like element zero, human augmentation, or nanobots. The setting has one big thing that can't happen in real life, and the rest is built around that. Sometimes it can be a number of smaller 'lies,' but in general the idea is to try and come up with an at least somewhat-plausible explanation for everything, and to only get into the fantastical when it's vital to the world or plot.

I also tend to like futures that are a little bit dirty. Nothing stays new forever, after all, and no life is without inconveniences. Whatever the new technology is in the universe, I like sci-fi that shows it having believable drawbacks and limitations. What I really want to see is more science fiction taking place in zero gravity. Artificial gravity is something of a pet peeve of mine since there's all sorts interesting (and awful) stuff that can happen because of microgravity.

In short though, I am the absolutely funless guy who you never, ever take to a science fiction movie.
Even if physics still don't work like that, damnit!

 

[SkyboundTerror]

Sci-fi is easily one of my favorite genres (second to horror). I feel like a lot of films and books in the genre reach a bit too far and wide for ideas, making the genre a bit exhausting to keep up with at times because of the information overload. But, that can often be part of the fun.

I loved the setting and atmosphere of Blade Runner and Dark City, both which I recommend if you can appreciate neo-noir sci-fi films. The animated movie "9" is also worth checking out if you're into post-apocalyptic stories.

Oh, and The Fifth Element. An absolute MUST-WATCH.

 

[Vergolophus]

A more realistic touch, I see! I feel like you like series such as Space Odyssey or futures much more taken place on Earth. That's pretty interesting to think about the grittier aspects of a "clean" future in the sense of economy, lifestyle, and even politics.
Centrifugal gravity needs to be implemented more, I agree, but I wonder how a system would work with Zero-G, possibly with a lot of large open rooms where you have to float over to collect data...

Interesting!

Edit-- Oh, hello Skybound! Yeah, sometimes it gets overly complicated but sometimes it gets done right! That sounds interesting; I have seen 9 actually and loved it when it came out!
I think in your style, I have seen Akira? That is also very very good!

 

[Unsilenced]

I've made a space sci-fi setting for role play, and to expand on endlessly for my own amusement (mostly the latter, really.) The internal corridors of ships in that universe are a three-dimensional grid of small, octagonal passageways separating various sized (but usually very small) rooms. The ship's bridge is in the middle, usually, as is the ship's main computer. That's the only room with any real size to it. Chairs and monitors along each of the walls, with the middle area used to get around.

Their ship design is based around the idea that living in space is expensive, and the amount of air on a ship is quite limited, so no dead spaces are allowed. Walls are as thin as they can be, with electrical and utility pipes running exposed down the corridors. It's brightly lit and sterile white, and there are very few if any windows. Because ships are so expensive, combat in space ends up being more about boarding than duking it out with railguns, so I ended up with a setting where ship crews go at it with steel shivs and improvised spears in tight, claustrophobic corridors.


In terms of existing canons, the stuff in the Mass Effect codex was fascinating to me in the first game, especially the stuff about how space combat worked, and how most battles were decided by heat management problems instead of killing blows.

Of course, then they showed it in game and it was all just pew pew space lazors, but the idea was really cool.

 

[DarrylWolf]

Call me crazy if you want but reading the science fiction programs that came free to every attendee has become somewhat of an addiction for me. The concise biographies about famous science fiction are written by their close friends, meaning I can get a good bead on the writing styles of one man and the life story of another. For instance, one program, I believe Boston 1980, has the story of British musician and writer John Brunner written by the black bisexual author Samuel Delany. I actually have bought more WorldCon programs than I have the time to read but that's the point. I feel that anyone whose life includes winning a Hugo Award is worthy of reading about. In addition, Worldcon programs have showed me the full creativity of bidding parties as they try to get their city science fiction's biggest annual party. There is also some factual information about each host city- like Atlanta has the world's tallest hotel, both the Chiefs and Royals play in Kansas City's Harry Truman Dome, and the drinking age in New Orleans is 18. I have also found excerpts of stories, poems, music lyrics, and even recipes in the pages of sci fi programs. I take the history of science fiction seriously which is why I continue to collect those programs.

 

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

Anything with big capital ships and space with a plausible design.

 

[Misomie]

I just started watching Farscape. Love it already. :3

I also loved several other movies and a few series (I'm bad with remembering names). However, I just watched Surface and boy was I heartbroken that it was cancelled after season one's massive cliffhanger. :'(

 

[X_Joshi_X]

Stargate wohoo

 

[aeroxwolf]

Alien & Aliens
Star Wars
Ghost in the Shell
Akira
Blade runner (a must watch)
2001: A.space odyssey
The Fifth Element

 

[Cassedy]

Warhammer 40 000, if it fits into "sci fi" category.

 

[Sylox]

Star Trek and Star Wars.

 

[JegoLego]

Oh DUDE! Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! I haven't heard that name in ages...

But my fav sci fi has to be Star Trek Next Gen
Oh, and Alien

 

[LazerMaster5]

I am currently reading The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez. It's kinda cyberpunk, but it is a detective noir where a robot is searching for his missing neighbors. It's kinda quirky, but a decent tale nonetheless.

 

[R_Magedn]

Apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian.

 

[Traven V]

I like most general anime Sci-Fi. Actually I like Sci-Fi in general. I haven't had the time lately to watch any though, used to go to the theater all the time.

 

[Vergolophus]

That's all very cool, I'm happy to hear about what you all like in Sci-fi! However, for future commenters, make more of a note towards your favorite type and genre more than just your favorite movies so we can see what you like. Otherwise, you all have a fantastic taste in Sci-fi!
And to Traven, anime Sci-fi is really awesome too!

Oh DUDE! Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! I haven't heard that name in ages...

But my fav sci fi has to be Star Trek Next Gen
Oh, and Alien

OOOOH A FELLOW FAN!! <3<3
Very cool! I haven't quite looked at Star Trek but it was nice to hear about your favorites! :>

 

[SteampunkJack]

Anything with aliens. Star Trek for example.

But I tend to like interactions between the aliens and humans, rather than "It came from planet X to murder us!"

 

[LazerMaster5]

I tend to like interactions between the aliens and humans, rather than "It came from planet X to murder us!"

You mean like Halo, Battleship (lol), Independence Day, or Battle of Los Angeles?

 

[Torrijos-sama]

I'm a fan of Sword and Planet stories for heroism, and postmodern science fiction for social commentary (cyberpunk and Thomas Pynchon).

 

[Unsilenced]

The day I see realistic orbital physics in a space battle is the day I die of a priapism. Most people would have no fucking idea what was going on, though.

>Share orbit with object.
>Fire thrusters directly towards object
>You begin to get closer to the object.

Absolute mindfuck.

 

[dragonwise]

I love the later Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. Dragons in space, what more could you want?

I also enjoy just about anything with well done technobabble and I have a soft spot for AIs (or other beings) lost in time (think the starship in Andromeda or Mutineers Moon and AVAIS in Pern).

 

[Dewi_K]

Where the time and space are the essential. I like Doctor Who, Back to the Future, Star Wars, The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar.
And videohgames like Halo, Half-life, Portal.