Monday, 10 October 2022

Types And Meanings Of "SF"

I was in an "sf bookshop" that was entirely media-oriented: Stars Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dune, Doctor Who, Blake's Seven, Babylon 5, Lost In Space etc, no novels by HG Wells or Poul Anderson. There is a connection between the Time Traveller's Time Machine and the Doctor's TARDIS (the latter a space-time machine) and also between the Martian tripods and the Daleks (evolved organisms inside protective machines). Sf encompasses both sets of ideas. Poul Anderson, of course, contributes Time Patrol timecycles, mutant time travellers, time corridors, half a dozen Martian races and the conquering Merseians among much else.

Fiction With An SF Setting
Spaceships, often traversing hyperspace or warp space, are merely vehicles to transport characters to other locations called "planets," inhabited either by human colonists of by sf aliens, humanoid beings with oddly shaped heads, maybe cat- or dog-like. Characters interact and narratives unfold against such backdrops. (Is this a parody?)

Andersonian SF
Hyperspace or other means of FTL interstellar travel are scientifically rationalized. The cosmic setting of stars, the Milky Way, nebulae and other galaxies is realized. Planetary environments and extra-terrestrial organisms are described in detail. Characters interact on the basis of alien biologies and psychologies. Thus, Diomedeans and Ythrians differ from human beings and from each other. Story settings are substantial, not superficial.

I might shortly read A. Bertram Chandler's The Dark Dimensions because it guest stars Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry but which kind of sf is Chandler's Rim Worlds series?

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

This is an old complaint of mine, but most TV or filmed "science fiction" is trash, not worth watching. Even the better ones, such as some of the STAR TREK episodes and the first STAR WARS movie, tends to be, at best thin, shallow, trite, superficial. I would far rather somebody would make honest TV/filmed versions of some of the Nicholas van Rijn or Dominic Flandry stories!

Chandler's THE DARK DIMENSIONS disappointed me, mostly because I did not like his version of Dominic Flandry. Also, I thought his FTL drive poorly rationalized.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Are Chandler's extra-solar planets fully realized environments or mere locations for story plots and action?

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I've not read enough of Chandler's stories to give a definite answer to that question. But I would lean to saying NO.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Visual and print media are inherently different. Eg., visual media are severely limited in how they use interior monologue. Interior states have to be 'described' by exterior action.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Granted. But I have my doubts that most of what passes for visual science fiction even tried to rise above being thin, trite, superficial, etc.

Ad astra! Sean