SciFi List

Sci Fi In The Real World : The Latest Discoveries.

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Science Fiction has been in the minds of fans for centuries. Starting off with writers like Jules Verne, this genre has been flourishing for a very long time. While many of the themes involved in these science fiction stories might seem outlandish to some, the truth is that over the years, this genre has helped to pave the way for scientists to uncover many of the latest technological breakthroughs that we now take for granted. It is true that all sorts of things have been inspired by scientists who became professionals because of their love for the fiction they read as a child. The genre has helped people with big imaginations attain much throughout the years.

Time machines were once thought of as something only real in stories. This has proven to be false because of Einstein’s theory of special relativity. This states that time machines can indeed be possible by creating a cylindrical object and putting into orbit in space. By turning it at the speed of light, it is possible to generate a time warp which could actually take someone back to the point of the machine’s invention. This was huge and proved that with a little thought, anything is possible.More info here: The Odds

Series That Should Never End And Ones That Should.

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A certain trend im starting to see around movie/TV biz is for directors to fire there stars and replace them rather then fold under pressure and pay them more money. All i can say is that this is probablly one of the worst trends i have ever seen happen in the entertainment bussiness. If your star actor or actress is no longer there your series should be over. Your telling me i just spent 7 seasons connecting to this character and one day im supposed to just accept one day that their no longer there? Im sorry folks that just not how it works, nobody wants to see they favorite character mysteriously replaced.Confused? Here ‘s a little help . The only rationale iv ever seen that i was ok with a character taking over for the star, is when its a son or daughter moving up to take over, or some kind of mythical vampire stuff were there are just countless possibilites. Those are the only to ways a show can litteraly go on forever, but all these other shows who are trying cheep stunts by replacing the star or other ways to keep there show relevent, need to really learn when its time to just hang it up.

Books Into Movies: What Went Right Or Wrong.

admin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Almost every single book that is out on the market, have movies that are being made out of them now. You can read the books, and look at the movies. Some people prefer one or the other, while others prefer both. There are various reasons behind all of this, but people need to remember that both the book and movie are not always the same. Sometimes you can get more out of a book then you can in the movies.Didn’t catch that? This explains it. The books are a little bit more detailed than the movies are, and they seem to be longer as well. The books are almost always more expensive than the movies are, if you were to purchase it. It just all depends. There is really nothing wrong with the whole thing. Sometimes people avoid one or the other, but it doesn’t matter. Books can be released way before the movie is, and this makes people go and read the book before they see the actual picture. It just has a lot of excitement, and other things. Not every book has a movie. Many people like to read and learn things on their own. There is nothing wrong with that at all.

Changes To Look Forward To: Our Sci Fi Future.

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Civilization has already achieved many technological milestones that were formerly stuck in Science Fiction limbo. However, a few popular high-tech ideas have yet to be fleshed out. Fortunately for us, they now stand a good chance of going public within our lifetime.

Take, for instance, the personal hovercraft. Imagine floating through the air like a balloon above the earth, and you’d understand why many comic book superheroes have one. More importantly, this is a technology that’s been in development for decades by the Pentagon. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes available for civilian use.

No world of tomorrow is complete without the personal robot, of course. With one in the household, you need not worry about tidying up the place or tending to your pets while away on business. Although the most advanced models today are slow and expensive, most experts are confidant that they will overcome these challenges in the next decade or so.

While it’s true that not all Science Fiction gadgets will become reality this coming century, it’s safe to say that some of the best ones are nearing their debut. So, does this mean we are star witnesses to a technological renaissance?

Let’s hope so!

To The Moon And Beyond: Travel Among The Stars.

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Back in the 1950s the entertainer Jackie Gleason had a television show called “The Honeymooners” with Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph. Gleason, who played a city bus driver coined an expression whenever he and his wife Alice, played by Meadows got into a disagreement. That expression was, “One of these days Alice. One of these days, zoom. I’m gonna send you to the moon.” The line became synonymous with the show and the audience waited for the line with each episode.

Outside of a few Sci-fi enthusiasts, the thought of going to the moon was conceptually out of reach. But today, things are different. Since July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, entrepreneurs have been planning to make space, the moon and planets beyond travel destinations.

The idea has spawned hundreds of proposals from established aerospace companies to hobbyists. Companies have sprung up with all kinds of ideas and methods for getting families beyond the stratosphere and back in one piece. Some of these have already sold tickets for future flights. The idea of a space vacation is pretty close to a reality and more than one person has hitched a ride to the International Space Station and before that the Russian MIR Station. So check out your travel agent for possibilities of an adventure of a lifetime. One day, you will get a call and then next, you will be in space.

What Makes A Good Sci Fi Story.

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Science fiction has become a very popular genre in the book world. But not all science fiction books tell a good story. So, what is it that makes a good sci fi story?

For starters, science fiction is a genre of fiction work that has to do with science and technology from the past, present and future. Many science fiction works are set in different universes or dimensions. For a sci fi story to be good, it has to have elements of truth but can’t be completely unbelievable. Many have a main human element or group of people or civilization.

A good sci fi story has a setting that relies on known reality mixed in with a bit of disbelief. For it to be effective, the disbelief has to open the reader’s eyes to potential belief on the basis of scientific explanations. Many of these are set in the future or different dimensions or timelines. To assist with believability, it can include known facts from history. Others are set in outer space and entertain life on other planets. A good science fiction novel will include known scientific discoveries and how they may be enhanced or “upgraded” to enable us to do things that are not currently possible.

5 stunning uses of time travel in fiction

www.scifilist.com — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We’d be hard-pressed to pick the 5 best time travel stories of all time, given the sheer magnitude of the genrethat would be like picking the 5 best Direct TV channels. Instead, we’ve picked out some of the most popular uses of time travel, no matter what the medium. There are, of course, many other uses besides the ones mentioned below, but we don’t have all the time in the world, now do we?5. Becoming your own (step)father: One of the best recent examples is in Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Rant. When the main character discovers that certain car crashes have the ability to jar you loose from time, he sets himself up as a stepfather to his younger self in order to protect his family. Another example (or at least its possibility) is played for comedic effect in the first Back to the Future film.4. Leaving a warning for the past: In Isaac Asimov’s 1955 novel The End of Eternity, Eternity is an organization outside time composed of benevolent travelers. One of the characters conceals a warning of the atomic bomb in a 1932 ad for stock tips.3. Finding your soul mate: The saying, “Opposites attract,” has never been more true. In the 2001 film Kate & Leopold, a duke travels from 1876 to modern-day New York and falls for an ambitious business exec. In The Time Traveler’s Wife, a modern-day man with a genetic disorder travels through time and meets his wife at various points in her life. Also see: The Lake Housealthough we don’t recommend it.2. Solving a mystery: In the 2006 film Dj Vu, an ATF agent uses a time window to solve the case of a Navy ship explosion. Eventually, the agent discovers that he can also send objects through the window and tries to stop the crime before it is committed.1. Getting rich: In Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film Time Bandits, a group of time dwarves steal from some of the most notable figures from history and myth. Of course, while making money may be one of the most popular, it’s certainly not the most honorable use of time travelafter all, no one wants to be like Biff (Back to the Future Part II).

The Aquabats make sci-fi rock

www.scifilist.com — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:37:59 +0000

There is a long history of bands integrating sci-fi theatrics into their music and stage shows, from Pink Floyd to Devo. However, few bands do it with as much obvious excitement as The Aquabats, a band of superheroic proportions with a mission to battle evil through their music. If you ever accidentally wander into a venue where they’re playing, you’ll know ittheir brightly-colored spandex costumes are hard to miss.Consistent with the band’s image, they have their own origin story. The members originally hail from the island of Aquabania, where they lived in concert with humanoid bat monsters. This utopian existence was ended when Space Monster “M” attacked. Escaping from the island, they were rejuvenated by a mad scientist’s potent potions, gained superpowers, and devoted themselves to one day amassing enough fans to return to their home and defeat Space Monster “M.”Musically, the band started in the ska-punk range (on 1996′s The Return of the Aquabats) but grew to incorporate more sci-fi elements like synthpop and new-wave (on 2005′s Charge!!). After being dropped from their label Nitro Records in 2009, the band will be releasing their next album independently this November.

Sci-fi legend William Shatner has a new projectin comics

www.scifilist.com — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:32:02 +0000

William Shatner certainly has a checkered career. For every success like playing Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, there’s a questionable entry like the 1968 album The Transformed Man, a horribly-compelling mash-up of spoken word, classic poetry, and popular songs of the 60s.However, sci-fi has usually proven a comfortable fit for Shatner, whether in front of the camera or holding the pen. He’s composed a number of Star Trek novels, the Tek-War series, and The Quest for Tomorrow series. Now, Shatner is taking the interesting step of converting his franchises into comics.Shatner says that he’s been a fan of comics for ages, describing them as “heightened movies mixed with a little radio.” He served as editor and art advisor on the TekWar Chronicles: Plague of Ghosts mini-series from Bluewater Productions, and he’s now adapting his Quest for Tomorrow series into a four-issue run. The book is written by David McIntee with art by Joey Mason, and tells the story of a 16-year-old boy who discovers that his DNA holds the key to a new computer network composed of human brains.The novels are out of print, but the new series should help bring their story to a new generation. Bluewater has experience with celebrity works, although not always cooperative ones. The publisher gained national coverage when they received a cease-and-desist order on their upcoming Justin Bieber biography. However, Bluewater insists it has the legal right to publish such biographies, including those of Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, and Taylor Swift.

Favorite Robot Characters

www.scifilist.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:30:07 +0000

Robots were first envisioned as humanity’s servants, but who would have thought that so many would capture our hearts and minds? If any robots are reading this and plan on taking over the world, you could do worse than emulating these hard-wired heroes.10. Gort (The Day the Earth Stood Still): This mechanical marvel wowed audiences in 1951 as the companion of Klaatu, the alien visitor who comes to Earth to offer them a way out of their nuclear arms race. According to Klaatu, “there’s no limit” to what this hulking robot can do.9. T-800 (The Terminator series): Arnold Schwarzenneger’s iconic turn as “The Terminator” demonstrated a perfect killing machine that, in the 2^nd and 3^rd films, could turn into a protective father as if at the flick of a switch. He represents one of the more frightening visions of what robots could become.8. RoboCop (Robocop series): Okay, technically he’s a cyborg, but his visored helmet and mechanical armor are all metal, baby. The human brain behind it all gives RoboCop an empathy other mechanical characters lack.7. The Iron Giant (The Iron Giant): It’s ironic that it would take a robot to show humans the errors of conformity in Cold War America, but that’s just what happens in the critically-acclaimed animated feature The Iron Giant. The title character is also one of the few robot characters to make us cry.6. Edward Scissorhands (Edward Scissorhands): Edward Scissorhands is another. Tearjerkingly portrayed by Johnny Depp, Edward reminded us that even a man with scissors for hands could have a heart of gold.5. Rosie the Robot Maid (The Jetsons): Voiced by Jean Vander Pyl, Rosie was just like any other maid, except that she had wheels. She also had very human emotions, such as her breakdown in “Rosie’s Boyfriend” when her significant cyber other was deactivated.4. C-3PO and R2-D2 (Star Wars series): We wouldn’t think of separating these bosom buddies again. Between C-3PO’s neurotic mannerisms and R2-D2′s precociousness, they are two of the most distinctive examples of personality in programming in fiction.3. Optimus Prime (Transformers series): While different franchises have portrayed the Autobot leader in different ways, his heroism and cool under fire carry through. Apparently, the original version also disliked rap, but enjoyed basketball and soap operas.2. KITT (Knight Rider): KITT was much more than a talking car. Housed in a 1982 Pontiac Firebird, Kitt is a determined crime fighter with a healthy dose of tricks up his sleeveer, hood, including magnesium flares, oil jets, lasers, and more.1. Bender (Futurama): Robots aren’t usually known for their sense of humor, but Bender showed everyone what they’d been missing. Whether kidnapping Jay Leno(‘s head) or experimenting with alternative cooking, he always keeps us laughingeven when we should be crying instead.