Does Futuristic count as Sci- Fi?

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Isaac_Brody said:
Yes.
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:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
Haha, that actually was funny. I am glad, because mine is a future flick too, here is a sample:

O/S TEXT: AUGUST 2008

Space ships whizz through the skies, some no more than a quick blur. JOHN lands on the ground, having trouble keeping balanced in his sweet-ass hover shoes.
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One month is the future...:grin:



*Not really from my script, although I am pretty sure you knew that.
 
Valid point. "Near future" could mean anything. It could be a love story set next year, which would have nothing at all to do with any sci-fi theme.
 
It might, but it might also be fantasy too. The difference is, sci fi is technologically based, and could become reality at some time. Example- Star Trek and Star Wars both have spaceships and robots. Trek was based on technology and we are currently using many of the things they did, like floppy disks, small flip out communicators, and still working on lasers and transporters. Star Wars just had a bunch of muppets.
 
"imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".Science fiction is largely based on writing entertainingly and rationally about alternate possibilities in settings that are contrary to known reality."

Wikipedia

I would argue that even set five to ten years into the future counts so long as some elements, like maybe even holographic cell phones, are part of the story. The human element remains constant, but the world in which they live is altered beyond what we know today.

See youtube ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W53W_zOwG4k

or this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rmce-AZAX4&feature=related

alex

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com
 
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Wouldn't you want to embrace the "science" portion of the "science fiction" genre? I mean, that's really the whole point, is that you're entering a new realm of possibilities because of scientific/technological advancements -- that's what sci-fi is.

I guess I'm saying: how will we KNOW it's set in the future? If there's some telltale evidence (as evidenced by seeing or discussing technological advancements) then that should probably count as qualifying, right? But if there's no real way to know, and you're setting it basically in today's world, then how would that be a sci-fi theme?
 
Barry_Green said:
Wouldn't you want to embrace the "science" portion of the "science fiction" genre? I mean, that's really the whole point, is that you're entering a new realm of possibilities because of scientific/technological advancements -- that's what sci-fi is.

I guess I'm saying: how will we KNOW it's set in the future? If there's some telltale evidence (as evidenced by seeing or discussing technological advancements) then that should probably count as qualifying, right? But if there's no real way to know, and you're setting it basically in today's world, then how would that be a sci-fi theme?
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it could be set a long time ago...in a galaxy far, far away...









couldn't resist.
 
Sci-fi stories can be told in todays period something like the Dark Side or twilight Zone shows which is in the fantasy/sci-fi genre.
 
Sure, it doesn't have to be futuristic -- but it should inherently encompass some sort of fictional environment or situations that differs from our own through scientific breakthroughs/discoveries and new technologies. I mean, that's the primary differentiation between sci-fi and fantasy -- sci-fi is based on technological/scientific creations, fantasy can instead be based on magic or whimsy, etc.
 
I think the deciding factor is simple....

Would a die-hard scifi fan consider your story to be 'scifi'?

If so, go for it. If not, reconsider. That's my opinion.

For example, the first short film I ever wrote was a story called 'Three Wishes'. It was about a bride-to-be and her 5 bridesmaids having a party at the bride's house a week before the wedding. But one of the bridesmaids has a dark secret that threatens to destroy her. Now, I could simply dust off that script, put a caption saying it takes place in 2018 -- would that make it 'scifi'? Or even 'fantasy'? Of course not. It would still be a drama.

Yes, a good scifi story IS drama. Or comedy. Or relationships. But the SCIENCE part of the science fiction is a BIG element. Without it, most scifi buffs won't consider it a scifi movie.

My 2 cents.
 
I keep forgetting that I don't have to write something that I can reasonably shoot, becaus my original plan was to write something set like 2030 in what I think the world will be like, I have decided to scrap this idea and go all out as I don't need to shoot this. I realise this should have been obvious, I just usually write within my shooting boundries.
 
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