Official definition of sci-fi?

Maybe the best way to define science fiction is to take the same attitude that Potter Stewart, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court did towards hardcore pornography, "... I know it when I see it...".
 
David G. Smith said:
Maybe the best way to define science fiction is to take the same attitude that Potter Stewart, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court did towards hardcore pornography, "... I know it when I see it...".
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lol you probably have something there

the variation on that quote BTW is

"... I know it when I'd like to see it again."

And Mattin yes I read the script that you are going to write tomorrow after I was exposed to radiation and developed the psychic ability to read scripts before they have been written.
 
David G. Smith said:
"The Physics of Star Trek" and "The Biology of Star Trek"! Dude, did you get beat-up a lot in high school? :evil:
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Good one. Actually my degree is in biology and I've studied physics a lot. So, I guess you can call it basic reading.

Seriously, the books are well written and educational beyond the scope of average Star Trek nerds.
 
KingVidiot said:
Good one. Actually my degree is in biology and I've studied physics a lot. So, I guess you can call it basic reading.

Seriously, the books are well written and educational beyond the scope of average Star Trek nerds.
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Just kidding. I had the Star Trek, "Star Fleet Manual" when, I was a kid. I loved that stuff.
 
David G. Smith said:
Just kidding. I had the Star Trek, "Star Fleet Manual" when, I was a kid. I loved that stuff.
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OK, now that could earn you a beating... :grin:

Seriously, I'm one of the biggest Trek fans around, even though the only collectibles I have are the 2 books I already mentioned.



As I said somewhere already, Sci-Fi is a huge area.

None of it needs to have special effects to tell a good story, but proper use of eye candy is always good.

You're not just limited to aliens, time travel, space voyages, robots...

Anything remotely relating to science and/or technology and the "human condition" will do.
 
Watch Werner Herzog,s: Lessons of Darkness.

Herzog went to Kuwait after the first gulf war and shot, in 35mm, footage of the international Oil well Fire fighting team trying to cap flaming oil wells. The beauty of it was that he shot the events with no intention of it being a documentary. he used these men andthe devastated landscape as a "set" for a SCIFI film. he treated reality as scifi. and he edited it in such a way that you believe it isnt earth. and these men not human but spirits or aliens or demons or whatever.....

its really great.

HE calls it Science Fiction. and that kinda bends the rules a little.

what you think?
 
Lessons of Darkness is a great film. When Herzog calles it science fiction, I'd look for his tounge to be in his cheek.
 
In terms of the aesthetics I think a X-files- ish kinda movie would do well in this contest, just because you don't need tons of effects, and there's no need to create an artificial landscape.
 
David G. Smith said:
Lessons of Darkness is a great film. When Herzog calles it science fiction, I'd look for his tounge to be in his cheek.
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Dude, you have GOT to get rid of that avitar. I can't even go into threads where I see that. Gives me the heebee-jeebees.
 
Yeah, this is always a tough one. To me, most Sci-Fi movies don't qualify as Science Fiction. Star Wars certainly doesn't. I tend to think of Sci-Fi as dealing with Sci-Fi ideas, as in: Why are we here? Is the Universe designed for us? Is there anyone else out there? What is our place in the universe? As where Star Wars is basically WWII in space. Space is just the backdrop, and has nothing intrinsically to do with the story.

Not to bash Star Wars, just an example.
 
Agreed. Star Wars falls into the Fantasy category, Star Trek the Sci-Fi category because the science was always an integral part of the story. That should be the rule for this contest as well. The science (whatever kind) should be a key element of the story. I think that rule is broad enough to encompass many, many interpretations, but I hope there is a filter that these films pass through that pulls out non-sci-fi films. If it's the Sci-Fi Fest, then let's keep it a Sci-Fi Fest.
 
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