American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate and BeyondFrom "The Next Generation" and "The X-Files", to "Farscape" and "Enterprise", sci-fi television series in the US have multiplied since the 1980s. Jan Johnson-Smith shows how, in line with national political upheavals, this vibrant and perplexing genre set about expanding the myth of the Western frontier into deep space. She looks at the "sense of wonder" or sublime that infuses much Frontier art and science fiction, and traces a possible historical precedent to the genre in the fabulous and heroic journeys of the Classical epic. She discusses narrative styles and their influences, from the overarching narrative of "Babylon 5" to the episodic formula of "The Outer Limits", considers how experimental series such as "Twin Peaks" challenge conventional structures, and how and why sci-fi television has adopted new technologies. She also explores the juxtaposition of arcane language and technological jargon in modern American sci-fi television, revealing the extraordinarily alien, yet curiously familiar arena it creates. |
From inside the book
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Page v
... Sublime 25 29 30 34 36 Two 39 41 Histories: The American West, Television and Televisuality The final frontier Creating a destiny Mise-en-scène and special effects Looking forwards 42 44 47 48 50 51 52 54 56 Television Locating ...
... Sublime 25 29 30 34 36 Two 39 41 Histories: The American West, Television and Televisuality The final frontier Creating a destiny Mise-en-scène and special effects Looking forwards 42 44 47 48 50 51 52 54 56 Television Locating ...
Page vii
... Sublime Titles and music A new epic, a new ideology 216 218 222 227 230 235 240 242 245 Conclusion 251 Notes 255 Bibliography 285 Index 299 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mythanks to everyone who has helped me to write VII CONTENTS.
... Sublime Titles and music A new epic, a new ideology 216 218 222 227 230 235 240 242 245 Conclusion 251 Notes 255 Bibliography 285 Index 299 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mythanks to everyone who has helped me to write VII CONTENTS.
Page 5
... Sublime, which we can locate in the classical tales. The sublime, that extraordinary sight which incapacitates our mental faculties through a combination of pleasure and fear, is closely associated with Immanuel Kant and Edmund Burke ...
... Sublime, which we can locate in the classical tales. The sublime, that extraordinary sight which incapacitates our mental faculties through a combination of pleasure and fear, is closely associated with Immanuel Kant and Edmund Burke ...
Page 7
... Sublime and the parallels of artistic representation in epic speculative fictions of old with the ideas of scale and perspective offered by Pascal and de Chardin. It also considers images of America's own dominant mytho-historical epic ...
... Sublime and the parallels of artistic representation in epic speculative fictions of old with the ideas of scale and perspective offered by Pascal and de Chardin. It also considers images of America's own dominant mytho-historical epic ...
Page 21
... Sublime. This in turn further challenges our cognitive capacity, sometimes stalling it completely. Science fiction relies upon a careful combination of these practices to achieve its break with mundane reality and in doing so creates a ...
... Sublime. This in turn further challenges our cognitive capacity, sometimes stalling it completely. Science fiction relies upon a careful combination of these practices to achieve its break with mundane reality and in doing so creates a ...
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Common terms and phrases
action actually alien allows American ancient appears articulated associated audience Babylon become called Centauri challenge characters comes command concept concerns consider context continuity create crew cultural Dark Deep Space Delenn demonstrates diegesis Earth effect Enterprise epic episode equally established example existence experience exploration film final forces frontier future genre human idea identified ideology images individual issues John language later light lives London Maquis McQueen means military Minbari narrative nature Nine occurs offers original parallel past perhaps planet political potential present Press problem programmes question races reality reference remarkable says science fiction season sense Shadows Sheridan ship shows Sinclair Star Trek Stargate station story Sublime suggests television tells texts turn universe Vietnam visual Voyager Western whilst wormhole