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. |
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Page 3
... audiences but, despite the empty coffers of the European Space Agency and NASA, they help make scientific exploration sexy once more. This means that visually, as well as speculatively, science fiction has a lot more to compete with ...
... audiences but, despite the empty coffers of the European Space Agency and NASA, they help make scientific exploration sexy once more. This means that visually, as well as speculatively, science fiction has a lot more to compete with ...
Page 21
... Audience estrangement was a practice favoured in the 1920s onwards by Russian Formalists such as Viktor Shklovsky and Jurji Tynjanov and by the German dramatist Brecht. They claim their works offer something radically different from the ...
... Audience estrangement was a practice favoured in the 1920s onwards by Russian Formalists such as Viktor Shklovsky and Jurji Tynjanov and by the German dramatist Brecht. They claim their works offer something radically different from the ...
Page 26
... audience with something that will not fit into the existing patterns of verisimilitude, yet is being asserted and explored as fact.47 Science fiction narratives explore what this break in reality means for the remainder of reality ...
... audience with something that will not fit into the existing patterns of verisimilitude, yet is being asserted and explored as fact.47 Science fiction narratives explore what this break in reality means for the remainder of reality ...
Page 32
... audience) to comprehend the multitude of alien languages. Babylon 5 stresses both communalities and differences in communication, often using subtitles for alien languages. The second category, the transformation of language, is a more ...
... audience) to comprehend the multitude of alien languages. Babylon 5 stresses both communalities and differences in communication, often using subtitles for alien languages. The second category, the transformation of language, is a more ...
Page 49
... audiences, and developed particular styles, not only through the increasingly graphic nature of the modern medium (as opposed to the staunchly cinematographic nature of film), but also through badges of individuality. Programmes were ...
... audiences, and developed particular styles, not only through the increasingly graphic nature of the modern medium (as opposed to the staunchly cinematographic nature of film), but also through badges of individuality. Programmes were ...
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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