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 6
... concerned. Cinema offers spectacular mise-en-scène, but as we gaze mesmerised at that massive silver screen it is hard for us to work beyond the narrative: we are drawn into the diegesis and become too enveloped to question it easily or ...
... concerned. Cinema offers spectacular mise-en-scène, but as we gaze mesmerised at that massive silver screen it is hard for us to work beyond the narrative: we are drawn into the diegesis and become too enveloped to question it easily or ...
Page 16
... concerned with technological advances, and this approach is essentially rooted in the technological preoccupations and prejudices of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In The Ascent of Wonder (1994), Kathryn Cramer suggests ...
... concerned with technological advances, and this approach is essentially rooted in the technological preoccupations and prejudices of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In The Ascent of Wonder (1994), Kathryn Cramer suggests ...
Page 17
... 'it is not the quantity of the observations, but the logical coherence of a theory that finally matters.'12 Todorov's study concerns nineteenthcentury novels, so it does not initially appear relevant to a 17 SCIENCE FICTION.
... 'it is not the quantity of the observations, but the logical coherence of a theory that finally matters.'12 Todorov's study concerns nineteenthcentury novels, so it does not initially appear relevant to a 17 SCIENCE FICTION.
Page 22
... concerned with style, simulacra and the absence of meaning rather than its presence, but theorists of Fredric Jameson's ilk demonstrate their Formalist heritage in their preoccupations with style over substance in late twentieth-century ...
... concerned with style, simulacra and the absence of meaning rather than its presence, but theorists of Fredric Jameson's ilk demonstrate their Formalist heritage in their preoccupations with style over substance in late twentieth-century ...
Page 28
... concerned with ethical and moral issues.58 The issues themselves are quite literally cast in an alien light: stripped of their everyday context they invite fresh consideration from a different perspective. In fantasy, the same moral ...
... concerned with ethical and moral issues.58 The issues themselves are quite literally cast in an alien light: stripped of their everyday context they invite fresh consideration from a different perspective. In fantasy, the same moral ...
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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