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
Results 1-5 of 25
Page 5
... occur from the mid 1800s in literature, painting and film representations of the western frontier: aspects of these are examined here briefly as context and precursors to preoccupations prevalent in sf television narratives. Science ...
... occur from the mid 1800s in literature, painting and film representations of the western frontier: aspects of these are examined here briefly as context and precursors to preoccupations prevalent in sf television narratives. Science ...
Page 20
... occurs through the form and style of the textual presentation and its utilisation of various linguistic strategies – poetic phrasing, arcane juxtapositions, neologisms and transformed language, for example. In addition, we are forced to ...
... occurs through the form and style of the textual presentation and its utilisation of various linguistic strategies – poetic phrasing, arcane juxtapositions, neologisms and transformed language, for example. In addition, we are forced to ...
Page 21
... occurs through a process of defamiliarisation and estrangement – in Russian, zatrudnenie, 'making difficult', and ostraneniye, 'making strange'.24 For Shklovsky, the role of poetic art is to 'explode the encrustations of customary ...
... occurs through a process of defamiliarisation and estrangement – in Russian, zatrudnenie, 'making difficult', and ostraneniye, 'making strange'.24 For Shklovsky, the role of poetic art is to 'explode the encrustations of customary ...
Page 50
... occurs at the same time as the viewing, so the effect is diminished, although Pay-Per-View and rental videos are closer to the cinematic experience in this respect. However, these are usually one-off experiences (feature films or major ...
... occurs at the same time as the viewing, so the effect is diminished, although Pay-Per-View and rental videos are closer to the cinematic experience in this respect. However, these are usually one-off experiences (feature films or major ...
Page 88
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
Other editions - View all
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