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 26
Page 1
... remarkable visual imagery. American Science Fiction Television: 'Star Trek', 'Stargate' and Beyond offers a starting point for the correction of this extraordinary oversight. SCIENCE FICTION In 1948, the famous sf author and pulp ...
... remarkable visual imagery. American Science Fiction Television: 'Star Trek', 'Stargate' and Beyond offers a starting point for the correction of this extraordinary oversight. SCIENCE FICTION In 1948, the famous sf author and pulp ...
Page 4
... remarkable interaction between the tactile and physical world of the analogue and the intangible realm of the digital, science fiction on television has truly come into its own. MYTHO. -. HISTORY This book explores the development of sf ...
... remarkable interaction between the tactile and physical world of the analogue and the intangible realm of the digital, science fiction on television has truly come into its own. MYTHO. -. HISTORY This book explores the development of sf ...
Page 5
... remarkable opportunity for complex human beings to contemplate the minute and immense universe around us.11 Splendid examples of the American sublime occur from the mid 1800s in literature, painting and film representations of the ...
... remarkable opportunity for complex human beings to contemplate the minute and immense universe around us.11 Splendid examples of the American sublime occur from the mid 1800s in literature, painting and film representations of the ...
Page 8
... remarkable franchise. The interconnected universe of the various Star Trek series serves as a sort of benchmark (for good or for bad) against which other series are judged and its use of verbal language, particularly in The Next ...
... remarkable franchise. The interconnected universe of the various Star Trek series serves as a sort of benchmark (for good or for bad) against which other series are judged and its use of verbal language, particularly in The Next ...
Page 9
... remarkable human prowess – in the shape of heightened senses, psychic and telekinetic powers and genetically advanced abilities – are investigated in borderline sf series like Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Poltergeist: The ...
... remarkable human prowess – in the shape of heightened senses, psychic and telekinetic powers and genetically advanced abilities – are investigated in borderline sf series like Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Poltergeist: The ...
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Common terms and phrases
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