Science Fiction Stories

Pushing the boundaries of imagination and creativity, science fiction can explore the potential impact of scientific and technological innovations on society and how we live. The stories might reflect contemporary issues and contemplate questions about the future of humanity. Through visionary storytelling, stories can provoke questions about the meaning and purpose of life and inspire our imagination. Prior to the development of cinema, these ideas were explored in the works of writers such as Mary Shelley and H.G. Wells. Seminal science fiction movies such as Metropolis and Things To Come brought these ideas to a wider audience. During the 1950s and 1960s concerns about global issues were reflected in movies such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Time Machine and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Mythology, Books and Movies

Mythological stories have influenced culture and story-telling for centuries. There are parallels with the science fiction stories that emerged following The Enlightenment and The Industrial Revolution. The themes they explore, such as heroism, free will and the search for, knowledge, wisdom or love, are present in many science fiction books and movies. For example, the transformative heroes journey in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey could be compared to Paul Atreides journey in Dune, which also explores power and corruption. The relationships between humans and gods, such as Prometheus bringing the fire of knowledge to humanity, could be likened to themes found in science-fiction, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Alien series and the story of Frankenstein. The deep resonance of archetypal characters and themes found in mythology can bring greater depth, meaning and purpose to stories we tell about our own world and issues that concern us, by addressing what it means to be human.

Mythology typically follows a narrative involving a hero undertaking a difficult journey, encountering various trials and returning transformed to bring back something considered to be of value. This structure is reflected in science fiction stories, such as Dune, Foundation and The Matrix. Stories about the rise and fall of individuals, nations and empires has been told in mythology and also within contemporary utopian and dystopian stories about the future. Oracles predicting the future in mythology could be compared to characters such as Hari Seldon, who uses psychohistory to predict the probability of future events in the Foundation series. The merging of human and machine in Neuromancer and artificial intelligence that manipulates human affairs has parallels with mythological stories of gods and humans.

You can test your knowledge of science fiction books and movies by playing this science fiction quiz.

Imagining The Future

Adventure stories have been told in movies such as Star Wars. The cult classic Blade Runner considered the consequences developing artificial life and the nature of human identity, as did the Matrix, Ex Machina and Her. Television shows, such as Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, attracted a global audience. Long running series provided more time for writers to develop characters and explore themes more fully, producing stories with more depth than was possible in the limited running time of movies. Advances in special effects made movies increasingly immersive. Science-fiction sagas, including Foundation and Dune, attracted a loyal readership. Influential novels such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Neuromancer inspired many artists and writers.

Whether through ancient myths, novels, movies, television shows or games, we can explore issues of concern to people across the world. Drawing upon stories that human beings have told each other for generations, through spoken, written or recorded words, these narratives explore characters, themes and concepts that can help us to better understand ourselves, each other and the world. They can remind us that we share many of the same hopes, dreams and concerns. This could help us to navigate our way through the many challenges of a future that will be complex and uncertain.

From Ancient Stars

During the thousands of years that have passed since humans began to venture beyond their home world, ships capable of near light speed carried generations to planets in other solar systems. In their isolation people on some worlds flourished, while others declined. Some travelled to planets so distant that it was not known by those they left behind what had become of them.

Episode 1 – Elystian to Tarenos

I scripted and narrated ‘Episode 1 of From Ancient Stars‘. The video is located on my YouTube channel @EchoBeach. Episode 1 begins on the commercial cargo ship Theseus, which is nearing the halfway point of a journey from Elystian to the planet Tarenos. Soon after losing contact with the rest of the solar system, the crew of the Theseus encounter a vessel of unknown origin and design. They are unable to detect life signs coming from the ship, which is drifting and appears to have lost power. A team is assembled and ordered to fly over to the apparently abandoned vessel, gain entry and claim salvage rights.