Tag Archives: science fiction

Stephen Hawking: Aliens May Pose Risk

April 25th, 2010 | Posted in aliens, horror, science fiction

Over the decades science fiction and horror have alternated in their depiction of alien visitation between concepts of invasion and attack on the one hand, and the benign or loving, at times divine sage on the other hand. Some filmmakers have even wrestled with both treatments, such as Steven Spielberg, who for many years presented […]

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Douglas Cowan – Sacred Space: The Quest for Transcendence in Science Fiction Film and Television

April 21st, 2010 | Posted in Douglas Cowan, science fiction, transcendence

Hopefully those who want to explore horror in more depth have read Douglas Cowan’s fine book Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen (Baylor University Press, 2008). Now, Cowan has turned his attention to science fiction with Sacred Space: The Quest for Transcendence in Science Fiction Film and Television (Baylor University Press, scheduled […]

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Paul Meehan on Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir

April 13th, 2010 | Posted in Paul Meehan, science fiction, tech-noir, Uncategorized

Paul Meehan is a friend and frequent source for interesting explorations of the fantastic at this blog. In the past he has visited here to discuss his books Saucer Movies: A UFOlogical History of the Cinema (The Scarecrow Press, 1998), and Cinema of the Psychic Realm (McFarland, 2009). He has also been a guest contributor […]

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Robert Geraci: Robots and the Sacred in Science and Science Fiction

April 11th, 2010 | Posted in artificial intelligence, robotics, Rudolf Otto, science fiction, The Idea of the Holy

I recently came across a great source for research and reflection in Robert Geraci’s work. Geraci teaches at Manhattan College in Religious Studies. The college website describes his research and teaching interests, including the power of religion in contemporary culture, particularly with regard to the interaction between religion and technology. His past research focused upon […]

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Obama in Science Fiction Imagery

March 31st, 2010 | Posted in political commentary, science fiction

My satirical post comparing Obama’s health care legislation to The Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man” led to my surfing the Internet for how the President has been depicted in science fiction imagery. I found several examples from my favorite sci-fi films and television that speak for themselves without any need for written commentary.

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The Church of Jediism and Religious Conflict in the Workplace

March 21st, 2010 | Posted in Adam Possamai, hyper-real spiritualities (or fiction-based), Jediism, pop culture, science fiction

While catching up on various blogs and websites dealing with the fantastic in the blogosphere I came across a news item at SF Gospel. It touched on a conflict between a religious group and an employer on appropriate attire in the workplace. What sets this conflict apart from others that have taken place in the […]

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Avatar, Hollywood, and Warring Worldviews

March 12th, 2010 | Posted in Avatar, James Cameron, religion, science fiction

In my previous post I commented on Hollywood’s lack of public recognition of the significance of films of the fantastic as demonstrated through the Academy Awards. Although three such genre films were nominated, including District Nine, Star Trek, and Avatar, predictably none of them won in major categories, and Avatar did not win Best Picture. […]

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Oscars Snub the Fantastic

March 8th, 2010 | Posted in Academy Awards, science fiction

It was just last month that the media took note of Hollywood’s recognition of the significance of science fiction with the nominations of Avatar, Star Trek, and District 9 for Academy Awards. In an article titled “Otherworldly and Oscar-worthy: Science fiction’s profile soars,” USA Today writes, quoting Vivian Sobchak, author of Screening Space: The American […]

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Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon?

February 14th, 2010 | Posted in fan cultures, religion, science fiction, Star Trek

For a while now I’ve been composing an essay on a religion that finds metaphorical inspiration from pop culture, in particular The Matrix trilogy of films, a religion called, appropriately enough, Matrixism. In my exploration of this hyper-real spirituality, I considered a number of interesting research threads, including myth, science fiction narratives as sacred stories, […]

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Michael Karol: The ABC Movie of the Week

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted in 1970s, horror, science fiction, television

In my research on the fantastic I have come across a lot of good materials, and the individuals who bring these materials into being. Last year I came across Michael Karol and his book The ABC Movie of the Week Companion: A Loving Tribute to the Classic Series (IUniverse, 2008). Michael is an award-winning writer […]

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