"Why do you write science fiction?" It's a fair question, only slightly complicated by the fact that, personally, I tend to write more fantasy than SF. However, if I go down that road, I run the risk of getting sidetracked into the endless debate about what the difference actually is between science fiction and fantasy, … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Science Fiction
Tag: Science Fiction
“HENRi”
Right from the opening voiceover I could tell that Eli Sasich, writer/director of the 20-minute indie science fiction film HENRi, grew up reading the same books as me. Anyone who talks confidentally about positronics and names his female lead Dr Calvin clearly knows his Asimov, and who else but a devotee of Philip K Dick … Continue reading “HENRi”
Revisiting Cinefex (24): Cocoon, The Goonies, Back to the Future
Both the front and back covers of Cinefex issue #24 feature one of the big hit movies of 1985: Ron Howard's Cocoon. On the front we see - in extreme close-up - actor Brian Dennehy pulling down his lower eyelid to reveal the glowing skin of his alien Anterean self. The super-stretchy eyelid was a … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (24): Cocoon, The Goonies, Back to the Future
Revisiting Cinefex (23): Explorers, Lifeforce, My Science Project
Cinefex issue #23 examines no less than three movies but, as far as the cover pictures go, the star of this particular show is Explorers, Joe Dante's 1985 slice of family-friendly science fiction. Up front is a hero shot of the rather funky-looking spaceship operated by whimsical aliens Wak and Neek. Look closely and you'll … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (23): Explorers, Lifeforce, My Science Project
“Prometheus”
Most people who like cinema have a movie that shines like a beacon in their memory, brighter than all the rest. Mine is Alien. I was there for its first release in 1979, sneaking past the warning signs in the theatre foyer even though I was too young for the movie's X-certificate. One sign screamed: … Continue reading “Prometheus”
The Many Lives of a Writer – 3
Most people are like cats – they live not just one life, but many. Writers are no exception. Here's how my third writing life saw everything change. Life 3 - Size Isn't Everything After cutting the cord with Voyager Books, I wrote a dark fantasy novel called Panopticon. The title, inspired by an architectural concept for a … Continue reading The Many Lives of a Writer – 3
Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius
A lot of people are unbearably snooty about genre fiction – especially SF, fantasy and horror. I’m not the first to remark on this – the debate rages daily across the interwebs. It seems there are lots of folk who feel this way, and I think I've finally worked out why. It’s all the fault … Continue reading Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius
The Science Fiction of Bob Shaw
Just discovered a heap of Bob Shaw books buried in a forgotten corner. Ah, the joyful anticipation of rereading some old favourites! Bob's concept of slow glass is one of those science fiction ideas from heaven. It's a dream of a concept that gets right under your skin and just wriggles there. In case you … Continue reading The Science Fiction of Bob Shaw
Big Dumb Objects in Science Fiction
I recently re-read Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, having not picked it up since I was a teenager. What struck me – apart from the remarkable clarity of the prose and the clean straight lines of the narrative – was the geometry. Rama, the alien spacecraft featured in the novel, is an enormous cylinder. … Continue reading Big Dumb Objects in Science Fiction
The Seductive Allure of Speculative Fiction
Why do I like speculative fiction? Am I hard-wired that way? Is there a gene? Was I abducted by aliens as a small child and infused with an urge to read about strangers in strange lands? In short, was it nature or nurture? I don't recall any incidents with aliens (although if they used mind-altering … Continue reading The Seductive Allure of Speculative Fiction
Graham Edwards 