Ten Great Science Fiction Films: Myths of Runaway Technologies – Part IV

Ten Great Science Fiction Films (concluded) Concluding the list of ten great science fiction films.  (See Parts I, II, & III of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t previously.) #8) Gattaca “There’s no gene for fate.” Genetic Discrimination The human genome is a mystery scientists are unraveling … and manipulating.  Of course, … Read more

Ten Great Science Fiction Films: Myths of Runaway Technologies – Part III

Ten Great Science Fiction Films (continued) Continuing the list of ten great science fiction films.  (See Parts I & II of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t yet.) #5) Interstellar Love is the one thing that we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space.  Maybe we should trust that, … Read more

Ten Great Science Fiction Films: Myths of Runaway Technologies – Part II

Ten Great Science Fiction Films (continued) Continuing the list of ten great science fiction films.  (Check out Part I of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t already.) #2) Solaris (1972) We don’t want to conquer space at all. We want to expand Earth endlessly.  We don’t want other worlds; we want a … Read more

Ten Great Science Fiction Films: Myths of Runaway Technologies – Part I

Modern Myths, Mechanical Monsters In ancient and medieval times, mythological monsters were typically beasts, such as giants or dragons.  In today’s mythical stories, most notably in science fiction films, monsters are commonly machines.  Really, the Frankenstein monster was the first of these mythic, machine-like creatures, though a long line of mechanical monsters—from cyborgs to Artificial … Read more

Frankenstein monsters, or unintended consequences of technological innovation – Part I: Runaway technologies

Visions of Frankenstein Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is no doubt one of my favorite novels.  It marks the dawn of a new era: a modern mythology in media, known as science fiction.  Published in 1818, familiarity with the plot endures thanks to Hollywood.  When a mad scientist, Victor Frankenstein, discovers how to reanimate dead matter, … Read more