Support NeoGAF

[Victor Omega]

I ....love Sci-Fi!

But even though there is so much sci-fi today, I still want more within sci-fi subgenre.

But to take a step back from it. i was curious. There must be people who don't enjoy Sci fi as much as me and if so i wonder what parts of scifi they hate and dislike.

As for people who do enjoy Scifi, what are some Scifi Trope you feel have been overuse or underused?

 

[Happosai]

Likewise, sci-fi is one of my favorite genres of writing, film, etc. Those I've talked to that don't like it using don't site a common trope but just state "it's boring." From what I gather, if the characters aren't bubbly and funny such as Trance (in the first 2 seasons of Andromeda) or even an Ewok in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi...people find all other characters to be boring. I've asked those who need a great starter to try watching Star Trek TNG but many back off stating: but I like to watch a series from beginning to end and I hear the 1st season was meh. That would be an issue. There are some great episodes in season 1 of TNG but it's a much more serious tone that the preceding seasons.

Same deal with the original Blade Runner movie (one of my favorites). I've shown it to many who weren't not into sci-fi and they hated it. Even movies with some comedy like Total Recall I've shown to similar groups and gotten the reaction of "I don't get it."

I guess the conclusion would be that although sci-fi was made for everybody -- it's really not for everyone.

 

[Smiggs]

I really don't enjoy sci-fi. From games, movies, to TV shows, it just doesn't appeal to me in anyway. I would much rather play as a knight or a peasant in medieval Europe, or even some high fantasy world with magic and mythical creatures.
A big part of what puts me off is just the aesthetics--the really bright colors often used just doesn't resonate with me. Also, the design of buildings/ships seem very samey across the genre, and comes off as uninspired to me.

That doesn't mean I don't enjoy some sci-fi, I absolutely do. I love Doom 2016, several sci-fi movies, and I'll definitely be checking out Starfield. Although, I'd much rather be playing a new Elder Scrolls game... Just like I would have much rather played a new Witcher game instead of Cyberpunk...

This is obviously just my opinion, and you could make these same complaints about any genre. People just like what they like.

 

[BossLackey]

Yeah I freaking love sci-fi. It's most of what I read and all my favorite movies are sci-fi. There are just so many things you can do with it.

I think cryo/sleep pods are getting a bit long in the tooth. I don't have a better alternative, but I'd love to see a different solution to long-distance space travel.

Also echoing Smiggs above, very often ships and tech look too similar to other properties. We could really use an injection of radically new designs in sci-fi by some big movie. The biggest problem for both Sci-fi and fantasy is how recycled everything is.

 

[jason10mm]

I LLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE sci-fi, particularly literary sci-fi as most of the visual media suffer from a lack of budget to appropriately depict stuff like truly alien aliens.

I can go with "Science fantasy" that has little grounding in physics as we know it today or "hard sci-fi" that sticks to what we know as closely as possible. For me, the best sci-fi takes a HUMAN issue and spins it in such a way that it can work as pure entertainment OR commentary on said issue. I feel good sci-fi presents all sides of an issue without being preachy or ham-fisted, that's the value of sci-fi over just a modern setting. It can be pure escapism though, or even thinly dressed historical fiction with laser swords and blaster pistols.

But the key for sci-fi over "fantasy", for me, is adherence to internal consistency. I've read fantasy that is basically science fiction because the magic and stuff is just presented as science, or at least could be understandable as a science versus unknowable magic/deity derived power. It's the synthesis of these two quotes from the peerless Arthur C. Clarke that make it sci-fi for me.

“Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.”​

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”​

 

[kurisu_1974]

I love sci fi but at the same time hate most sci fi that is currently being made, and that includes overhyped mainstream nonsense like Interstellar.

Very late 60s / early 70s is peak sci-fi for me.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Sci Fi will always be better than Fantasy

 

[Winter John]

I never got into all the action movie space ship and robot stuff. Star Trek and all those kind of movies never interested me. I'm not saying they're bad. Just not for me. BladeRunner, Escape from New York and They Live are my kind of thing.