Comments on: Star Wars Is Not Science Fiction

By: Jedi

Jedi — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:37:15 +0000

Star Wars meets the requirement to be considered a science fiction film. While elements like technology and aliens are not always at the forefront of the films, they are apart of it. Star Wars deals with astronomy (other planets, star systems, aliens, etc).

Moreover, the Jedi are not wizards. There’s nothing mystical or magical about them. There was a scienctific link between Jedi and The Force, and that’s midichlorians. The Jedi developed a method to communicate with the Force.

Additionally, one of the main characters, Darth Vader is a cyborg. A mechanical menace, that’s more machine than man… twisted and evil.

Then of course, you have Yoda, and alien Jedi.

The arguement that Star Wars is Lord of Rings is an arguement based on fallacy, as you’re purposely changing elements to fit into the fantasy catagory. That’s like changing the Alien elements of District 9, to illegal immigrants coming to the United States. You based an arguement based on changing the movie elements. Scientifically speaking, your skewing the data/results by tampering with the test subject. You must objectively test Star Wars to the criteria of the definition of science fiction WITHOUT MANIPULATING it’s elements or making hypothecial comparisons.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:11:12 +0000

Star Wars can be done in another genre: medieval fantasy (swords, magic, paladins, etc.). District 9, however, could not. The former is fantasy, the latter is actually science-fiction.

Star Wars has far more in common with The Lord of The Rings than it does with any work of actual science-fiction. The Death Star’s implications (it being a weapon of mass destruction completely changing the face of warfare) is never discussed; it’s another catapult, another magic spell. The X-Wings are dragons, Darth Vader the Black Knight.

A work of fantasy set in outer space is exactly what Star Wars is. And that doesn’t make any of the movies bad in and of itself (Episode 5 notwithstanding, bad writing and bad directing makes those movies bad, not the fantasy of it all). But science-fiction? No. District 9 is science-fiction. War of the Worlds is science-fiction. A fair amount of Star Trek episodes are science-fiction. Even that bad B movie with Christian Bale as the dude that stopped taking his emotion-killing meds is science-fiction.

Star Wars possesses nothing that makes science-fiction exactly that.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:04:19 +0000

Shit yeah, the Andromeda Strain is perfect. Lots of science, classic SF "what if?", pretty rudimentary characterization. It’s got all the hallmarks of Hard SF. Good call.

By: wlpeak

wlpeak — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:53:56 +0000

I would suggest The Andromeda Strain as a semi Hard/Good true science fictional movie.

By: J. Pablo Fernández

J. Pablo Fernández — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:37:06 +0000

Nice post, I totally agree. In my effort to enlighten the world I created Is it Science Fiction? where you can vote on whether something like Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica or Foundation are Science Fiction or not. You can also comment to explain yourself and try to convince others.

By: Picture In A Frame » Obscurorant 2.0

Picture In A Frame » Obscurorant 2.0 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:05:43 +0000

[...] pretty sure my local library carried at least two of these. Some extras for you. A brief reminder: Star Wars is not science fiction. Also – [...]

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:58:31 +0000

Well, The Manchurian Candidate.

If I were being really noodly I’d wonder at what of paranoia BSG is exploiting in the manner The Manchurian Candidate exploited the paranoia of communist agents among us who might not even know they were agents! But I’m not that noodly, I don’t think they’re being allegorical there.

By: Mr Teufel

Mr Teufel — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:54:30 +0000

I’d argue that one aspect of BSG that makes it SF is the idea that you could be an enemy and not know it. Hard to explain that in another genre.

But overall, I agree with everything you say here.

By: Movie Review - Ghost in the Shell « Dreams of the Red King.

Movie Review - Ghost in the Shell « Dreams of the Red King. — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:24:02 +0000

[...] as the point is raised on another blog I read, it is science fiction. While some of the political aspects of the story could be told in a [...]