Science Fiction Fears - Just Our Overactive Imaginations?

Eek! Aliens are going to abduct me. Oh no! Skynet is going to take over the world!

There are a lot of wondrous things in the worlds of science fiction. We've seen technology from stories made real decades later and events happen just like they were written. Yet it doesn't make the horrors of sci-fi true. The fact that so many people fear these things could happen only says how well the authors did their jobs.

Are there aliens and would they abduct us? There are likely aliens, but the chances they are here are very slim. Plus would a greatly advanced race with amazing technology really resort to kidnapping and probing humans to learn about them? They would have scanners that could tell them everything they want to know, and they can observe us in our natural habitats. Nope, not creepy at all.

Will an asteroid hit Earth? Not at all likely. NASA says there are no near-Earth asteroids or comets, and their chances of identifying a big one that might cause worldwide damage early so something could be done to stop it are nearly 100%. But a Sharknado, now that's a different story!

Will AI evolve and take over the world? No. AI is only composed of what we put in it. If robots try to take over the world then someone programmed them that way. AI can never replace the ingenuity and perseverance of humans. Plus a few well placed EMP bombs will take care of the problem easily!

Dystopians are immensely popular be they primal or technologically advanced societies. If there is a worldwide disaster or war, would it be likely something like that could happen? Not really. These are pessimistic views of our future. People will want the society they lost and seek to rebuild it. No matter how dismal it looks sometimes, never underestimate the power of hope and compassion.

Let's hope we have more of a Star Trek future than a Hunger Games or an Idiocracy.

Do you have any fears that have stemmed from science fiction?

The Dragon or the Egg?

Which came first?

Why am I asking this question?

Well, on January 20th, the 45th President of the United States was sworn in. The 44th said adieu. Before getting to this point, and after, truthfully, there has been this frenzy of information, opinion, and activity overload. It's like that Teen Titans Go! episode where the whole world got wrapped up in a blanket and a giant stink bomb blew up creating the universe's largest dutch oven (if you are going EWWWW! at this point, can't say I blame you, nor could I blame you if you're laughing like a hyena).

But...that's actually my point. You see what I did? I totally pulled in a reference to a TV show. There have been, and continue to be, so many TV, movie, and book references used throughout this recent election process. It got me to wondering: How much of life is an imitation of art OR is art an imitation of life?

Think of the food generators on Star Trek. It was so cool to see the actors/actresses tell the computer what they wanted and then watch it appear right before them, whether hot or cold. I haven't seen this in in my neck of the woods just yet, but we're getting close:

Hot food vending machine. Picture credit to Throwback Tech.

There are even three-dimensional pens and printers that can produce three-dimensional objects from scans and designs like seen in the movie Big Hero 6.

So which came first, the dragon or the egg. Is art an imitation of life or is life an imitation of art?

When it comes to writing science fiction and fantasy, we as writers can create the foundation for a world drawing out how such spectacular beings as dragons, vampires, were-animals, leviathans, and other fantastical creatures, came to be. As readers, we get to embark on the adventure of discovery as the lay of the land is artistically woven for us a paragraph at a time.

But I am curious. What about you? What are your thoughts?

Please share in the comments then feel free to share this post with others so they, too, can comment and we can have a fantastic discussion.

#Star Wars or Trek?

Credit to Wars in the Stars blog

OR

Credit due here.

Both of these franchises scream EPIC.

The music.

The mission.

The drama and the action.

EPIC I say!

J. J. Abrams directed the latest installment of Star Wars epicness with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

There were plenty of naysayers but I'm glad to say I was among the YAYsayers. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I laughed, sat on the edge of my seat, and also cried for that one scene with you know who that just ripped at my heart.

That's right. No spoilers. I simply can not ruin it for you!

Justin Lin has directed the latest installment of Star Trek epicneess with Beyond releasing this summer.

Yes, I will be doing my best to catch this one in the movie theater as soon as it's released, or close to it :-)

Have you had a chance to see all the Star Trek or Star Wars movies available?

I can honestly say that I've seen them all at least once during my lifetime.

Some folks have a preference. I do not prefer one over the other. I'm captivated by the action, the space opera drama and the wide diversity both present. Although I am not deeply into science, the technology they fictionalize fascinates me.

Do you prefer Star Trek over Star Wars
OR
Star Wars over Star Trek?

In the comments below, please share your thoughts on the films, the shows, what you have seen, and if you have a preference, please share why. I'd love to know :-)

What Speculative Fiction Shows & Movies Influenced You As A Writer?

Today on Untethered Realms, we're sharing a speculative fiction television show or movie that helped to shape the writers we are today.  What movies or shows influenced you?

Ellie Garratt

Star Trek: The Original Series started my passion for science fiction television shows, movies, and literature. As a young child in the 1970s, I remember begging my parents to watch the show that opened up strange new worlds and alien characters. It was like nothing I'd seen before. The earliest stories I wrote were a kind of fan-fiction, sending Captain Kirk and his crew on yet more adventures. They weren't very good, but they did open me up to the idea that I could write my own stories. More than that, Star Trek made me realise I was different from my female friends, who spent their time playing with Barbie dolls and air stewardess play sets. I didn't want dolls, I wanted a Millennium Falcon and storm troopers. As I look back now, I'm forever grateful to my parents who gave into my begging, though I never did get that Millennium Falcon.

River Fairchild

Among the many decent specfic shows on TV over the years, Star Trek is number one on my list. I love all of the series…well, except for the last one. My favorite, though, is Deep Space 9. It’s so different from the rest of the franchise. The grittiness, the problems, the characters - all converge to grab my imagination and inspire my writing. There are so many non-Federation types on this show, each with their own quirks, flaws, and various agendas. The female characters are strong and unconventional; the struggles are relatable to the viewer. At its core, the theme is about humanity’s survival in an often dangerous environment. This isn’t a nice, clean ship filled with disciplined scientists. It’s a crossroads in space, with cutthroats, thieves, and an ill-mannered assortment of characters guaranteed to win your sympathy as they collide with each other.
And Avery Brooks is certainly easy on the eye…

M. Pax

Although I fell in love with space adventure with Lost in Space at the age of 3 (I remember my parents, older brother, and I gathering in the family room, sitting in certain chairs, and holding the tin foil a certain way to get reception), it was in 5th grade when I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey at the theater that blew me away. The story made my jaw drop and say, "Wow." Then I read the book and kept saying, "Wow." I loved the discovery and mystery. Most of all, I loved how the story made me think and view the universe differently than before.

Christine Rains

Mystery, horror, comedy, and the supernatural. Well, most of the time the villains turned out to be human, but there was always something creepy going on. Scooby-Doo was one of my favorite shows when I was a child. I had a yellow Scooby-Doo lunchbox all through elementary school. I wanted to be the one investigating the haunted houses and monster sightings. So I wrote stories about it. The short tales I wrote as a kid had all the elements of a Scooby-Doo episode including the corny joke at the end. These days, my writing still contains these elements. Except my humor is much drier and there's no joke at the end.

Cherie Reich

Although most of my ideas revolve the realms of fantasy, my first successful story was a paranormal horror tale titled Once upon a December Nightmare. Based off true events that happened to my friends and me and with a paranormal and much more horrifying twist than what happened to us, this novelette also owes a lot to The X-Files. For nine seasons, I faithfully watched The X-Files on Sunday night. I loved delving into the paranormal, supernatural, and the alien as well as watching the great chemistry between Mulder and Scully. I'm a huge fan of the show and own all the seasons and the two movies and some of the books. Most of all, I share Mulder's optimism. I write because I want to believe.


Cathrina Constantine

I wanted to be Jo from Little Women. To cozy up in the attic, writing and putting on plays. As young as 12, I'd write plays, silly plays. My friends and I would have fun acting them out. I don't know if it was due to the death of poor Beth, but I had the tendency to write tragic tales.






Movies have been a big influence in my writing. Especially paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian. I like many genres and could never pick just one as my favorite.



The Harry Potter Series; Marvel Movies, the television show, Supernatural, and the movie, Constantine (0f course) I could go on and on. They light the flame of inspiration.

T.F. Walsh

Werewolf movies... I'm pretty certain I've seen almost everything out there related to the furry beasts. I grew up watching a lot of horror, mainly monster related. My friends and family were subjected to Underworld, An American Werewolf in London, Dog Soldiers, The Howling, Blood and Chocolate, The Monster Squad, Ginger Snaps, and so on. Yep, I can keep going. Anyway, the thing about werewolves is that one could be hiding anywhere, even next door to you, in his or her guise. Whether a person's lycanthropy is beyond their control, or whether they maintain their control, when they change, they are equally frightening. Traditional movies of werewolves were used to inspire fear, but they have since been romanticised in popular culture. I love both of these sides of wolf shifters, and if there's a new paranormal or horror movie, you can bet I'll be there watching it.


Julie Flanders

Source

I've been totally in love with all things vampire ever since I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer during its original run. I was initially hesitant to watch it because I thought it was just a silly show for teenagers, something I was a long way away from at the time. I got over that quickly though, and Buffy became one of my favorite shows of all time. My favorite season of the show is the second, the poster for which is shown in the above photo. I was blown away by the story of Buffy and Angel's evil alter-ego Angelus, and to this day the season 2 finale is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever watched. I re-watched the show a few years ago and when I got to that finale I thought, that's the kind of story I want to tell. To me, the writing for that arc is as close to perfect as it gets. While my vampire stories are not at all like the Buffyverse, I did enjoy writing my own evil, sarcastic vampire as an homage to my beloved Angelus. I can't deny that when it comes to fiction, I love the bad boys. :D 

Gwen Gardner

  I didn't know I wanted to be a writer when I was a child. But I was an avid reader and some of that spilled over into television. Books, comic books and cartoons sparked my imagination and made me crave more. Wendy the Good Little Witch, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Scooby Doo. I loved those worlds. What inspired me most to write as an adult was first the Harry Potter books and then the Harry Potter movies. I love them all. The world of possibilities really appeals to me.