Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Could Dune Be the Next Star Wars?
Ignoring George Lucas's prequels, it took nearly four decades for Star Wars to find its footing again. Its success is due to the amazing production team from Disney, helmed by the great J.J. Abrams. But Star Wars is vulnerable. No longer is the playing field like a narrow stretch of the desert plains of Tatooine. Studios around the world are forever on the search to find the next great sci-fi entertainment dynasty. Failures like John Carter and Jupiter Ascending were attempts at relying upon either less-than-complex storytelling or overly stimulating visuals. There is no need to look further than the greatest sci-fi novel ever made. The pattern changer for science fiction story telling was Frank Herbert’s epic Dune.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
How to Make an Arcade Game
They wanted the ultimate bad guy, the kind of villain who could eat Darth Vader for breakfast. They wanted a game that would tell a story, show off the best new arcade technology, and be more than just another outer-space-shoot-'em-up thriller. But in November 1981, all Williams Electronics, Inc. had were some awesome-looking planets and spaceships created by Sam Dicker, one of their game designers. So one November day about a dozen top people from this major arcade game company gathered at a downtown Chicago hotel to brainstorm about a new idea—an idea that would become the game Sinistar.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Flash Gordon Behind the Scenes
Working on Dino De Laurentiis's multi-million dollar epic, Flash Gordon, was quite an adventure for the British FX team Of Martin J. Bower and Bill Pearson, two of the most talented and prolific model makers in science fiction film. Together, they have tackled the making of Alien and The Medusa Touch, and their separate credits include Space: 1999, Doctor Who, and Blake's 7. In December of 1980, theater screens exploded with the film that became their most demanding project to date—Flash Gordon—a comic strip that lives on the screen and one of the best sci-fi cult classics of all time.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Hajime Sorayama Interview
The book Sexy Robot and the art it contains were born of Haijme Sorayama’s desire to combine robots and eroticism. The issue he faced was where to leave a touch of human biology. The lips, the breasts, and the hips, which had been the prevalent areas of emphasis throughout his career of sci-fi erotica, were the natural choices. Throughout his career, within his fantastical artistic images, you feel the movement of the human body manifested within the cold, smooth lines of technological perfection. In an interview excerpt from Sexy Robot, Sorayama explores the mystique of erotic sci-fi art.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Ray Bradbury Interview
Ray Bradbury worked and wrote in a two-room office on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. The rooms exploded with yellow brightness, and a visitor leaving the uproar of the street below might have felt that he had somehow walked into the middle of the sun. A gigantic, 15' high, stuffed Bullwinkle sat in the outer room, covered with hats and comic-book clippings, child's drawings and baseball cards. It set the tone for the man it served. "The problem with so many of the modern American writers," said Bradbury, "is that they exist in a world without children. I don’t believe they were ever young."
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Is Life on Mars Possible?
Is it any coincidence that The Martian came to the big screen the same week that NASA discovered water on Mars? Many people believe that this it's too suspicious to be a coincidence. The Martian, released on October 2, 2015, depicts Matt Damon as astronaut ark Watney, who is suspected to be dead after a dangerous storm hits Mars. After being left behind by his crew mates, it is discovered that he had in fact, survived the storm. Left to survive the desolate environment and somehow send a message to Earth that he has survived, Watney faces the challenge of staying alive on an uninhabitable planet. The discovery of water on Mars seems like it could have been created as a publicity stunt to promote the movie. However, the discovery has caused scientists to relish the possibilities of what life on that planet would be like, and to ask "is life on Mars possible?"
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
History of Flight
In 1903, man realized a primal dream—to fly. The Wright brothers's hometown paper was one of the few to note the epochal achievement. Today, we have gone above and beyond the beginnings of flight, even entering space. Today's flight technologies have a long and intriguing history of development and dedication to the dream to take to the skies.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Bits 'n Pieces
"Linda, dear? Have you seen my favorite tie? You know, the blue one with orange stripes?" Ronald Simmons didn't want to be late for work, especially as he had an important meeting that afternoon. He knew that if his presentation was well received he'd be up for that promotion—the one he had been working toward for the past six months.
By Steve Benton10 years ago in Futurism
'Star Trek Sex' Author Will Stape Interview
Space: The Sexual Frontier. Star Trek Sex boldly explores what no book has explored before: the Enterprise crew’s notorious libido, which not even the most emotionally devoid Vulcan could possibly ignore. Will Stape is the man behind Star Trek Sex’s success. As a previous Trek writer himself, Stape brings his expertise, ingenuity, and warp-driven imagination to sci-fi’s most successful franchise.
By Natasha Sydor10 years ago in Futurism
Tucson's Biosphere 2 Lessons
The human brain has spawned a parallel universe of imagined lifeforms, landmarks, and civilizations. Though usually conceived of as fiction, this parallel universe often leaks into various Earth systems. Robot explorers, genetically engineered animals, artificial intelligence, international space stations—these are, before anything else, the products of our imagination. They are what happens when an organism is capable of asking itself: What does the future look like? The Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona is a totemic example of how such fantasies can carry over into reality.
By Megan May Daalder10 years ago in Futurism
Samuel R. Delany's 'The Einstein Intersection' Review
I was always vaguely aware of Samuel R. Delany as one of the towering figures of science fiction, but I never thought very much about him until I read Damien Broderick’s Reading by Starlight for my undergraduate thesis. In the intervening time, I’ve come to discover that Delany, like Le Guin, is one of science fiction’s greatest writers and commentators. Delany has a rare gift for ambitious and brilliant writing combined with an insightful critical output.
By Michael Gold10 years ago in Futurism
