The Sci-Fi Cast

WIRED has listed several hypothetical experiments that would advance science significantly, if only they weren’t so creepy and wrong. For example, something called “embryo mapping” would see doctors insert a tracking agent into a human embryo and monitor its development more precisely and definitively than ever before. The result could help scientist direct the evolution of stem cells, and potentially advance research into Parkinson’s Disease, for example, significantly.

Plus, it’d make  really cool sci-fi story. As do the others. Just imagine your favorite director, actors and visual effects artists teaming up to produce movies based on:

1. Optogenetics – beams of light control brain cells of conscious human beings
2. Ape man – cross-breed a human being with a chimpanzee
3. Separating Twins – separate twins at birth and then control every single aspect of their upbringing

There’s more, of course, and we encourage to read the full list. Unethical in real life, but compelling fodder for science fiction.

Photo credit: Bartholomew Cooke. Image based on photo by photo researchers.

Our own Ged published a prophetic post to his blog back in 2008:

“There’s no guarantee, for example, that the historic ratings success of Battlestar Galactica will translate to the new spin-off series Caprica. But if I know the Sci-Fi Channel, viewers may not even get a chance to set a season pass for Caprica before it’s blasted out the nearest airlock.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

Think about that date for a second. We first heard about Caprica in 2008. Nearly three years later, the network still hasn’t finished airing the first season. You’d think that a network called “SyFy” would be the ONE network unwilling to treat science fiction programming like space junk.

AMC’s ambitious remake of the short-lived, beloved television series, “The Prisoner” has finally aired (Part I at least). What did you think? Sound off in the comments below. Be seein’ ya!

Warning: The comments likey include spoilers. You have been warned.

Hide your gerbils! ABC’s re-imagined visitors have finally arrived. As their massive ships hover above Earth’s major cities, the scaly aliens attempt to infiltrate human society in very attractive costumes. The idea of seemingly benevolent aliens isn’t new, but it’s more compelling than clearly-defined good vs. evil. How will the contemporary Vs compare to their cheesy 80′s counterparts?

In a word: Pretty frakking well (OK, three words).

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This week we’re exposing examples of robots in pop culture that hinder the development of actual badass bots. If you missed the initial post on the subject, here’s a recap. Movies like I, Robot and that forthcoming Bruce Willis stink bomb feature pissed-off androids bent on human destruction. Who wants to fund a project like that? Number 5 scared the living hell out of me as a kid.

Go ahead, tell me that isn’t the scariest damn thing you’ve ever seen. It was an episode of The Bionic Woman that coined the term “fembot,” and they appeared in two multi-part episodes. The fembots didn’t have AI, but relied upon their programming. Plus, they didn’t mind when people dramatically tore off their faces to reveal the mechanics beneath.

The mindless, murderous fembots are creepy, evil and infiltrated my dreams for weeks when I was young. It’s the removable face that gets me. This also explains my fear of mannequins and CPR dummies.

Look here for more on why robots suck.

This week we’re exposing examples of robots in pop culture that hinder the development of actual badass bots. If you missed the initial post on the subject, here’s a recap. Movies like I, Robot and that forthcoming Bruce Willis stink bomb feature pissed-off androids bent on human destruction. Who wants to fund a project like that? Here’s the first guilty party in our series.

The Stepford Wives

Written by the great Ira Levin, The Stepford Wives is part satire and part commentary. In the story, a young New Yorker moves to Stepford, Connecticut. She notices that the men of Stepford are married to impossibly beautiful and conciliatory women. Of course, the cyber-shit hits the fan when our heroine discovers the truth — those men have taken to killing their wives and replacing them with fawning robots. Above is what Bravo calls the movie’s scariest scene, and we agree.

Levin’s novel is a modern classic and the 1975 film adaptation by Bryan Forbes is terrific and damn creepy. Too creepy in fact. Artificial intelligence that drives murderous men to build high-tech sex toys? No, no. That’s not what we want!

All I’m after is a pit droid to change the oil in my Saturn. Maybe a bending unit to make hilariously rude comments. Levin’s robots are submissive and eerie. Bryan’s actresses are emotionless and distant. And they’re all coming between me and my own Twiki!

Look here for more on why robots suck.

Artificial intelligence research has progressed by leaps and … oh, who are we kidding? It sucks! A robot that can navigate a maze of pink Post-It Notes? Really? That’s the best we can do? Where are the cylons? Where’s Daryl Hannah in Bladerunner? Heck, where’s Bender?

I’ll tell you why we don’t have those things yet. In fact, it’s because of them! Every time we get a new movie like I, Robot or that forthcoming Bruce Willis stink bomb, it features sentient, pissed-off androids whose only motivation is to destroy human kind. Sure, it makes for an exciting movie but it hinders the MIT AI lab!

“Sure, I’ll fund your project,” says the wealthy investor. “It looks incredible. Here’s a a check for 10 million dollars. Who do I make this out … Hey, wait a minute. Aren’t these robots just going to rise up and enslave us?”

“Well no, Mr. High Profiled Investor. That’s just fiction and …”

“Don’t pull that over on me! I’ve seen The Stepford Wives!”

With this in mind, we’re begging sci-fi writers everywhere. Please write docile, helpful robots into your stories. We’re talking R2. We’re talking Rosie. But don’t do it for us, do it for these pathetic souls.

Look here for more on why robots suck.

Contemporary science fiction fans might name Katee Sackhoff, Zoe Saldana or Jeri Ryan when asked about the genre’s hotties. They’re certainly beautiful women, but hardly the first pretty faces to step aboard a space ship. Here are some of our favorite Babes of Vintage Sci-Fi.

Elizabeth Montgomery

She’s best known for playing Samantha on Bewitched, but I enjoyed her performance as a soldier in the Twilight Zone episode, “Two.” She and Charles Bronson play the only people on Earth after a long and bloody war. The catch: they’re members of opposing armies. Eventually they learn to abandon their hate and begin life anew. It’s a fun yet predictable episode, and Elizabeth turns in some nice acting, despite the fact that her character doesn’t speak.

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When The Plan was announced at the end of Battlestar Galactica’s run, I feared that it would be a lame attempt to recapture the glory of the series (see “After M*A*S*H“). Now that the teaser trailer is out, I’m starting to get excited about it. There are references to several episodes in the brief clip which need a thorough examination.

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“… My heroes are Jonathan Swift, and Albert Schweitzer. Many of them are unknown people I’ve met which I consider remarkably brave, patient and understanding. But I have less of that collection of heroes than an overwhelming affection for humanity. I think the human race is just a fascinating creature.

I know that humans, even today, capture and torture people and commit war and all of that. But that’s because they are still children and children are violent. But I refuse to think any other way about the human race but that they are beautiful children. They will, in the end, persevere.”

- Gene Roddenberry

I’ll never forget the time had the privilege to meet Mr. Gene Roddenberry. One fateful day back in 1978, my father clipped an article from our local newspaper that the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, was coming to speak at our town’s high school. I had been addicted to Star Trek ever since I first started watching television and my parents knew I’d be excited to hear Roddenberry speak about how he created the show, as well as his other projects. To say I was excited was an understatement.

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