list
The best list for everything science fiction.
Best Hard Sci-Fi Books
Fans of the sci-fi genre have been known to be… picky. Sure, we want our trail mix of starships, androids, cleverly disguised social commentary, “big thought-provoking ideas,” and snappy banter from severely conflicted cyborg characters. We also want, somewhere in the middle, an enormous, spacey McGuffin to keep the plot moving at warp speed. But all that’s a given; That’s the minimum essential goods. What most discerning fans demand is a level of authenticity; We want to know exactly “how” that tractor beam works, “how” that near-light speed engine runs, “how” that police telephone booth is really bigger on the inside. In other words, we want an author who knows what they’re talking about when it comes to the techy stuff—even if that stuff is totally imaginary! And not just Wookiepedia-level knowledge, either. Basically we want a genuine physicist like Michio Kaku whispering into the writer’s ear, telling them how all this stuff could, theoretically, work. Hard sci-fi answers these questions with its emphasis on technical accuracy and scientific detail.
Matt CatesPublished 8 years ago in FuturismBest 'Star Trek' Shirts
Hailing all frequencies, you gotta beam up the best Star Trek shirts to your collection. Now that may have sounded a bit hokey, but that is the point of Star Trek. It's okay to be yourself, and if you are a corny fan like me, it means taking my best Star Trek shirt recommendations very seriously. Star Trek T shirts are more than just novelties for fans to express themselves. Unlike so many other commercial franchises, Star Trek represented a way of life. Gene Roddenberry's ideological TV show was founded on ideals such as freedom of choice. Originally conceived during a time of significant social change that began in the 1960s, the franchise has continued to reflect the same principles well into the 21st century. From The Next Generation's exploration of AI to more contemporary issues such as genetic cloning that permeated later feature films and the best Star Trek books, Star Trek has been a cultural phenomenon that fans are proud to wear on their T shirts.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismCoolest Sci-Fi Spaceships
From novels to feature films, from TV series to video games, the presence of spaceships have been prevalent across all forms of the science fiction genre. With imaginative minds creating these fictional machines, some realistic and some far­fetched, there are bound to be several that enthrall us unlike any others. What makes a great spaceship can be hard to define, though. Intriguing technological enhancements and mind bending paradoxes are sure to attract attention, but for some, their sheer massiveness will suffice. The coolest sci-fi spaceships encompass a wide variety of types like the ones mentioned above. Some you will be sure to recognize. Others are more obscure. All are among the greatest spaceships in all of sci-­fi.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismStar Trek: Deep Space Nine's Best & Worst Episodes
One of the most popular television shows ever developed for the Star Trek franchise, Deep Space Nine (DS9), came to an end in June of 1999. Its growing popularity did come as a bit of a surprise, especially to the community of Trek fans. When the show began airing in January 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation was at its prime, and it had taken long enough for the fans of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to warm up to that show. Deep Space Nine had quite a few other strikes against it. Not only was it a darker vision of the future, but it was the first Star Trek ongoing series to be developed after the death of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismMost Terrifying Sci-Fi Books
Peanut butter and jelly. Hot rods and bikinis. Sci-fi and horror. Some things are meant to go together! Yet, while most of us are all too familiar with our two favorite genres mixing it up in motion pictures, it’s often under appreciated how well these types blend in book form. Together, we can correct that fault, by cherry-picking a few classics, blowing off the binary dust which has shamefully accumulated upon these wizened tomes, and gearing up to get our wits scared out of us!
Matt CatesPublished 8 years ago in FuturismPioneers of Astronomy
Nicholas Copernicus once said “The massive bulk of the earth does indeed shrink to insignificance in comparison with the size of the heavens." While we may attribute our knowledge of the solar system and astronomy to modern day telescopes, space shuttles, and space probes, it is important to remember that the size of the heavens would not even be discovered without the pioneers of astronomy. From Nicholas Copernicus and Albert Einstein to astronauts and space organizations like NASA, the pioneers of astronomy have laid down an important foundation for which exploration of the stars today is firmly rooted.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in Futurism- Top Story - June 2016
Most Underrated Sci-Fi Movies
Everyone’s been to the classic Hollywood summer blockbusters; We’ve munched popcorn through the whole Terminator series, slurped over-iced $10 sodas throughout the Men In Black movies, cringed and laughed during Aliens, E.T., and Back to the Future. We’ve stood (for longer than we should have) in those opening day lines for all the Star Wars and Star Trek films. We’ve checked out the new Planet of the Apes franchise, nodded approvingly (for the most part) at additions like Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, and Interstellar to our beloved genre. But many of the most creative sci-fi motion pictures flame out fast on very limited runs on a small number of screens. Must these glittering gems of imagination go unrecognized forever? Nope; Not in this day and age of online streaming!
Matt CatesPublished 8 years ago in Futurism Greatest Sci-Fi Protagonists
The literary multiverse has no shortage of would-be “heroes,” to use the term quite loosely. And when it comes to the wild and wooly genre of science fiction, it is practically a given that every story will feature some form of hero, antihero, or hero by default. Indeed, due to the flexibility of the genre, they literally come in all shapes, sizes, color, and species. Some are born of intergalactic royal blood; Others are constructed in cold laboratories out of wires, circuits, and steel. We’re going to attempt to pin down a list of the most compelling, original, and impactful protagonists the sci-fi world has ever known! Some you’ll see coming a light year away; others, hopefully, not so much… for where’s the fun in reading a list of names you already know? Enjoy!
Matt CatesPublished 8 years ago in FuturismBest Conspiracy Theory Books
In the age of whistleblowers, your world can come crumbling down in a second, but as the saying goes "the truth will set you free." Wouldn't you want to know the truth? And do you fully trust government? Now is the time to throw out what you’ve learned in school regarding what the world is and how it works. There are forces in the world that seem beyond comprehension, but there is always something worth understanding in everything that seems unexplainable. And from that grain of the unexplainable, a conspiracy theory is born. The Oxford English Dictionary defines conspiracy theory as "the theory that an event or phenomenon occurs as a result of a conspiracy between interested parties; spec. a belief that some covert but influential agency (typically political in motivation and oppressive in intent) is responsible for an unexplained event." We’ve compiled a list of the best conspiracy theory books that provide you with a stripped-down, objective, eye-opening view on a variety of conspiracy theories. It is up to you to decide, based on logic and evidence, what the truth really is.
George GottPublished 8 years ago in FuturismBest Philosophically Driven Sci-Fi Books
The liberty to set a story anywhere, in any time period, and in any of our infinite realities gives sci-fi an uncanny power to reshape, or at least cause us to re-examine, our perception of the world. These brilliant authors can take the bare bones of a story, flesh it out with compelling characters and unique settings, and weave a plot whose pattern delights readers; but then go further.
Jake BurgessPublished 8 years ago in FuturismBest Erotic Sci-Fi Art
OMNI magazine aimed to provide content on "all realms of science and the paranormal." The platform on which OMNI was built went beyond any regular sci-fi magazine, including an examination of the stunning—yet sometimes bizarre—artwork which permeated its publications.
Jake BurgessPublished 8 years ago in FuturismStar Wars Art Books
In a galaxy far from earth, a franchise was born. Star Wars was the catalyst for a systemic shift in brand marketing. But beyond R2D2 phones, Sith video games, and animated Clone Wars, Star Wars represented a significant evolution in sci-fi art. Star Wars was so visually stunning and inspirational that a generation of artists created an entire sub genre of science fiction art from it. Over four decades of direct and derivative-based pieces have been used to create an art universe as complex, as it is vast. These Star Wars art books are a must have for any serious fan and collector.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in Futurism