science fiction film analyses and insights
Because I'm a best-selling and award-winning science fiction writer I've been asked to pen a few comments about science fiction and fantasy films.
Star Wars' "Dark Side"
mythology and ingratitude
One of the problems with so-called light entertainment today is that somehow, amid all the gaudy special effects, people tend to lose track of simple things, like story and meaning. They stop noticing the moral lessons the director is trying to push. Yet these things matter. Perhaps that's why my most infamous film review was the series I wrote about Star Wars for Salon Magazine. I've posted a page on this site which provides links to the Salon articles, and follow it up with my comments and responses to the heated online reaction.
Star Wars on Trial
let the jury decide
In Star Wars on Trial, two dozen wonderfully articulate authors 'testify' either for the prosecution or the defense. Is SW fantasy disguised as science fiction? Does the series spread doom-pessimism about democracy? Has it been a let-down since 'The Empire Strikes Back'? Does it even make any sense? Be prepared for a wild, extravagant 'trial' — brash and entertaining and downright fun!
Films that Help to Teach Science
fun for children and adults!
From Apollo 13 to The Right Stuff, from Lorenzo's Oil to Awakenings, from Contact to Gattaca, these historical and science fiction films can be used to illustrate basic science concepts in the real world.
want to make a more exciting movie?
why films (and books) should include civilization
What criteria do you use to judge whether or not you like a movie? Or a novel for that matter? We all have our standards, considering issues such as story-telling, consistency of plot, whether the work is dramatic enough, whether the characters seem plausible or believable. But there’s one you never hear mentioned, and that is civilization. It’s the context within which we all live. It’s what we depend upon for our daily life, our food, our electricity... for the livelihood that enables us to be able to buy movie tickets! So why is civilization almost never a topic, never a character in our films? Indeed, the assumption that civilization is useless dominates most films, because it makes it easy to put your hero in pulse-pounding jeopardy.
2001: A Space Odyssey
shining light on how far we've come
Arthur C. Clarke's brilliant book was made into a 1968 movie. Yes, its pace is glacial by today's standards. No, we don't have a vacation destination on the moon and probably won't. Is the film still as relevant and "fresh" as the books or as dead as Pan Am? Ponder the following two hoary old clichés: 'Isn't it a shame that human decency and justice haven't kept pace with our technological progress?' and 'No past era featured as much cruelty and misery as this one.'
books into movies
The Postman, by David Brin
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
The Martian, by Andy Weir
Dune, by Frank Herbert
The Children of Men, by P. D. James
The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
The Book of Joan, by Lidia Yuknavitch
2001: a Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
#AmazonCommissionsEarned
king kong
a trio of films
Release of this film inspired a book in the Smart Pop series, King Kong is Back! David Brin wrote the Introduction which examined the ape's relevance to a 21st Century audience (as opposed to a 1933 or 1975 audience).
King Kong is an ape, but so much more. He's proto-man, primitive, solitary and fiercely proud, representing everything about us that the architects and builders of our great and grand civilization aimed to ignore, or leave behind.
lord of the rings
a trilogy of a film
In this review Brin looks at the way Tolkien's book reflected his experiences in WWI (and between the two Great Wars) and how Jackson's films reflect post-Cold War (and early 9/11) attitudes about heroism and evil-doers. The Lord of the Rings is lovingly crafted, seductive — and profoundly backward-looking. But why not look at things through the Dark Lord's eye for a change? (Also available on Salon.)
buffy
vampire slayer for the ages
Glad to see this old tribute of mine — "Buffy vs. The Old-Fashioned 'Hero'" — re-posted by SmartPop Books. It was written a decade ago, when the "kick-ass" female warriors were Xena and Charlie's Angels and of course, the Buff-Maistress herself — archetypes who challenged us to "change the way people view authority."
the matrix trilogy
might tomorrow be different?
Did The Matrix start a trend? Is Cyberpunk a new form of Romantic nostalgia? In retrospect, cyberpunk was probably the finest free promotion campaign ever waged on behalf of science fiction. Brilliantly managed, and backed by some works of estimable value, it snared and reeled in countless new readers, while opening fresh opportunities in Hollywood and the visual arts. True, the self-important rhetoric and whines of persecution sounded ironic — at times even hilarious. However, the CP rebels did shake things up.
Atlas Shrugged
the hidden context of book and film
So we rented Atlas Shrugged. After all, I often talk about Ayn Rand, and her passionate followers have effectively taken over the U.S. Libertarian movement and influence much of the rhetoric we hear from the Republican Right — even though no libertarian policies have ever actually been enacted during Republican rule. So, I thought, why not give her acolytes one more shot at selling me on her biggest, most-central tale? An honest person does that. Whereupon, with a sigh but opening my ears and mind, I slid the disk into the player....
Through Stranger Eyes
looking at books and films
Several of David Brin's book and film reviews, and a number of other essays, have been collected into Through Stranger Eyes. From sober reflections on Jared Diamond's Collapse, and Rebecca Solnit's River of Shadows, to scientific ponderings on Feynman and Gott, along with appraisals of great authors like Brunner, Resnick, Zelazny, Clarke, Verne, and Orwell — more than two dozen reviews and commentaries that are sure to enlighten, entertain, possibly infuriate or even make you laugh, but above all, offer some perspectives you never imagined before.
is there a Star Trek in our future?
David Brin published an article in the NY Daily News about how we can 'live long and prosper.'
And watch a vivid History Channel show "Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe." Brin was one of the pundits illuminating both scientific and dramatic themes of the wonderful Star Trek cosmos.
move over Frank Miller
Frank Miller’s "300" and "Sin City" films feature a veritable tsunami of outright and deliberate historical lies. So why must I enumerate them? Because we need to lift our heads — as consumers — and demand better! One can have vivid action without lobotomization. We can have movies that are true to their subject matter (e.g. history) without being dry or boring.
a brief intro to science fiction author DAVID BRIN
To learn more, visit his books page, or see his "about me" page or detailed biography.
novels
David Brin's science fiction novels have been New York Times Bestsellers, winning multiple Hugo, Nebula and other awards. At least a dozen have been translated into more than twenty languages. They range from bold and prophetic explorations of our near-future to Brin's Uplift series, envisioning galactic issues of sapience and destiny (and star-faring dolphins!). Learn More
shorter fiction
Short stories and novellas have different rhythms and artistic flavor, and Brin's short stories and novellas, several of which earned Hugo and other awards, exploit that difference to explore a wider range of real and vividly speculative ideas. Many have been selected for anthologies and reprints, and most have been published in anthology form. Learn More
Contrary Brin blog
Since 2004, David Brin has maintained a blog about science, technology, science fiction, books, and the future — themes his science fiction and nonfiction writings continue to explore. Learn More
social media influencer
Who could've predicted that social media — indeed, all of our online society — would play such an important role in the 21st Century — restoring the voices of advisors and influencers! Lively and intelligent comments spill over onto Brin's social media pages. Learn More
scientist
David Brin's Ph.D in Physics from the University of California at San Diego (the lab of nobelist Hannes Alfven) followed a masters in optics and an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Caltech. Every science show that depicts a comet now portrays the model developed in Brin's PhD research. Learn More
transparency expert
Brin's non-fiction book, The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Freedom and Privacy?, continues to receive acclaim for its accuracy in predicting 21st Century concerns about online security, secrecy, accountability and privacy. Learn More
speaker & consultant
Brin speaks plausibly and entertainingly about trends in technology and society to audiences willing to confront the challenges that our rambunctious civilization will face in the decades ahead. He also talks about the field of science fiction, especially in relation to his own novels and stories. To date he has presented at more than 300 meetings, conferences, corporate retreats and other gatherings. Learn More
future/tech advisor
Brin advises corporations and governmental and private defense- and security-related agencies about information-age issues, scientific trends, future social and political trends, and education. Urban Developer Magazine named him one of four World's Best Futurists, and he was appraised as "#1 influencer" in Onalytica's Top 100 report of Artificial Intelligence influencers, brands & publications. Past consultations include Google, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and many others. Learn More
