Need good science fiction recommendations

[Yefim Zverev]

Hi I love sci-fi films especially about space and universe. Any recommendations ? Perhaps I have missed some of good ones.

[Prometeo liberado]

Not really a sci-fi book, and more of a younger persons book, but a Wrinkle in Time was real fun to read back in the day.

[The Jay]

Oryx and Crake was a good book, but if you want a show I'd go with Star Trek.

[bcbm]

'primer' is a movie about a group of scientists who accidentally discover time travel and deal with the consequences

'outland' takes place on a mining colony on jupiter's moon io, security chief sean connery discovers a conspiracy and has to take it down. kind of a space western feel, i really enjoyed this one

'aliens' classic sci fi action movie, sequel to 'alien' finds ripley and space marines fighting the aliens on an overrun colony. good shit

'moon' recent film about a guy living alone on a moon base with only a computer to keep him company and makes an uncomfortable discovery

'blade runner' classic sci fi noir based on phillip k dick's novel 'do androids dream of electric sheep' see the director's cut. deals with issues of sentient human like androids

'the illustrated man' based on ray bradburys short stories, this weaves together a couple different sci-fi tales via a hobo with an entire body covered in tattoos.

'stalker' classic of soviet cinema. hard to describe, stunning visuals just check it out

'the thing' one of my favorite john carpenter movies, antarctic researchers discover something beneath the ice...

[bcbm]

book wise i can't recommend gene wolfe's solar cycle series highly enough. if you don't want to tackle the whole thing, the four books making up the 'book of the long sun' are quite good.

'the faded sun trilogy' by cj cherryh is a little more 'pulpy' sci fi i would say but nonetheless very good.

'earth abides' classic post-apocalyptic sci fi. one man survives a plague and slowly encounters other survivors who must rebuild civilization

[RedHal]

"Chariots of the Gods" - great fun :D

[Hermes]

Gattaca is a pretty good one. It was made around the time of the Human Genome Project, and it's set in a future where ~everything about a person can be determined at birth, resulting in genetic class distinctions, etc.

I've heard that Dune is good if you've read the book, but terrible and monotonous if you haven't (it's a great book, by the way). I've never seen it myself though, and it's a little over two hours.

[Decommissioner]

'moon' recent film about a guy living alone on a moon base with only a computer to keep him company and makes an uncomfortable discovery

couldn't recommend this movie enough. Despite getting a limited theatrical release it doesn't seem like enough people know about this film. Definitely a good "mood" piece.

I recently rewatched the first alien movie again and I was blown away by how awesome it was. It aged real well, and the feeling of horror and isolation in space is just perfect.

[Per Levy]

movies: alien and aliens, the first is more a sci-fi horror movie and the latter more of an sci-fi action movie. still both are damn fine movies full of suspense and, as bcmb said, they aged so well. the effects feel real the acting is really good and theiy're just great movies.

the thing, again sci-fi horror, wich is based on the novel "who goes there" by john w. campbell. again aged very well the effects are still utstanding the acting good and so much suspense, since you just dont know.

another sci-fi horror movie(see a trend here?) is "event horizon", while not as good as the movies mentioned above it still is pretty good. story is that a experimental space ship, the event horizon, that was lost was found a rescue ship is on the way to find out what happend to it. i really like that movie and if its just because of sam neill but in all honesty its a good watch.

books/storys: i will just recomend 2 lovecraft storys

the mountains of madness: a group of antarctic researchers find more then they ever could hope for and regret to ever come to the antartic. great sci-fi with horror elements, as ususal with lovecraft the atmosphere is key and wonderful.

the whisperer in darkness: after floods hit vermont hard, strange things are seen in the flooded rivers. things that might have no earthly origin. another sci-fi horror story and its so good.

allright, i dont know if you like sci-fi horror or not cause if you dont then this list is kinda useless to you i guess, still good movies and storys though and maybe worth cheking out.

oh one last thing, if you have the chance i highly recomend the sci-fi series babylon 5, its probally the best sci-fi series ever made and its so good. it all centers around a space station called babylon 5.

[theblackmask]

The Dispossessed by Ursala K. LeGuin is pretty great.

I also second Babylon 5.

[Deicide]

''Solaris'' by one the greatest directers.. Andrei Tarkovsky.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_(1972_film)

Kubrick's ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' is worth watching also.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)

[ellipsis]

books:

the moon is a harsh mistress.

red mars

[Princess Luna]

I am currently reading a canticle for leibowitz, it is really good so far though the second part is a bit more tedious then the first in my opinion, for films I think Enemy Mine is a good movie, despite being trashed by critics. Also Logan's run is a classic. Total Recall, which would have been a much better if it didn't have Arnold Schwarzenegger as the lead role, the problem is anything Arnold is in has the cheesyness increased 10 fold automaticly,a dn while the cheesyness is part of the fun of the movie, it wouldn't have hurt to lowed it a bit by choosing a more serious lead actor.

[bcbm]

a canticle for leibowitz is great

[9]

'stalker' classic of soviet cinema. hard to describe, stunning visuals just check it out

This is actually tied with Eraserhead as my favorite film of all time. Outside of Tarkovsky, tho, I dont know how anyone can stand science fiction. I hate that shit. IMO its basically on the same level as harry potter/lord of the rings fantasy in terms of ability to induce vomit.

[x359594]

Science fiction movies about space travel are actually relatively few. Destination Moon (1950) from a story by Robert Heinlien is a straightforward hard science fiction narrative filtered through Heinlien's free enterprise ideology ( a businessman finances the moon trip.)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1969) featured state of the art special effects and was the last scientifically accurate depiction of space travel in Hollywood movies; space is a soundless vacuum so no sound effects when the ship is traveling or for explosions, there are no open ports, etc. There is no gravity so there are scenes of weightlessness and of course there's no up or down.

But when it comes to space opera (a sub-genre that some fans disdain) the field is wide open. Don't expect scientific accuracy. The plots are basically adventure stories with a medieval flavor (kings and princesses, knights and yeomen using ray guns instead of swords, etc.)

[bcbm]

This is actually tied with Eraserhead as my favorite film of all time. Outside of Tarkovsky, tho, I dont know how anyone can stand science fiction. I hate that shit. IMO its basically on the same level as harry potter/lord of the rings fantasy in terms of ability to induce vomit.

a lot of sci fi is poorly done or focuses exclusively on spaceships, robots, special effects, etc which is fine for popcorn fare. but a lot of it i think is a way to look at issues by adding a layer of separation and putting it in a different context. this can be heavy handed like in district 9 or silent running but can also be done thoughtfully and engaging as in stalker or moon or primer or many others. i think a lot of the best sci fi focuses more on the human side of things rather than world building, though i think attention to detail can make for a more engaging experience.

then again you don't like metal so your taste is pretty questionable anyway. ;)