“Blade Runner is not ‘about’ social stratification or identity, cultural alienation, or urban decay. Blade Runner is about death. The death of everything.” — Paul M. Sammon; Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner Longevity is one of the themes of Blade Runner, Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction masterpiece. One’s…

“I think, Sebastian, therefore I am.” — Pris One of Blade Runner’s key themes is emotional response. Not only the degree of that response, but its authenticity. Can the replicants in the film ‘feel’ as well as a human? Are their feelings even real, in human terms? And if their…

“How can it not know what it is?” — Rick Deckard When Blade Runner hit cinema screens in 1982, the prevailing opinion — among audiences and critics — was that Rick Deckard, the protagonist, was human. The 1992 Director’s Cut, however, strongly hinted he might be a replicant. This has…

“The design of the film is the script.” — Ridley Scott This year marks the 40th anniversary release of Blade Runner, one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. I’ll admit, that is a subjective statement, yet the movie consistently ranks high on many film lists. Its influence over…

The cautionary tale. It is as old as humanity itself, offering counsel along with entertainment and pathos. Everything from mythological, heroic narratives to fairy tales reminds us of our physical and emotional frailties: mortality, greed, jealousy, hubris. In these regards we are no different than our pre-historic ancestors who dwelled…

So you have a post-apocalyptic story you want to tell? They can be great vehicles for not only personal but social expression, often more so than other SF subgenres. …

The so-called ‘end of the world’ scenario has been a robust subgenre of science fiction, fantasy, and horror for decades. Post-apocalyptic stories are a reflection of how we fear our civilization might end, whether it was nuclear war in the 1950s, or a global pandemic in the era of COVID-19…

Billionaires traveling into space. It’s like something from a B-quality science fiction film, or a James Bond movie. Yet it’s no joke. With the success of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Imagine, taking the company’s owner, Richard Branson, into space, as well as Blue Origin’s New Shephard taking that company’s owner, Jeff…

“It’s the climate, stupid.” That’s the overall impression I was left with, after disagreeing with someone about the importance of space exploration. I had an unfortunate round with this person on social media a short time ago, over whether or not humans should continue with space exploration since climate change…