What Sci-Fi clichés do you resent?

[GTOM]

Whatching Dark Matter 2nd season. It is a great series, but i find something irritating, maybe it is not SF but general cliche: why is it that in majority of cases, strong female character means that she has a fist of iron? There are a dozen other things that could make someone strong. I like Killjoys partially because it showed good examples in that matter, like it showed that a simple mother can be strong.
Generally i think many SF would need more good and realistic characters.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Whatching Dark Matter 2nd season.

I don't know how you made it that far into the series. I found the series so trope-laden (tropey?) that I felt like I was just watching reruns of something else.

-Dave K

 

[dkotschessaa]

We forgot this one:

::time travel happens::

Person A: "Where are we?"

Person B: "No. The question isn't "where are we." The question is WHEN are we?"

Just once I want to see person B punched in the mouth for saying this. I'm not a fan of unnecessary violence, but in this case I believe it is strongly warranted.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I'm not a fan of unnecessary violence,

This is necessary violence.

 

[Battlemage!]

^^ Good stuff lol.Here's one that annoys me: colorful large computers and machines complete with unexplained flashing lights. Even data centers don't have those ridiculous flashing lights (although some have "hip" c, so why would more advanced computers and systems be bigger and more 1960s looking?Also, humanoid robots. Just seems unrealistic. The robots in Interstellar were perfect: completely not-human shaped, and instead shaped entirely for utility.

(or at least that was the image they wanted to project... I'm sure having block legs might not be the most efficient mode of transportation, but at least it wasn't a bi-pedal human looking thing. Yuck)

 

[GTOM]

I don't know how you made it that far into the series. I found the series so trope-laden (tropey?) that I felt like I was just watching reruns of something else.

-Dave K

Oh, how i love this mentality... Based on this, most chapters of most books are similar to something, that someone made already...

 

[dkotschessaa]

Oh, how i love this mentality... Based on this, most chapters of most books are similar to something, that someone made already...

Huh?

 

[rkolter]

I dislike the reverse, where aliens are all the same and only humans are diverse. I bet the Klingons have plumbers.

YESSSS.

Also, why hasn't this one been mentioned: STEAM. The use of steam in science fiction to denote "damage" to whatever structure you are in. Related to that are the twin ideas of breaking a nearby steam pipe to blind or distract your enemy and walking into or disappearing into a hallway obscured by steam.

 

[GTOM]

YESSSS.

Also, why hasn't this one been mentioned: STEAM. The use of steam in science fiction to denote "damage" to whatever structure you are in. Related to that are the twin ideas of breaking a nearby steam pipe to blind or distract your enemy and walking into or disappearing into a hallway obscured by steam.

If they use nuclear reactors, then they are ultimately still working with steam.

 

[sanman]

I hate the computer hacker stereotypes, as well as the nerdy-looking scientists.

Seriously, when's the last time you saw Hollywood portray a scientist who looked normal? Instead they're always socially retarded dweebs.

 

[Battlemage!]

I hate the computer hacker stereotypes, as well as the nerdy-looking scientists.

Seriously, when's the last time you saw Hollywood portray a scientist who looked normal? Instead they're always socially retarded dweebs.

 

[UsableThought]

Seriously, when's the last time you saw Hollywood portray a scientist who looked normal? Instead they're always socially retarded dweebs.

I wonder if the "brainiac/nerd" stereotype wasn't more a product of the 1950s, at least in the U.S.?

At any rate the role of scientist like any other role (politician, lawyer, soldier, cop, housewife, etc.) can be caricatured or ridiculed; but also portrayed as sympathetic and/or admirable with humanizing character flaws; especially true when they are the protagonist or play a strong supporting role:

http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_medium/11118/111184078/5438929-9511668863-640_s.jpg

Also for more non-nerdy women movie scientists in particular, see: http://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-scientists-in-film/anncasano

 

[dkotschessaa]

It would be great to see a story about a mathematician that wasn't half insane, delusional, or manic depressive.

 

[gleem]

It would be great to see a story about a mathematician that wasn't half insane, delusional, or manic depressive.

Probably only mathematicians (and physicists) would want to watch it. Small audience.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Probably only mathematicians (and physicists) would want to watch it. Small audience.

I mean, they could be charming, exciting, and dashing (like me) but do they have to be completely whackadoodle?

I'm going to film myself inverting a 10x10 matrix and send it to some film students. We'll see!

-Dave K

 

[BL4CKB0X97]

The chosen one. I love an antihero.

 

[Battlemage!]

It would be great to see a story about a mathematician that wasn't half insane, delusional, or manic depressive.

Well, what about an engineer? Primer had a bunch of regular looking scientists.

Yeah they wore ties the whole movie, but that was more about being professionals than engineers/scientists.

 

[gleem]

@dkotschessaa Does this fit your needs. Three African American women who save the US space program.

 

[rkolter]

It would be great to see a story about a mathematician that wasn't half insane, delusional, or manic depressive.

This topic is about science fiction. Sane, lucid, emotionally stable mathematicians are fantasy creatures.

 

[john101]

I find it annoying that I notice in TNG that most of the time people turn left when exiting a room.

 

[dkotschessaa]

This topic is about science fiction. Sane, lucid, emotionally stable mathematicians are fantasy creatures.

Some are at least 2 out of 3...

 

[Battlemage!]

Some are at least 2 out of 3...

I have one at my school who is all three, plus he's smooth with ladies.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I have one at my school who is all three, plus he's smooth with ladies.

Some people can only be explained by reincarnation.

 

[Bandersnatch]

I have one at my school who is all three, plus he's smooth with ladies.

Surely, he must be a closeted physicist.

 

[SciFiWriterGuy]

Honestly, the biggest sci-fi cliche that I absolutely hate is the notion that everything in a sci-fi story has to be sci-fi. Hydrospanners, laser drills, plasma-based can openers...no, okay?? The hammer, screwdriver, nail, and, yes, can opener will continue to be effective in the future. Humans have made a lot of tools - and a lot of improvement on those tools - but we've never outgrown the humble hammer. Why? Because we always have something we need to smack with a hammer. We always will. A screwdriver's batteries never run out mainly because it doesn't have any. Old solutions can still be the best solutions. Honestly, the over-teching of the world is a huge thorn in my hide when it comes to most sci-fi out there.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Honestly, the biggest sci-fi cliche that I absolutely hate is the notion that everything in a sci-fi story has to be sci-fi. Hydrospanners, laser drills, plasma-based can openers...no, okay?? The hammer, screwdriver, nail, and, yes, can opener will continue to be effective in the future. Humans have made a lot of tools - and a lot of improvement on those tools - but we've never outgrown the humble hammer. Why? Because we always have something we need to smack with a hammer. We always will. A screwdriver's batteries never run out mainly because it doesn't have any. Old solutions can still be the best solutions. Honestly, the over-teching of the world is a huge thorn in my hide when it comes to most sci-fi out there.

Great point! I might include video phones in this. Every single conversation. Why?

 

[SciFiWriterGuy]

Great point! I might include video phones in this. Every single conversation. Why?

Yes, exactly! With a normal phone, you can hand-signal someone in the room to create a pretext to get you off a never-ending call. That's a little hard to do when the other person can see you.

 

[Battlemage!]

Surely, he must be a closeted physicist.

It's funny you say that. His specialty is partial differential equations, in his class he spent an inordinate amount of time explaining the physics of every piece of math he taught, and he is fond of saying the only department in the entire school that isn't a mess is the physics department.

 

[john101]

I find it annoying that I notice in TNG that most of the time people turn left when exiting a room.

I think I know why that bothers me. They are on a set. The camera is downstage and they exit the door (stage left) on the set and tend to walk towards the rear of the stage which means turning left outside the door. It breaks the scene for me and reminds me momentarily it's just a scene. iow that moment upstages the whole thing. I think that's what I find annoying.

 

[SciFiWriterGuy]

I think I know why that bothers me. They are on a set.

Actually, it's a little-known Starfleet regulation that you always have to walk clockwise around the ship, which makes going to your next door neighbor in the other direction incredibly inefficient.

Really, though...it was just sloppy directing.