Your Favorite Science Fiction Movies / Novels

[Smellincoffee]

I'm planning on hosting a SF movie night for some friends of mine in a couple of weeks, but want to find some 'real' SF films. I don't mean action-adventure in space, like Star Wars, or horror films with science dressage, a la Aliens. I'm thinking more along the lines of Contact or Interstellar, films where science itself is key. I have to discount "Gravity" and "The Martian" because my friends have seen those recently, and I don't think Martian is out yet on DVD anyway.

I'm also interested in some SF novels on the "hard" scale, just for my personal reading. I especially like novels that are set close to our time, like the aforementioned Contact.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Have you tried Moon? When I watched Moon it reminded me a bit of 2001, but it's not as long as that.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Dune. As in the miniseries Dune/Children of Dune. The Lynch movie has its good points (the superior version of Duke Leto, for example), but its bad points tend to make people snicker too much (Patrick Stewart carting a pug dog around and the rain at the end).

Contact is excellent, and so is Logan's Run.

Gattaca might be a candidate as well.

For hard-SF novels, it depends on how hard you're looking for, and what kind of science. For space travel and exploration, I'd recommend Ben Bova's Grand Tour series. If you're interested in genetics, psychology, and sociology, I'd recommend C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen and Regenesis.

 

[Cutlass]

Bladerunner. Firefly/Serenity.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I'll second Moon.

I'll add Ex Machina, Apollo 13, Children of Men, and Contagion.


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[EgonSpengler]

If you're looking for something retro, there's The Manhattan Project. It's so '80s it'll make your teeth hurt, but I watched it again maybe 10 years ago and I still got a kick out of it.


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[EgonSpengler]

Thinking about Children of Men more, it's a great movie, but the science really isn't important. Instead, I'll say Deep Impact.


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[Timsup2nothin]

Armageddon, hands down.

 

[JohannaK]

2OOI, A SPACE ODYSSEY is the best movie. Of all movies. Of all time. But that's just my opinion.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I feel like the series has petered out a little, but I really liked the first couple books in The Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War, both by James S.A. Corey.



I'm not particularly interested in the debate about what separates "hard" from "soft" sci-fi, but this series takes a seemingly-realistic approach to space travel and off-Earth colonization in the near-ish future. The human race has invented some kind of engine for space ships that doesn't require massive amounts of fuel, and that's basically the only magical hand-waving the authors do in the direction of future technology.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

For books...

The Commowealth Saga by Peter Hamilton fits Egon's description, in that the first couple books are really good and the rest are a sort of petering out.

Existence by Greg Benford is a top quality read.

Those are probably the top of my list at the moment, unless I'm forgetting something. There are a lot of must read classics, of course.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

For movies:
Blade Runner
Children of Men
A Clockwork Orange

First two already mentioned, all of these are quintessential sci-fi classics.

Sunshine

Fantastic cast and soundtrack and thrilling to boot. A lot of research went into it to make it 'grounded' other than the premise of the sun dying, it does well.

Advantageous

Distinctly diverse and feminist sci-fi, a bit messy but is the kind of idea filled hard sci-fi movie that we don't get very often and is mostly in the world of literature only.

Primer
Coherence
eXistenZ

Mind-twisters, minimalist and exciting and with endings that leave you thinking.

12 Monkeys

Dark and brutal and uncompromising and totally 90s.

District 9

One hit wonder film that switches from clever documentary style (before it was all the rage) to splatter filled special effects fest. Fun.

Minority Report

It has aged really well. It's visually unique and while not totally plot-hole free, it presents a world increasingly coming true.

 

[Hakim]

The science part is usually not that important in most science fiction movies, is it? Seems the plot often is the usual good vs evil, poor vs rich, individal vs megacorp etc. albeit in a futuristic setting with clones, beam weapons and space ships. The few exceptions I can think of is Contact, The Martian and Interstellar in which there are some scientific scenes.

Science is a lot more common in science fiction books.

 

[Serutan]

Some more books:

Rendezvous with Rama and Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke.

I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard Europa Report is reasonably accurate science wise.

 

[Leifmk]

I'm also interested in some SF novels on the "hard" scale, just for my personal reading. I especially like novels that are set close to our time, like the aforementioned Contact.

Blindsight by Peter Watts.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson is pretty awesome for the first 400 pages. Only another 400 to go.

Also: Otherland by Tad Williams.

 

[warpus]

Good suggestions all around. Except that Armageddon was the worst movie ever made.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Good suggestions all around. Except that Armageddon was the worst movie ever made.

Worse than Zardoz?

 

[EgonSpengler]

Another suggestion, The China Syndrome.


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[hobbsyoyo]

Another suggestion, The China Syndrome.


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I have really wanted to see it but can't find it anywhere!


Europa Report is very realistic and quite good. Also loved Moon, Interstellar and 2001: A Space Odyssey. 2010 isn't bad either so long as you don't compare it with the first one - 2010 is a much more 'conventional' movie if you found 2001 off-putting.