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Science fiction

Science fiction
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Science fiction. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Lee Min-ho as Gong Ryong in a still from When the Stars Gossip.
Korean drama reviews

When the Stars Gossip: Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin in space station romcom

A hackneyed melodrama dressed up as sci-fi, Netflix romantic comedy set aboard a space station is so silly the writer may be in on the joke.

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American cinema

Support for Interstellar’s IMAX re-release ‘magical’, Christopher Nolan says

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American cinema

I don’t want to see scary movies, star who acted in many says

Fame and celebrity

Benedict Wong on ascending from deep-fat fryer to sorcerer by no easy route

The British actor, who faced agent indifference and was often typecast in predictable Asian roles early in his career, is now master of the sorcery required to make it as a star in Hollywood

Meet Benedict Wong: how the 3 Body Problem actor launched himself out of his family’s takeaway restaurant and into the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and Ian McKellen was an early fan. Photo: Invision/AP
Asian cinema

Review | Uranus 2324, Thai sci-fi girls’ love film with LGBTQ stars FreenBecky

‘GL’ fans will love watching lesbian stars Freen Sarocha Chankimha and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, but Uranus 2324 offers little to others.

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American cinema

Director mocks Tesla’s Musk over sci-fi movie looks of Robovan, Optimus

Director of I, Robot film suggests Elon Musk copied its designs for Tesla’s Robovan autonomous bus, Cybercab and Optimus robot.

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TV shows and streaming video

Could Nightmares and Daydreams be the Indonesian Black Mirror?

Netflix looks to keep feeding the growing regional audience with more local productions, following the success of last year’s Cigarette Girl

Nightmares & Daydreams episode “Old House” is a sci-fi riff on the concept of respect for the elderly in Indonesia, which may chime the the social commentary of smash series Black Mirror. Photo: courtesy of Netflix
American cinema

Ranking every Alien film from worst to best, including Alien: Romulus

With Alien: Romulus seeing the series’ return to form, we rank the entire franchise from worst to best, including the Alien vs Predator films, Prometheus, the classic original, and the new movie.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Part 2 – chaotic finish

The end of humanity and an alien invasion vie for attention with the escapades of a group of young women in part two of a story that stumbles in its efforts to fully realise the potential promised in part one.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Part 1: great sci-fi soap opera

Japanese anime Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Part 1 mixes the dramas of a group of teenagers and an alien invasion of Tokyo to great effect, leaving us eagerly awaiting Part 2.

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A still from Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction. Photo: Inio Asano/Shogakukan/DeDeDeDe Committee
Star Wars

Mexicans embrace the Force with lightsaber training

Mexico’s Jedi Knight Academy teaches fencing ‘with lightsabers in the style of Jedi teachings’.

Members of the Jedi Knight Academy (JKAMX) hold lightsabers during training at a park in Mexico City. Photo: AFP
Profile

From Wolf Totem to the Three-Body Problem, her China publishing career

Jo Lusby recalls halcyon days in Beijing, early career success with Penguin that saw her handle books from Peter Rabbit to Michelle Obama’s memoir, and a move to Hong Kong. Now she’s dealing with another hit.

Hong Kong society

Letters | What Doraemon can teach us about promoting STEM education

Readers discuss how the Doraemon manga can inspire us to solve real-world problems, why Hong Kong should be more selective about mega events and how a politeness campaign should extend to the city’s motorways.

Asian cinema

Can’t wait for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga? 5 post-apocalyptic movies from Asia

While you wait to see Anya Taylor-Joy battle Chris Hemsworth, how about treating yourself to some of the best Asian films depicting an uninhabitable future, from Akira to Snowpiercer.

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Anya Taylor-Joy in a still from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Ahead of the film’s release, why not indulge in some of the best post-apocalyptic visions from Asian filmmakers, from Akira to Snowpiercer and Warriors of Future? Photo: Jasin Boland
China's economic recovery

Can China’s sci-fi industry, led by 3 Body Problem, help tech hit warp speed?

In the spotlight due to the Netflix hit 3 Body Problem, China’s sci-fi industry saw revenues grow by 29 per cent year on year to 13.29 billion yuan (US$15.6 billion) in 2023.

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In 2022, nearly 70 per cent of China’s science fiction sales were attributed to Three-Body Problem, according to the “China Science Fiction 10-Year Industry Report”. Photo: Netflix
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | 3 Body Problem recalls one of Chinese history’s worst traitors

(Spoiler alert) A character in Netflix’s 3 Body Problem brings to mind a Chinese military leader who has been vilified as a traitor for nearly 400 years for allowing Manchu troops to overrun China.

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Korean drama reviews

Blood Free: is Disney+ sci-fi K-drama dumping its big ideas already?

Ju Ji-hoon and Han Hyo-joo star in Blood Free on Disney+, a sci-fi series by writer Lee Soo-yeon that looks set to drop its interesting premise involving lab-cultured meat and global food production.

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Fame and celebrity

‘Too pretty’ for Hollywood? 3 Body Problem star Eiza González’s journey

The Mexican actress dated Timothée Chalamet, was linked to Cristiano Ronaldo, and appears to be Guy Ritchie’s new muse

Who is 3 Body Star, Eiza González? The 34-year-old Mexican actress started her career in a telenovela before Hollywood, and released two albums of pop music. Photo @eizagonzalez/Instagram
TV shows and streaming video

Can Netflix sci-fi series 3 Body Problem match Game of Thrones’ success?

Game of Thrones producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and The Terror: Infamy producer Alexander Woo, talk about their Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s sci-fi trilogy Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

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TV shows and streaming video

3 Body Problem piracy in China shows some American shows can still break through

BitTorrent downloads topped 90,500 on the first day of release, far surpassing those of other popular Netflix series like Squid Game and Stranger Things.

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TV shows and streaming video

Review | 3 Body Problem: Netflix sci-fi adaptation is the latest event television

Netflix drama 3 Body Problem, from the makers of the Game of Thrones series, is an adaptation of Chinese writer Liu Cixin’s sci-fi masterpiece, and depicts the fight against an alien invasion of Earth.

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Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in a still from 3 Body Problem. Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix
American cinema

Review | Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel is a masterful epic

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya return in Denis Villeneuve’s excellent Dune: Part Two, which features amazing set pieces, stunning cinematography and thunderous, moving music.

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Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in a still from Dune: Part Two. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
American cinema

How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema

Calling it a masterpiece might be a stretch but the 2004 time-travel thriller The Butterfly Effect – despite its chaotic plotline – filled a void left by a dearth of quality horror films.

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European cinema

Review | Spaceman: Netflix sci-fi drama starring Adam Sandler squanders its potential

Starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano, Netflix sci-fi Spaceman – which premiered at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival – has its moments, but director Johan Renck struggles to sustain interest.

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European cinema

Review | Another End: Gael Garcia Bernal lights up a derivative sci-fi tale

Gael Garcia Bernal plays a widower whose wife is reanimated in the body of another woman (Renate Reinsve). Piero Messina’s film is hackneyed and gets bogged down in jargon, but is visually appealing.

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Gael García Bernal in a still from Another End (category to be confirmed). Directed by Piero Messina, the film co-stars Renate Reinsve and Bérénice Bejo. Photo: Matteo Casilli/Indigo Film
TV shows and streaming video

‘I get to die!’: Jean Yoon of Kim’s Convenience on new Netflix sci-fi role

From a corner shop to outer space, Jean Yoon’s career trajectory has been out of this world. The Canadian actress talks about her starring role in Kim’s Convenience and her intergalactic turn in Code 8: Part II.

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From a corner shop to outer space, Korean-Canadian actress Jean Yoon’s career trajectory has been out of this world. She’s gone from playing Umma in Asian-American show “Kim’s Convenience” to a role in sci-fi action thriller “Code 8: Part II”. Photo: Denise Grant
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Alienoid: Return to the Future – disappointing Korean sci-fi sequel

Korean sci-fi fantasy Alienoid’s sequel, Alienoid: Return to the Future, is thrilling enough, but without a clear definition of its mythology the film is little more than a jumble of ideas.

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Science

Fears of ‘irreversible damage’ to literature as AI wins award for sci-fi novel

Journalism professor Shen Yang plans to detail his creation process so anyone can ‘create good fiction with AI’.

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