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Science fiction

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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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

Mexicans embrace the Force with lightsaber training

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

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.

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.

Passengers take a selfie on a Doraemon-themed MTR train on the East Rail Line in Hong Kong on June 1. Photo: Dickson Lee

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

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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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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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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Han Hyo-joo in a still from Blood Free. Photo: Disney+.

‘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

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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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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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

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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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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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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Adam Sandler (left) and the spider-like Hanus (voiced by Paul Dano) in a still from Spaceman, directed by Johan Renckand and co-starring Carey Mulligan. The movie premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2024. Photo: Netflix

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

‘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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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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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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Experts say it was not easy to recognise that a science fiction novel submitted to a national literary competition had been generated by an AI platform. The illustrations were also created by AI. Photo: Weibo/Capital Television

Why Rebel Moon is Zack Snyder’s ‘new world’ far, far removed from Star Wars

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, a failed Star Wars-movie pitch, is about to be released as a film on Netflix. Cast members talk about why this universe is original, as the director reveals his dreams of a franchise.

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Sofia Boutella in a still from “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire”. Zack Snyder’s failed Star Wars-movie pitch is about to be released as a film on Netflix. The cast members talk about why this universe is original, as the director opens up about his dreams for the franchise. Photo: Netflix via AP

Editorial | Potential risk posed by AI far from fiction

World leaders agree artificial intelligence in the wrong hands could be a threat to humanity and have taken steps to avoid such a scenario.

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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – must-see for any curious Godzilla fan

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV+ is an engaging look at Monarch, the shadowy group at the centre of MonsterVerse. Kurt Russell excels as a US military officer; his son Wyatt plays a younger him.

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Science fiction
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Science fiction. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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