science fiction

Star 'Treknology': Imagining The Future Into Being

4:47pm January 06, 2018

by Adam Frank

From its first appearance, Star Trek has always been hopeful about the relationship between society and technology. Ethan Siegel doesn't lose sight of this in his book, Treknology, says Adam Frank.

American science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, photographed during a discussion with SFX Magazine on June 8, 2012.

Writing On The Terrifying Beauty Of The Human Future

12:13pm November 02, 2017

by Adam Frank

Author Kim Stanley Robinson deserves a place as a true visionary: He has done more than just write good science-fiction — he's mapped out new territory in what it means to be human, says Adam Frank.

Health & Safety

The Next 'Game of Thrones' Could Be Set In Post-Apocalyptic Africa

7:57am July 23, 2017

by Mako Muzenda

HBO has optioned the novel Who Fears Death by sci-fi writer Nnedi Okorafor. And the man behind GoT — George R.R. Martin — is at the helm.

She Calls Her Movies 'Afro Bubble Gum Art'

6:03pm April 29, 2017

by Nina Gregory

Wanuri Kahiu doesn't want to make films about suffering Africans. Her movies celebrate happiness — with a sci-fi twist.

A scene from the 1990s Sci-Fi film Timecop, featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme (left).

Science

It Sounds Like Science Fiction But ... It's A Cliché

7:51am April 09, 2017

by Geoff Brumfiel

The Internet is full of science fiction becoming science fact. NPR Science Editor Geoff Brumfiel is ready to make a stand. Sort of.

The cover of the graphic novel, which shows two shackled black wrists with a white hand gripping one of the arms.

Books
Arts

The Joy (And Fear) Of Making 'Kindred' Into A Graphic Novel

12:12pm February 10, 2017

by Tanya Ballard Brown

Nearly 40 years after it was published, Octavia Butler's time-travel novel Kindred has been adapted for a modern audience as a graphic novel. But reinterpreting the masterwork was a daunting task.

When a person places a finger in the slot on the left, the robot uses an algorithm — unpredictable even to its creator — to decide whether to prick the finger with the pin on the end of its arm.

Science
Arts

A Robot That Harms: When Machines Make Life Or Death Decisions

6:36pm August 29, 2016

by Laura Sydell

An artist has designed a robot that purposefully defies Isaac Asimov's law that "a robot may not harm humanity" — to bring urgency to the discussion about self-driving and other smart technology.

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Arts

DIY Artists Paint The Town Strange, With Some Help From George R.R. Martin

7:31pm March 27, 2016

by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi

The art market is booming in Santa Fe, N.M., but the highbrow scene leaves some artists feeling out of place. So, one collective made a space of their own — with a big boost from the fantasy author.

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Matt Damon portrays an astronaut who relies on science to survive on a hostile planet.

How 'The Martian' Became A Science Love Story

7:35pm September 30, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

The movie about a stranded astronaut is being hailed for its scientific realism. Andy Weir, who wrote the book the film is based on, is a longtime computer programmer who sees romance in numbers.

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Ms. Marvel, which was not on the Sad Puppies slate, took home this year's Hugo for best graphic story.

Books
Arts

Amid A Hubbub At The Hugos, 'Puppies' See Little Success

6:53pm August 23, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

At science fiction's Hugo Awards, voters largely rejected a slate of nominees pushed by a group called the Sad Puppies. In an unusual end to the controversy, a few categories didn't even get a winner.