In a post on The Script Lab, David Young picks out 10 films he believes will teach you everything you need to know about science fiction. His examples include:
- Blade Runner. “If your audience isn’t asking questions and developing opinions on humanity — and what constitutes things like sentience and emotion — then you’re not writing sci-fi,” Young says.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Eternal Sunshine uses an imaginary scenario that’s still possible. “The reachability of the concept is one thing that tends to separate fantasy from sci-fi,” Young writes.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While some may be used to science fiction that can be disheartening, this is one movie where the introduction of an alien visit doesn’t mean certain doom,” Young says. Instead, the audience is instilled with a sense of awe and wonder.
- The Martian. Science fiction stories are deeply personal, featuring humans in extraordinary circumstances.
