Key Terminology
What is Zeitgeist?
The defining mood, cultural climate, or prevailing ideas of a specific era.
Who is Mary Shelley and what was her role in sci-fi?
She wrote Frankenstein in 1818 at age 18 and is considered the "Mother of Sci-Fi".
What is Uses and Gratifications Theory?
Blumler & Katz
This theory states that audiences actively select media to satisfy specific needs.
Who directed Interstellar?
Christopher Nolan
What is a Competence Narrative
The narrative style that celebrates logical problem-solving, expertise, and scientific rigor as humanity's salvation
"You save me. I save you. We save both worlds."
Rocky
In Jurassic Park, geneticists resurrect dinosaurs for profit while ignoring Ian Malcolm's ethical warnings about controlling nature.
Corporate Hubris or the Precautionary Principle
What is Anthropocene?
The geological era or period defined by substantial human impact on planet Earth.
Who was Jules Verne and what was his role in the Sci-fi genre?
Known as the "inventor of sci-fi," this author was famous for 19th-century techno-thrillers that predicted future technology.
What is Agenda Setting Theory?
McCombs & Shaw’s theory asserting that media doesn't tell people what to think, but rather what to think about
What is the Technocratic Paradox?
The dual tension where society fears technology will destroy us, yet believes science/logic is our only salvation.
What is Speculative Fiction?
The subgenre defined as exploring "what if" scenarios, alternative histories, and future societies grounded in reality
Science is for all of us, not some of us.
Dr Loomis
n Interstellar, Cooper lives on a dust-ravaged Earth where crops fail, forcing society into survival mode before turning to space exploration.
The Anthropocene & Ecological Warnings
What is the Precautionary Principle?
The guideline summarized as "better safe than sorry," stating preventive action should be taken when scientific evidence indicates potential harm.
What age used to be considered the "golden age" of science-fiction (in the 1920s)
14 year olds
What is Cultivation Theory?
Gerbner
this theory argues that long-term, repeated exposure to media shapes how audiences perceive real-world reality
Who Directed The Martian?
Ridley Scott
What is De-extinction?
The process of human intervention to generate an organism that resembles an extinct species.
"I don't need your permission to save humanity. I have absolute authority, and I will use it."
Eva Stratt
In Project Hail Mary, human scientists collaborate with an alien species, moving beyond an "us vs. them" dynamic to stop Astrophage from destroying their worlds.
Radical cooperation and interspecies empathy
What is Corporate Hubris?
Overconfidence or pride in business operations that leads to irrational, unethical, or harmful behavior.
How did the Cold War have an impact on Sci-fi films?
During the 1950s in the US, early formulaic sci-fi films like Godzilla reflected fear and paranoia from this global geopolitical context.
What is Media Dependency Theory?
Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur
theory stating that media influence grows when people rely on it to navigate social change or crisis.
What is Multiple Breadbasket Failure?
The term describing simultaneous climate-driven crop failure across multiple major agricultural regions globally.
What is Earth Overshoot Day?
The annual milestone marking when humanity's resource consumption exceeds Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources in that year.
"There was no way to get people off Earth... Plan A was a lie."
Dr Brand
In The Martian, Mark Watney meticulously uses botany and engineering to calculate his exact calorie intake and grow potatoes on Mars.
Competence Narrative &/or the technocractic paradox
What is Risk Society?
Ulrich Beck’s sociological theory describing how modern cultures focus on managing hazards produced by modernization rather than distribution of wealth.
What 1970s-80s film franchise showed that Sci-fi wasn't just for kids?
Star Wars
What is "Mean World" Syndrome & which theory does it connect to?
Cultivation theory suggests that heavy media exposure cultivates this condition, making people view the real world as far more dangerous than it is.
What is the Paris Agreement?(when, who, what)
The 2015 international climate agreement signed by 195 nations aimed at keeping global warming below 1.5–2°C
What is Dystopian Optimism?
The specific tone attributed to Interstellar, blending ecological doom with a hopeful message that physics and human persistence will save us
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Ian Malcolm
In Interstellar, public school textbooks are rewritten by the state to claim the Apollo moon landings were faked, forcing citizens to abandon scientific ambitions in order to prioritise farming during the blight crisis. At the same time, NASA operates in total secrecy while Dr. Brand lies to the public about solving the gravity equation, intentionally concealing that the population on Earth is being left to die so that Plan B can succeed.
Institutional Control, Emergency Power & Forced Sacrifice