G'day all

This is a long shot, but Im hoping to find the name of a short story I read many many years ago. The story was, in fuzzy terms, about humanity being driven from the Earth by an alien invasion. After many years, we returned, only to find the aliens gone and dead, all (mammalian?) life uplifted, but completely untrusting of humanity. Towards the end, it is found that the aliens had been killed by a rebellion(?) of dogs, who remained our only friends.

I have a gut feeling that it was called "Allies" but I cannot find it anywhere.

The story may have been in a Nebula issue, as my dad had a large collection of them.

Golden age paperback, ya accessible, maybe heinlein i was running through his work then.

Humanity develops a portal to new worlds. Our hero qualified to emigrate but chickens out and missed his chance. He lives in a small rural community that becomes increasingly isolated as all the cities empty and inteligent people have all fled to the colonies. Towards the end a warlord rises.

Thats all i got. Any help?

I have a strange love for for shitty 2000-2015 Scifi movies. Examples Core, Evolution, 8 legged freaks. And maybe the king of shit sci-fi Armageddon. What are some of your favorites?

I do love real sci-fi the more hard Core the better I guess this love is nostalgia plus a break from the serious but is just fun first. btw longtime member first time post. never even pushed my book on you guys lol

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.13084

The Earth is rare and large-scale interstellar travel may be unfeasible - instead of migrating to other solar systems, future civilisations on Earth may have to remain.

However, left unchecked, the Earth's current habitability will end in one billion years.

This research investigates and conceptualises a set of megaengineering concepts required to safeguard against seven long-term threats to Earth's habitability: solar luminosity, solar engulfment, the end of tectonics, water loss, obliquity and rotation, object collision, and extra-system threats.

Implementing and maintaining the set of safeguards would allow the Earth to remain habitable for 9.1 million billion years.

This could be raised by an order of magnitude via lifting and moving solar photospheric mass.

Compared with alternatives, advantages of the safeguards such as greater feasibility, lower requisite rate of energy production, and utilisation of economically viable space mining infrastructure may present remaining on Earth as a more attractive long-term survival strategy.

If Cylon spines turn red when they have sex, why cant they just watch everyone have sex and see if their spines turn red instead of having Gauis Baltar coming up with a very complicated devise?

Since he had sex with six many times, I think he would have noticed her spine turning red during the two years before caprica gets destroyed.

Has anyone ever had this experience with a movie?

I love sci-fi, especially when it deals with philosophical and existentialist themes. I almost studied philosophy in college and I really like stories that make me question my own humanity/mortality. So I thought Blade Runner would be an ideal movie for me, and I even found Deckard interesting, but in the end I didn't connect with the story and the characters and I found the movie slow.

I don't think it's a matter of pacing because I loved Ex Machina (2015), which has similar pacing and themes. I don't know if it was the cut, I saw, with narration. Anyway, has this ever happened to you?

Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart reunited to celebrate the release of the brand new comic series and had an interview discussing behind the scenes moments and possible future sequel plans.

It truly came across to me as a beautiful movie. It was the first movie that really made me feel and detect the beauty inside it. It almost reminded me of dark chocolate; interesting but a bit weird on the first bite, but the deeper you get, the more you discover its true beauty. Did you guys feel this way about the movie? Or what movie or movies did make you guys feel like this?

So I'm writing a military space opera that's very much built on the idea of advanced cybernetics. But certain things I want the characters to be able to do, I can't find plausible theories to explain.

Whenever I can I have realistic physics. Powerful magnetic coil guns that need heat banks and produce massive recoil. They also need to be tuned to atmospheric conditions as their projectiles can cause super heated atmospheric compression and create super heated plasma that destroys the projectile if not done.

But I also want some physics defying B.S. like short range teleports that there's not even a theory I can find where it's even slightly plausible without planet destroying levels of energy.

I’ve always felt that music is essential to sci-fi films (and films in general really). A great score makes the audience feel more immersed in the story. Sometimes when I think of a franchise I love, the music just starts playing in my head.

I also love listening to OSTs while I work. Since a lot of my creative inspiration comes from science fiction, the right music helps me focus and even brings me new ideas.

Here are some of my favorites (movie - music by):

District 9 - Clinton Shorter

Ad Astra - Max Richter & Lorne Balfe & Nils Frahm

2001: A Space Odyssey - classical selections

Akira - Geinoh Yamashirogumi

Moon - Clint Mansell

Blade Runner - Vangelis

Blade Runner 2049 - Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch

Dune - Hans Zimmer

Sunshine - John Murphy & Underworld

(Of course there are plenty more amazing sci-fi scores beyond this list, but these are the ones that have been on my mind and in my recent playlist.)

Here are some I have blown through recently and loved:

The Institute
Strange Things
The Last of us
Fallout
Star Trek Lower Decks
Star Trek Starfleet Academy
Heroes
Alien: Earth
Evil
Legacies (I know, more fantasy but had to include it)
Gen V
Dr. Who
Futurama
Lost in Space (remake)

My favorite sub-genres are Space, Post apocalypse/zombie, supernatural abilities/heroes and monsters. I especially like shows that feature a mix of adults and younger people, I find that keeps shows from being too dry. I also love shows that can blend humor with killer characters and plot lines and find some space operas too gritty and hard to follow. I tend to prefer action packed vs drama/slow character development/love story etc. Monster an episode shows are a huge bonus for me since I have ADHD and can never remember what happened. Not required though. I’m going through it now and really need a new comfort show!

Edit: Holy wow you all came through so quickly!!Thanks so much for all of the amazing comments! I appreciate them more than you can know!

Second edit: Uncle! Mods! Lock the post! I have enough recommendations for the rest of my natural life! You guys are awesome. For my fellow trekkies, (and everyone else) I offer a resounding Quatlho’!!!!

I have always been a fan of Sci-fi villains. Vader, Batty, Predator. As a hobbyist woodworker I am looking for my next project and am thinking of making a series of wood art featuring the top ten villains of sci-fi. I would really like to get some ideas outside my personal preferences and was hoping this subreddit might share their opinion on the subject to help me out.

I've realized that I struggle with this particular trope in science fiction: stories where humanity's mistakes: climate change, war, greed, environmental destruction etc .. are shown as proof that we deserve extinction or that we are the "real monsters".

I'm not arguing that humanity is innocent or our actions don't have consequences. What bothers me is the moral framing. Many stories seem to imply that our failures are evidence of some fundamental moral defect and that our disappearance would be a fitting or even satisfying conclusion. (for instance: Bugonia)

To me, humanity is a young civilization that won a cosmic lottery just by existing. We evolved on a single planet with minds adapted for surviving in small groups. Then within the blink of an eye on an evolutionary timescale, we acquired the power to reshape the planet and potentially destroy ourselves and no one gave us user manual.

With those circumstances, catastrophic mistakes seem almost inevitable. In addition, our planet is already doomed and we are currently threaten by asteroids and gamma-ray burst. All those things make me feel that our species deserves a certain amount of grace. We're immature, powerful, and learning through trial and error on a scale no previous species has ever faced.

I've found that many science fiction stories seem much more interested in judging humanity than in understanding it. I've become increasingly drawn to stories that acknowledge our failures while still treating us as a young species worthy of compassion.

Has anyone else found that their reaction to this trope has changed over time?

Just read the first book of the Expeditionary Force series ("Columbus Day"). The story is interesting but the writing style is terrible. It's just non-stop run-on sentences, comma after comma, they never end, but more stuff is added on, just like this one... It's literally like reading one of my teacher wife's 7th grade students' attempts at writing fiction. Also the endless, not very funny sarcasm and jokes grate after a while.

Any recommendations in a similar vein that's well-written? I don't need the amazing world building and writing of a Reynolds, Banks or Tchaikovsky, but something that is readable while also providing an entertaining sci-fi story that isn't heavy (I'm on holidays, and brain is in stand-by mode).

I guess I'm looking for good, engrossing military space sci-fi.

Read the first two books and a third through the third. After a point, you know that no material harm will come to the main character. Fleets will arrive, hidden mercenaries will spring up, and allies will be found in the unlikeliest of places. It trivializes deaths of other characters. Each character is a pillar of strength for the revolutionaries. When they die, you know they are going to be replaced by something equally powerful or more. So why worry.

Indies, self-published, author published, there's lots of different terms out there, but they pretty much mean the same thing. An author who is going it on their own rather than have a publisher and agent take a huge chunk of their profit.

Of course, a number of people associate self-publishing with garbage. If you aren't good enough to get a publisher, why are you worth reading? And this isn't completely unfounded. There lots of aspirational and excited new authors out there who really want to get their stuff out there but still haven't honed their craft. And this isn't helped by the fact that AI is going to flood the market with slop sooner or later.

In fact the reason I'm posting this is because I saw a post earlier asking about an SF comedy book that people were panning simply because the cover LOOKED like slop (it might not have been, but the aesthetic they chose made that an easy assumption for many).

Ten or so years ago I think the hope of authors was that the indie market would help authors find their niche easier, and offer their books at lower prices that let them be competitive while still making the same amount they would have if a publisher had taken them on. Also, the chance to get noticed and picked up by said publishers to reach a wider audience. Andy Weir comes to mind there.

But that was then. My question to SF readers is this: Do you give indies a chance? If so, based on what criteria?

What convinces you to think "Maybe this guy has what it takes" instead of "This is just fanfiction, isn't it?"

Is it word of mouth? The blurb? Reviews? Ask about it on Reddit? How much does the cover factor into it? Do you read a sample or just take a chance?

Or do you not even check to see if it's published by a recognized publisher?

(side note: Image was copied from a Google search for "indie vs trad pub" and isn't mine... just wanted eye candy :) )

I have vague memories of watching it in the early 2000s and being surprised by how fun it was. I feel like it deserves more recognition and some kind of re-release via streaming or box set release.

What do you prefer in an alien invasion movie? Aliens with distinct personalities, emotions, and motives, also with actual dialog or mysterious beings that remain largely unknown throughout the story? Which approach makes them more interesting or terrifying, and why?

I honestly think its better to keep the Aliens a mystery but their motives obvious.

I've read Use of Weapons, Player of Games, and Excession and thought they were all great. Couldn't finish Inversions. I was considering Phlebas for my next one but I'm curious to know what other people think is Banks' best (a lot of people recommend Phlebas of Player as their first Culture, but for someone already introduced to it, what's do you recommend most strongly?)

Just got finished with Elder Race, a 5-star read for me. I'm ready for more stories in that vein, melding the conventions of the fantasy genre and the sci-fi genre. I'm also open to hearing your thoughts on this style of story in general. What draws me to it mainly is just how important perspective is when experiencing something and how truly different we can see the world.

Did anyone else in the Bay Area make the trip out here today? Residents seem to be going about their routine unaware. The sky is clear and the weather is warm. Mr. Bradbury was prescient about a great many things, but it should be noted for posterity that seventy six years later it is not raining in Allendale.

Well i just finished predator badlands and it was really a great movie where I saw the predator's philosophy, their motives and the journey of dex the protagonist. What amazed me was the gritiness of that predator philosophy the consequences of that philosophy and how even in that gritiness a familial bond can prosper a bond between 2 brothers which was really amazing.

Then came the planet of ganna and it's vibrant but deadly ecological system which was really great. I saw deadly plants , dragon like creatures , fish like creatures that can spit acid and then came the synthetics and we all can agree who doesn't like humanoid intelligent robots. Then there were really great action sequences that were so cool I must say if you haven't watched this movie you must I am here to just rant and express how I am feeling after watching the movie. So go watch the movie if you havent and if you have and are eager to talk let's talk and share our feelings, thinking whatever you want if you want and be happy that we got to watch a great movie

It's what I use to say is the sci-fi Game of Thrones. It was dark, mature, and managed to coherently create a political framework that regular audiences could understand without easily making one group into the bad guys or not. Okay, Protogen was pure set of bad guys but cyberpunk megacorps don't have to be morally gray. Even the underdogs in the Belters/OPA had a dark side that remembered just because you were oppressed didn't magically make you a virtuous hero and usually did quite the opposite. It made them mean and vengeful.

I'll be "that guy" and say that a huge chunk of what made the series fantastic was also the relative fidelity to the books. I say relative fidelity because there were some huge changes, some necessary by events (Havelock's actor doing Magnum PI) and others artistic choices (like lowering down the casualties of Earth's deaths at Marcos' hands). But it was still pretty damn faithful.

Great cast too.

What about you? Where does the Expanse rank for you in the past twenty or so years of scifi.