Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Propaganda!

A dive into propaganda in science fiction, particularly those instances where aliens take over the world to the advantage of the privileged. What? 

Links for this episode: 

Ray Nelson, "Eight O'Clock In the Morning" available via the Internet Archive (free registration required) https://archive.org/details/sciencefictioncl0000unse_z5i2 

 Images of Arthur C. Clarke's "I Remember Babylon" https://imgur.com/gallery/i-remember-babylon-by-arthur-c-clark-2BX7I6R 

Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. 

Podcast artwork by Frances Langum via BingAI. 

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Tuesday, April 30, 2024

'The Day The Earth Stood Still' In Historical Context

This week on the Science Fiction University Podcast, we go back to the classics by examining the 1951 sci-fi film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and its source material - the 1940 short story "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates. 

 We analyze how the Cold War-era film adapted and expanded upon the original story's premise of a human-like alien arriving on Earth with a terrifying robot enforcer to deliver an ultimatum to humanity.

From the iconic performances to the still-relevant themes of anti-militarism and nuclear disarmament. It’s a lively discussion delving into the origins of one of sci-fi's most beloved tales of First Contact gone awry.

 Tune in for all the historical context, literary analysis, and fresh takes on a true classic from the golden age of sci-fi cinema and prose. 

 #ScienceFictionUniversity #TheDayTheEarthStoodStill #FarewellToTheMaster #ScienceFiction #ClassicSF #MichaelRennie #RobertWise https://www.buzzsprout.com/229/14986530