Prophets of Science Fiction
By Matt Springer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intriguing docuseries connects science fiction with fact.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
Executive produced by legendary sci-fi filmmaker Ridley Scott, PROPHETS OF SCIENCE FICTION looks back at some of the iconic figures of sci-fi over the past two centuries, from Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein, widely considered the first science fiction novel) to Philip K. Dick (who wrote the book on which Blade Runner was based). Each author's greatest works are examined with an eye toward how the science fictional concepts they introduced have evolved over time into science fact.
Is It Any Good?
Prophets of Science Fiction pulls off a pretty remarkable feat. It takes the works of long-dead science fiction authors and examinations of the latest scientific wonders, mashes them together, and manages to make the whole far more engaging than its parts. Frankly, there are moments when the show amazes -- there are literary antecedents for so many of today's very real scientific developments that it's hard not to imagine authors like Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, and Philip K. Dick as prophets in the truest sense of the word.
By fusing the evolution behind some of sci-fi's true classics with an exploration of the real science that has emerged in the wake of them, Prophets of Science Fiction offers true insight into the power of literature to inspire, and the power of science to revolutionize our world and culture.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how reading fits into a healthy media diet. What books written by the authors featured on the show sound most interesting, and why?
What did you learn from this show? What was most surprising about how sci-fi novels have influenced real science fact?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 9, 2011
- Network: SCIENCE
- Genre: Educational
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: June 1, 2023
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