Urbana University News: A Science Fiction Interview With Professor Tom Smith

A Science Fiction Interview With Professor Tom Smith

By Shane Black

Professor Tom Smith, Associate Professor of English, is UU’s science fiction expert. However, he is retiring after the spring 2016 semester after 25 years at UU. Because of his imminent retirement, it would be nice to know what his science fiction recommendations are.

If you were lucky enough to take Prof. Smith’s science fiction course, you would have been given a 15-page document showing around 400 science fiction novel and short story recommendations. However, even Professor Smith acknowledges that there is a lot material and it could be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with the genre.

For beginners and those wanting to get immerse themselves in the genre, Professor Smith recommends starting with The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964. He referred to “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov as a “quintessential read.” Along with “Nightfall,” the Anthology series has an amazing collection of stories such as “A Martian Odyssey” by Stanley G. Weinbaum and “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin, a story that was featured in his last science fiction course.

Prof. Smith recommends starting with this anthology.

When asked about why he felt so strongly about science fiction, Professor Smith replied: “one of the things that I like [about science fiction] is that it suggests that we can make the future better place than what we currently have—improve upon the things we need to improve.” He also claimed that the genre could often be prophetic in its vision of the future. “We can almost see the future with science fiction. [Science fiction] inspires people to do things they’ve seen in the books as it imagines—predicts—the future.

Professor Smith has many suggestions when it comes to science fiction, but here are some of his top picks for anyone wanting to read the best novels of the genre:

• Anathem by Neal Stephenson is one of the best novels Smith has ever read. 
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.
• Engines of God by Jack McDevitt. Smith claims that this series is “extremely well-done.”
• Forever War by Joe Haldeman.
• Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is “a must read about compliance and obedience.”
• Neuromancer by William Gibson.

There is a lot of contemporary science fiction also. For those wanting to completely immerse themselves in the field, Professor Smith suggests looking at some of the literary websites and other resources. He recommends websites such as Blackgate, for community involvement, and NetGalley, to read works before they are published. Magazines such as Locus Magazine and Asimov’s Science Fiction will allow readers to keep up with the most recent science fiction.

Professor Smith encourages everyone to give science fiction a chance. “Even the bad stuff has a nugget worth checking out,” he said.

Movie Review: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

One Month After: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

January 2016

One month after its release, after seeing the film twice in theaters, I still look forward to the next time I will see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Old fans will enjoy the new, yet nostalgic, seventh episode of the franchise, and those who were not a fan of Star Wars are coming out of the theater as new fans. The movie is good, and as many others have stated, Star Wars is back. If you haven’t seen the movie, stop reading this review and go see it, there are minor spoilers below.

 

Figure 1: The Force Awakens Poster; imdb.com

A quick disclaimer: I am probably one of the biggest Star Wars fanboys you will ever meet. Therefore, I took the time to make sure the fog of fanboyism had dissipated to write a fair review, and, now that the fog has cleared, I can safely say this movie is everything I had been waiting for in a Star Wars film.

Not counting the dreaded prequels, the Star Wars franchise continues to inspire those looking to escape to a galaxy far, far away. J.J. Abrams directs the seventh episode that continues to break sale records across the globe.

Taking place thirty years after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Abrams leads a cast of new heroes mixed in with the heroes of old. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill star alongside the new villains and heroes played by Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. All of the cast members give the performance their all; none of the veteran cast just show up for their takes, but instead, give meaningful and emotional performances. While it would have been easy for someone like Harrison Ford to just ‘go through the motions,’ he instead gives one of the best performances I have seen from him. The new cast has a lot of talent, also. Adam Driver plays an emotional and rage-filled villain while Daisy Ridley and John Boyega play heroes with amazing on-screen chemistry. On-camera chemistry is, in my opinion, the best selling point of the film. In the limited time John Boyega and Oscar Isaac had together, they created a better brotherhood bond than Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor had done in three entire films.

The biggest complaint I, and others, have about the film is how closely it resembles the original trilogy. While I agree that the movie does pull most of the major plot points from episode four, five and six, Abrams and the writers are able to twist each familiar element to make it feel more than just a remake.

Aesthetically, the movie forgoes a lot of CGI in favor of practical effects and sounds. Stunning X-Wing dogfights, lightsaber duels, and real costumed characters fill the movie with a nostalgic true Star Wars feel. For example, BB-8, the new spherical droid character, is not CGI, but instead, the droid is a real, moving character using some sort of magnetic force-wizardry.

All and all, the film lived up to the Star Wars hype and exceeded many critics’ expectations, including my own. Comparing it to all of the previous films, I rate it a five out of seven: better than Return of the Jedi, but not quite as iconic as A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. Critics and fans currently rate the movie at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.