Firefly Raised the Bar for Science Fiction
POSTED BY: SergeantX
UPDATED: Monday, March 24, 2025 23:29
VIEWED: 12995
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Firefly raises no bars. The last show to do that was Babylon 5. Babylon 5, like Firefly, was slow to be recognized but much loved. It had to be relocated before it found glory.
Firefly is soft science fiction. It concentrates more on people than it does on technology. The show does not pause periodically to explain a piece of technology. It is soft science fiction, which means its characters must be more substantial. That is quite fine with me. As much as I love my Star Trek technical manuals, I'd have loved better writing more.
Firefly DOES explore a genre too little explored. Rather than raise the bar, it shifts the bar 90 degrees clockwise. The creator of Star Trek promised a Wagon Train to the stars. Firefly delivers on that promise. But unlike Wagon Train, or any other old western, Firefly gives us people who feel real, in a universe populated by people who feel real.
It's not a higher bar. It's a whole new column.
--Anthony
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." --JRR Tolkien via Faramir, The Lord of the Rings
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Pforhan asked a fascinating question: "Just for clarification here, what exactly is soft sci-fi and hard sci-fi, and where is the line between them? Where do some common/well-known stories and authors fit in that spectrum? Arthur C. Clarke, Fredrick (sp?) Pohl, Blade Runner, Terminator, Star Trek, etc?"
The general definition of "hard" science fiction was best stated by the late Roger Zelazny, if memory serves: it goes something like this...
In hard science fiction, the universe is viewed as a set of chess pieces in which the moves are the laws of physics. Hard science fiction by no means eschews character development or moral ambiguity, but it *does* cleave closely indeed to known or postulated laws of nature.
A good exampleof classic "hard" science fiction would be Robert H. Heinlein's "The Mono Is A Harsh Mistress." Aside from the advent of a hpothetical computer AI (which at the time was being postulated by AI reserachers, though that optimism appears to have dimmed), nothing in Heinlein's 1966 novel occurred outside the known laws of physics.
By contrast, soft science fiction involves runnig off the edge of the chess board. ESP and psi powers would invovle 'soft" sicence fiction, since no one (ncluding Dr. Rhine) has ever provided a preonderance of evidence for the existence of parapsychological abilities beyond a reasonable doubt. Indeed, the Aamazing Randi has a running challenge for psychics which involves reading a message locked in his safe. Lots of psychics make lots of claims..but, mysteriously, when faced with Randi's double-blind experimental test, they all shy away.
This does not, of course, meant hat ESP or psi powers are pimpossible. It simly menas that we have (as yet) no natural laws or even credible scientific theories which might explain them convincingly.
So a story which makes use of psi powers or ESP as THE major plot point would qualify as soft science fiction.
An excellent examploe of such soft science is one ofhte great science fiction novels of all time, Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man." Bester's novel (yes, he was a great sci-fi author of the 1950s, NOT originally the veil psi-cop on B5 -- that's one of Harlan's trenchant inside jokes) posits a future world in which a small % of the population are born with differing levels of psi ability.
Now, there's no *theoretical* reason why this couldn't happen tomorrow. Perhaps a random mutation might arise which leads to psi abilities. And perhaps two folks with such an mutation might interbreed, and perhaps such psi abilities might be introduced into the human gene pool. It seems far-fetched, but nothing in nature (so far as I know) _prohibits_ this from happening.
In your list of well-known stories, the spectrum would run something like this:
Arthur C. Clarke -- perhaps THE dean of hard science fiction (though "Childhood's End" does posit abilities and phenomena beyond the edge of known science). See Clarke novels like "A Fall Of Moondust" and "The Deep Range" for magnificent examples of hard science fiction.
Frederick Pohl -- well, old Fred is an amazing guy. His work runs the complete gamut from *very* soft sci-fi (his short story "Year MIllion," for example) to relatively hard sci-fi ("The Space Merchants," which he co-wrote with Cyril Kornbluth) to extremely hard science fiction (the first novel of the Gateway series -- based pretty much entirely on then-current Penrose-Hawking theories about black holes).
Philip K. Dick, who wrote "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (AKA Bladerunner) as well as other classics like "Ubik" (great book!) and "Martian Time-Slip" wrote very soft science fiction. Most of the phenomena Dick posits, like people dreaming in cold sleep, or extrasensory powers to re-arrange reality, or the ability to travel to alternate universes (as in "The Man IN the High Tower") are not currently known to be possible according to existing phsyics theories. Of course, they're not impossible, either...so far as we know, at least in the sense that a perpetual motion machin
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SergeantX makes what seems to me to be an extremely insightful series of excellent points about Firefly. I know he hates my guts, but that doesn't change the fact that SergeantX's post on this topic is absolutely dead right IMHO.
I would agree, oddly, with both SergeantX's firends and with SergeantX himself. Firefly sometimes isn't science fiction at all, while in other episodes it's soft SF, and in yet others it's hard SF.
Here's why:
A piece of fiction become science fiction when some plot point depends crucially on a uniquely science fictional device -- say, telepathy, or aliens, or time travel. If the story could be told without the postulated SF idea, then it ain't science fiction.
This means that a story which merely involves folks in spaceships isn't really SF, since we could substitute trains or planes and set the story on Earth in some other time period. This applies to some Firefly episodes -- for instance, the entire 2-hr pilot could be set at sea on earth in a different time period. Planets = islands, revers = pirates, Alliance = british navy...it still works. (Mind yo, I don't care. SergeantX is right about that too. It's the quality of the writing that matters, and the Firefly pilot was superb.)
But the episodes in which River manifests psi abilities could *not* take place on earth as we know it. So those are soft science fiction episodes. The episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds" depends crucially on the magnetic trap and that nice trick with Vera in the vacuum suit, so that's hard science fiction. Those are all known laws of physics. Even though non-powered, Serentiy moves toward the magnetic trap because of Newton's third law of motion. You can't get any harder SF than that!
Firefly felt free to move from non-SF to soft to hard SF. That, frankly, is one of the things I liked about the show.
I also have to agree 110% with SergeantX about the wretched pseudoscience of demographic marketing analysis and in particular the godawful superstitions which surround marketing segmentation. As Dilbert remarked, "Don't build better products, just find dumber customers."
This pseudo-science has wrecked TV. marketing analysis (empahsis on the "anal" part of that word) was responsible for the cancellation of Trek TOS (great move, huh?) and has doomed many a superb TV series since then. "My World and Welcome To It," "My So-cAlled Life," whole buncha great shows that didn't get the right mumbo-jumbo marketing "numbers" in those infamous surveys and focus groups.
Marketing analysis is a pseudo-science because so many products deep-sixed by these cockamamey surveys turn out to be all-time champions. Trek TOS is the most obvious example, but the intial marketing analysis that led HP to declare that the Apple personal computer had no market is a real beaut.
Marketing analysis fails because of Ricardo's Law of Economimcs -- supply tends to create its own demand. A marketing survey of demand for a completely new totally innovative product will tend to find zero demand...because consumers have never heard of the innovative product! That doesn't mean people won't want the innovative product or clamor to buy it, it merely means they've never seen one.
This kind of marketing psuedo-science probably helps explain Fox's incredibly ill-advised decisions about Firefly. The show was a laserprinter in a world full of Gutenberg printing presses. Of course no one surveyed wanted a laserprinter, they'd never _seen_ one, they didn't know what the heck it was, fer cripe's sake.
Once they saw Firefly for a while, they'd have clamored for it.
But Fox never let that happen, what with killing the 2-hr pilot and "putting the show on hiatus." Crazy decisions probably due (as SergeantX so incisively points out) to the wretched marketing analysis gibberish purveyed by bean counters without an ounce of imagination.
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Firefly has not only risen the bar for Science Fiction. Firefly redifinbed what the bar was. It has a raw feeling of true human actions and regrets. A loss of religion, a twisted love story across class, and a historical tie in make it a truely great show.
No Techno bable... no crap. JMS once said "stun is for those who are not willing to commit." Firefly is not guilty of that crime. I see it as a new type of show. Josh Whedon has done a great job with what many said was a great risk. I must say his take on Science fiction has truely evoled from the books of Bester and Niven to his script of the the forth Aliens movie, "Aliens Resurection."
Keep Firefly Alive
Joe Bob
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Hi ever'body,
I sat through a good chunk (about four episodes) of the Farscape marathon on Sci-Fi yesterday and was, in my small way, shocked that folks mention it in the same breath as our beloved Firefly. Farscape pretty much exemplifies what has heretofore passed for sci-fi in this 'verse and I will sum it up in two words: cheese ball.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know there are perfectly sane, beautiful people in love with that show. And it's not like it wasn't enjoyable or nothing. That guy with the beehive in his neck was pretty outstanding! I can understand that folk dig it, it's just I would never compare it to Firefly!
What distinguishes Firefly from virtually every sci-fi show that has ever been available on T.V. is its realism. Farscape is a cartoon and I like cartoons, I'll sit and watch Power Rangers and enjoy it, but I would never compare it to Firefly. Shows where people are defined by their costumes, where the villains all talk in really loud cheesy British accents have a grand tradition going back at least as far as Doctor Who ("NOT SO FAWST, TIME LOD!"), but Firefly is something entirely new, it's special, it's really really...special and unique and Farscape is a stupid!
Anyway, I never really watched sci-fi for its realism before. (I'm reminded of the joke rejoinder to every critism of fantasy and sci-fi there is, a joke I've made even without the requisit dripping irony: "What, are you saying it's unrealistic?") I've always watched sci-fi for its heart and for the visuals. And Farscape has the visuals for sure. Didn't get much heart from it, but I only saw four episodes. What I didn't see was realism. Not for a second.
And another thing...just so you know what kind of Firefly snob I am, I've never gotten into BTVS. It's those two words again, you know, I'm watching this show where a vampire is acting all cartoonishly sexy and gets rejected and her face gets that (cheese ball) bee-stung-looking forhead they get when they're mad and she hisses, "What's a matter, playing hard to get?" and I'm sorry, I'm bored. I'll be giving Buffy a few hundred more chances, but this is where I stand.
Happy holidays everybody!
And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
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I'm new here, but have to disagree that Firefly 'raises the bar' for sci fi. Not bothering to define hard or soft sci fi, I have to say there are other shows out there that raised that bar already and Firefly was just keeping up with them. It was a good show, and I'll miss it, and it bodes poorly for the genre in general when sci fi is falling beneath the juggernaught of corporate decision making. But it's a stretch to say FF raised the bar. It's smartly written and the characters are great but...twisted love story? done. Uncertain outcomes? done. Even the use of another language to get epithets past the censors has been done (tho I do have to throw a few kudos for using pidgeon Japanese...that was interesting).
Now, i'll be moseying along before I say something to get myself into trouble.
Peace,
birthsister
still a scaper at heart
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Ummmmm, hmmmmm. Where do I start? Let's see, you've passed judgement on an outstanding piece of sci fi, which currently has 77 episodes, on 4. FOUR episodes. I'm really gobsmacked. You probably don't even know the story. These characters have managed to grow over the past four years in ways the Firefly funfest haven't even hinted at. And before you think I'm slamming your show because you're slamming mine, let me say I like Firefly. I really do. But it's a FUN show. But it's Splash Mountain compared to Farscape's Tower of Terror. If you had watched Farscape from the beginning you would be breathless, ready to get back in line and beg for more. The character development is outstanding. You FEEL for the crew of Moya, and if you knew how far they had come instead of seeing a small snippet of their lives you would know what I'm talking about. Admittedly, Season 4 of Farscape has had a few episodes lacking in the usual Farscape quality, but still well worth watching. Unfortunately, perhaps you got ahold of a few of those. Go rent the DVD's, you'll see what I'm talking about. Farscape IS what Firefly only HINTS at. Maybe given another 4 years Firefly could become what Farscape already is, but right now you can't compare the two. It's like comparing Casablanca to Indiana Jones. One's a lot of fun, but the other has HEART. And you can't judge that only on 4 episodes in the middle of the most recent season.
Peace,
birthsister
still a scaper at heart
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'Firefly' Fans Get Long-Awaited Reunion as Former Cast Members Team Up on 'Resident Alien'
https://collider.com/firefly-reunion-resident-alien-season-4-cast-jewe
l-staite/
Firefly Serenity, model for 3D printing
The Firefly Timeline - Part 1: Serenity Comics by Dark Horse
Serenity Firefly - 3D SLA Printed
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Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
I had a similar debate with a friend a few weeks ago, he holding that Firefly was not science fiction at all, that it is a western that just happens to take place in an extrapolated future. There are merits to the argument, and I'll admit Firefly neglects many traditional sci-fi conventions in favor of character drama, but I think it is science fiction. But rather than focusing on the various social and practical effects of a future world, it focus on the characters. The whole setting/situation strikes me as very Heinleinesque.
Frankly, I could care less what genre it falls under, its the first TV I've seen in years that makes you think that the people behind it really cared. The problem is viewers want to know what to expect... and if they guess wrong, or are misled, they feel disappointed, usually not willing to take a look at what's really going on. The problem gets worse when the execs in charge of selling it to the public don't understand it, or don't care enough to be honest about what it is. I think this show appeals to a much older crowd than they expected. They apparently thought, judging from the advertising they did do, that the younger set was the likely audience. A more careful analysis of the series, its themes and strengths, would have given them some better ideas about how to promote it.
I'd really like to see the whole trash science of 'marketing analysis' go away, but if they must run everything by the numbers, they could at least try to do it well. The bean counters can only deal with things they can classify and label, things that neatly fit the expectations of their real target audiences: shiftless, semi-conscious humanoids that respond well to advertising. When something new comes along, something capable of doing much more than they can imagine, it takes work to realize its potential... F*x just didn't do the work.
SergeantX
"..and here's to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest." -- Nanci Griffith
Very thoughtful post.
T
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