- 12 Monkeys directed by Terry Gilliam (1995)
[7/10]
"We come to expect the ending, but I felt somewhat disappointed with the conclusion, which left me with an empty feeling like an unfulfilled promise."
- 28 Days Later directed by Danny Boyle (2002)
[6/10]
"Essentially we have a character study of a limited number of survivors in a hopeless situation. Yes, they keep plodding on -- as many of us would hope we could do in the same situation -- but we really don't get any great epiphany about human nature in the process."
- Akira directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (1988)
[7/10]
"Most viewers who like science fiction should find Akira an accessible story, but I highly recommend reading the six volume graphic novel for a richer, more detailed version of the story."
- Artificial Intelligence: A.I. directed by Steven Spielberg (2001)
[7/10]
"I appreciate all the interesting moral and philosophical questions Spielberg introduces in A.I., and the movie does manage to keep your interest -- espically visually -- for the almost three-hour running time."
- Charly directed by Ralph Nelson (1968)
[6/10]
"Cliff Robertson does an excellent job portraying the various aspects of Charly's personality, for which he earned an Oscar, but overall the heavy-handed anti-science themes and now anachronistic presentation style overburden the story line for a less-than-pleasing effect."
- Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (1999)
[8/10]
"An excellent character-based novel, with fun technology thrown in. Far better and more satisfying than Snow Crash."
- Deep Impact directed by Mimi Leder (1998)
[5/10]
"In spite of cheap effects and attempts to create emotion, I liked the movie and its attempt to show that you can choose to be a good person even when faced with the knowledge of your almost certain demise."
- Difference Engine, The by William Gibson, Bruce Sterling (1991)
[7/10]
"An exciting story that also has lots of food for thought."
- Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut directed by Richard Kelly (2001)
[7/10]
"Generally I liked Donnie Darko, but I think the ambiguous ending and the cultural commentary distracted from an otherwise well-made film."
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind directed by Michel Gondry (2004)
[7/10]
"Aside from the medical and ethical questions, Eternal Sunshine explores the nature of attraction and the development of relationships. It asks whether a natural attraction exists between two people. Clearly, the writers believe so, since Joel and Clementine feel drawn to each other repeatedly."
- Frequency directed by Gregory Hoblit (2000)
[6/10]
"Quaid and Caviezel both provide convincing performances, so much so, that the total familial love barely avoids going over the edge into pure sappiness. So if you cry at movies, take a hanky to Frequency."
- Golden Queen, The by Dave Wolverton (1994)
[6/10]
- Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem (1994)
[6/10]
"An interesting future that seems some middle point between now and Dick's future in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep (i.e.,"
- Incredibles, The directed by Brad Bird (2004)
[9/10]
"Before seeing The Incredibles in the theater, I was skeptical after hearing all the hype from the media and friends about the film. Without even a grudge, I have to say the movie lived up to most of the hype, and it has taken its place in my mind as Disney's all-time best animated movie."
- Invasion, The by K. A. Applegate (1996)
[6/10]
"Applegate doesn't try to sugar-coat the dark reality of her story. The kids must face the reality of an alien invasion with their immature understanding of tactics, strategy, and consequences."
- Jaxon Files, The by Tony Markham (1996)
[7/10]
"The Jaxon Files shows a lot of promise for a first novel, especially for a Mormon science fiction novel that takes place in modern day."
- Jetée, La directed by Chris Marker (1967)
[6/10]
"La Jetée shows the power of the briefest of memories to instill a life with hope. Marker's presentation as a series of stills emphasizes the periodic and fleeting nature of memory."
- Kaze no tani no Naushika [Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind] directed by Hayao Miyazaki (1984)
[7/10]
"Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind tells the story of a distant future where warfare and mass pollution have made the earth almost uninhabitable."
- Leading Edge, The (1992)
[5/10]
"This collection of short stories and nonfiction is better than usual for the Leading Edge, but still shows its student origins. Overall the editing is substandard, with many punctuation and consistency errors. This, the poor design of the magazine, and the poor reproduction quality all distract from the content."
- Lost in Space directed by Stephen Hopkins (1998)
[4/10]
"If you like science fiction films at all, then you should see Lost in Space in a theater so you can get the full effect of the special effects. But don't waste your time if you want a serious or even semi-plausible plot."
- Mars Crossing by Geoffrey A. Landis (2000)
[7/10]
"The suspense pulls you forward, and Landis keeps you guessing right up to the very end about who will survive and who will get to return to the Earth."
- Metoroporisu [Metropolis] directed by Taro Rin (2006)
[7/10]
"Metropolis keeps your interest and keeps revealing multiple layers of character motivation and intrigue."
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie directed by Bryan Spicer (1995)
[5/10]
"I doubt that you could enjoy the movie on its own merits; you have to see it as an extension of the Power Rangers story line established in the first couple of television seasons. But for Power Rangers fans, this movie still holds entertainment value, even after repeated viewings."
- Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement (1954)
[6/10]
"A fun, light read, unless you start to question the physics and chemistry."
- Mission to Mars directed by Brian De Palma (2000)
[5/10]
"As an avid science fiction fan, I find the ideas in Mission to Mars stale and hardly worth the effects budget. Like Lost in Space, the Mission to Mars producers seem more concerned with creating a visually appealing film than creating an interesting plot or hiring some really good astrophysicists as consultants."
- Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)
[7/10]
"Many books that rely heavily on computer technology as a major plot element seem dated after only a few years. Gibson wrote Neuromancer in 1984 and the story has surprisingly few anachronisms."
- Night of the Living Dead directed by George A. Romero (1968)
[7/10]
"Of all the movies ever made, only a few actually start an entire genre. Romero's Night of the Living Dead sets the stage for zombie movies in the same way that Bram Stoker's novel set the pattern for all vampire stories."
- Puppet Masters, The directed by Stuart Orme (1994)
[6/10]
"Nothing really stands out in The Puppet Masters, but none of the usual B-movie flaws drag it down ether, which leaves you with a mildly pleasant sci-fi feature."
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)
[7/10]
"Stephenson smoothly conflates religion, linguistics, and programming into his storyline. Obviously, he did a lot of research for Snow Crash and much of that research appears in large blocks of exposition. I found the information interesting, but readers who like steady action will probably dislike the information dumps."
- Solaris directed by Steven Soderbergh (2002)
[6/10]
"Tarkovsky's characters often deliver their lines in a flat tone, as if the characters not only believe the glass is half empty, but that it's filled with poison as well. In that sense, Soderbergh has made a 'happy' version of Tarkovsky's Solaris."
- Stand, The by Stephen King (1991)
[4/10]
"Of course, one must wonder why The Stand needed additional length? Or even to be told at all?"
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace by Patricia C. Wrede (1999)
[6/10]
"I expect movie novelizations to stand alone, but Wrede's novelization of George Lucas's screenplay assumes you already know the Star Wars universe before you begin the book."
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace directed by George Lucas (1999)
[7/10]
"I have seen TPM three times and have liked it better each time, in spite of the problems I had with Lucas's execution of the plot. Lucas truly has a unique vision and talent for creating fun, visually pleasing movies that one rarely tires of seeing."
- Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959)
[6/10]
"If you have seen Paul Verhoeven's movie Starship Troopers, you have seen merely Heinlein's story with almost all the philosophy carefully removed. But the combination of story and philosophy make Troopers a classics that will stay in print for years to come."
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1961)
[7/10]
"Often, Heinlein's characters get so carried away discussing philosophical implications that all the action stops for pages and pages at a time."
- Suchîmubôi [Steamboy] directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (2004)
[8/10]
"Ray's adventures as Steamboy provide a fun romp through an alternate history where advances in steam power accelerate the development of technologies."
- Superman Returns directed by Bryan Singer (2006)
[7/10]
"Bryan Singer has collected an excellent cast and presented a new and interesting addition to the Superman saga that surpasses all the previous Superman efforts."
- Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon (1987)
[3/10]
"Yawn, the superpowers launch nuclear attacks and the few surviving people must deal with radiation sickness, food shortages, starving wolves, post-nuclear paramilitary forces, and nuclear winter."
- Veils of Azlaroc, The by Fred Saberhagen (1978)
[5/10]
"In The Veils of Azlaroc, Saberhagen presents an interesting idea with a flimsy plot wrapped around it as an excuse for writing about his idea."
- War of the Worlds, The directed by Byron Haskin (1953)
[7/10]
"By today's standards, The War of the Worlds has pretty unbelievable effects, but you can tell that Haskin took enormous care with the effects available to him at the time. The effects do work well to establish the deadly nature of the Martians and the unbelievable firepower they could produce with even just a single craft."
- War of the Worlds directed by Steven Spielberg (2005)
[7/10]
"When a story remains popular for over a hundred years, clearly the elements strike a chord in the human psyche, and who better than Stephen Spielberg to know how to make a movie that resonates that chord in modern audiences."
- We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1924)
[7/10]
"Zamyatin implies that once you have given up too much freedom, you might never recover personal freedom, even if some individuals have a vision of life outside the state."
- Wrinkle in Time, A by Madeline L'Engle (1962)
[9/10]
"L'Engle creates a universe where the forces of good and evil have visible components. Through her characters, she examines the choices people make to align themselves with these forces and the tools humans have to combat evil. Unlike much of the fiction produced today, A Wrinkle in Time acknowledges the spiritual side of humanity and our innate ability to know good from evil."
- Zathura directed by Jon Favreau (2005)
[6/10]
"If you've seen Jumanji, then you pretty much have seen Zathura. In essence, a couple of kids find an old game, start to play, and then realize that the game affects reality in quite serious and perilous ways."
- Zoom directed by Peter Hewitt (2006)
[2/10]
"I don't think that I have ever seen a movie that tried harder than Zoom only to fall flat on its face. It wants to make you laugh. It wants you to have fun. It wants you to like the characters. It wants to do a lot of things, but it just can't muster up enough energy to do any of these things."
Average score: 6.29
