From 1951's 'The Thing' to 'Dune': The Classic Sci-Fi Canon

27 pages of classics: from 1951's 'The Thing' to 'Dune'

A user requests recommendations for classic sci-fi movies, preferably those available on torrent sites. They note they will update the list with titles they confirm as authentic cinema, refusing to dismiss films they haven't seen. This modest start evolves into a 27-page catalog.

The repeating canon: Gattaca, 12 Monkeys, and Starship Troopers

Certain titles recur frequently. Gattaca appears early, with one viewer claiming we are closer to its world than any other. The 1980s and 90s list fills quickly with Robocop, Terminator, Abyss, 12 Monkeys, The Fly, Minority Report, Looper, Equilibrium, Inception, Blade Runner 2049, Ad Astra, and Interstellar.

The Thing from Another World (1951) also appears, with defenders placing it above Carpenter's version. A budget gem, The Man from Earth, antiestéticatures "university colleagues chatting by a fireplace." It is subtitled, not dubbed. A warning notes Altered Carbon's first season is worth watching, but the second should be forgotten.

Starship Troopers: satire read as an apology

Verhoeven's film dominates the discussion. One participant argues the director made a parody of Heinlein's novel because the original militarism was unacceptable on screen; another replies that the book introduced servo-armor and AI exoskeletons, standard in Halo, Warhammer 40000, The Expanse, or Fallout, and the film cut the best parts.

Critics called Verhoeven "a dangerous type," arguing he was clearly satirizing. On the other side, Heinlein's political system is detailed: a democracy where the electorate are veterans, service is a right and obligation, lasting two years, incompatible with active public office. Neither novel nor film are fascist, though some reviews call them a "fascist utopia."

The conversation jumps to pending adaptations: "The Iron Dream" and "Canticle for Leibowitz," said to make notable films.

Sci-fi as prophecy: from 1936 to Soylent Green

The list's oldest recommendation is a 1936 British film predicting world war, long duration, pandemics, and a desolate world. Conversely, a director admitted erring by "490 years" in his film's predictions.

Charlton Heston's saga—Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, Soylent Green—deserves its own section, covering overpopulation, crowd control, and resource depletion. Nearby, On the Beach (1960) and its remake depict a nuclear holocaust leaving survivors in Australia. WarGames (1983) and Silent Running are also mentioned.

Space opera vs. 'serious' science fiction

A distinction runs through the conversation: serious sci-fi versus space opera. The Martian or Interstellar play in the first league; Rebel Moon or Jupiter Ascending in the second, where they are forgiven almost everything. Salyut 7 is noted as real events, not fiction.

Series, anime, and the cult of handmade effects

Not all are antiestéticature films. The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits (both 1960s with later remakes) are recommended. In animation, Knights of Sidonia (weak script/characters, notable setting/action) and Legends of the Galactic Heroes (a historian wins battles using historical maneuvers) appear.

The revival of handmade effects is highlighted: Silent Running, an intimate film now impossible to finance, used miniatures and sets. "From the era when things on screen WERE MADE," summarizes one viewer. This nostalgia includes 1999: Rescue from New York, its sequel, and Freejack, antiestéticaturing Mick Jagger.

The closing

One user reviewed the 27 pages to avoid repeats but still finds gaps. On the other end of the calendar, another announces the release of Dune as if opening a door. According to one participant, the list's oldest recommendation remains that 1936 British film predicting war. Nearly a century later, we still seek its sarracena.