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A Genre of Subgenres

Science Fiction is often referred to as a genre, but it is possibly best explained as an umbrella genre. There are three types of Science Fiction, five eras, and at least tweleve sub-characteristics. As the genre grows each year, emerging in and out of the mainstream eye, as do these subgenres.

Three of the most famous of these are: Space Opera, Cyberpunk, and Steampunk. While these are some of the most common, it cannot be forgotten that most of the subgenres blend together to create the final product. With Zac Snyder releasing the first mainstream Steampunk film, here's a look back on some of the more famous of the three subgenres:

Space Opera

There is only one space opera that has claimed the hearts of millions of viewers in the world, both sci-fi fans and simply moviegoers alike: Star Wars.

George Lucas spent years into putting together the first film. Originally intended to just be Star Wars, the popularity surprised Lucas, and thus persuaded him in creating the Star Wars saga. Star Wars set the standard for science fiction films. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, is even considered the best science fiction film ever made. While the franchise has expanded to novels, video games, and expanding on both the Old Republic, and the issues of the New Republic, nearly 34 years later, and the saga shows no signs of slowing down.

Cyberpunk

With titles such as "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and the film, "Neuromancer" cyberpunk emerged from the science-fiction genre as an era in the 80s/90s. Coined by Bruce Bethke with his short story "Cyberpunk," the era featured advance science, information technology concepts, themes of a breakdown or radical order in the social order, hackers, AI, and more.

"The Matrix" is perhaps one of the most remembered of the Cyberpunk era films. With Keanu Reeves playing the protagonist, Neo, and Hugo Weaving as his antagonist, Agent Smith, the story follows the course of the humans fighting to be awakened and reclaim Earth. While the triology found itself taking turns into different, dark corners of the subgenre that possibly should not have been addressed, it managed to create a complete story that affected novels, and even anime, in the Cyberpunk era.

Steampunk

The youngest of the movements, currently still in a characteristic/subgenre phase. Although it is slowly making its way to declare itself as a movement. With the first ever Steampunk Expo in 2010, in Michigan, Steampunk has garnered a following of millions, creating a subculture as it works to declare itself an era.

The concept of Steampunk is best described with a question: What would happen if the Industrial Revolution was pushed back a century? Throw in mythological creatures and you are now a part of Steampunk.

Zac Snyder (Watchmen, 300) will be releasing the first mainstream Steampunk film later this month. "Sucker Punch" may not be your average Steampunk story, but it has a lot of potential of setting the groundwork for future Steampunk films. It follows the story of a young girl, played by Emily Browning (A Series of Unfortunate Events), who is institutionalized by her evil stepfather. With the advice of Madam Gorski, played by Carla Gugino (Watchmen), she retreats into an alternate realtiy to devise a way for her, and the other girls, to escape.

Watch the trailer:

Star Wars in 3D

With 3D taking over the movie industry, it is no surprise that George Lucas has joined in on the excitement. While 3D can be seen as a visual treat, sometimes it begs the question of whether or not it is even worth it.

Fox recently announced that "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" will be the first of the saga to get the 3D makeover. Lucas plans to release all of the films in years to follow.

Hearing the "Star Wars" saga will be adapted to 3D and re-released does not come as a great surprise. However, choosing to go in order from beginning to end, as well as choosing to focus on the one film that received the most criticism out of any of the saga's episodes, seems to be a risky move for Lucas.

As a blogger wrote on Sci-fi Now's website: "Star Wars Episode I in 3D--because we didn't all complain enough when it was in two dimensions."

Whether or not it will generate new fans or revive the excitement for the saga can only be seen when it is released.

Catch The Phantom Menace in 3D on February 10, 2012.

Check out this Star Wars influenced superbowl 45 commercial!

Who Shot First?

There are times when I find certain phrases stick out more than others. In the science fiction genre this usually means they were repeated and/or of incredible importance. Examples are "So Say We All." (Battlestar Galactica) or "No power in the 'verse can stop me." (Firefly) The one I found myself debating over with a friend recently was: "Han shot first."

The phrase stems from an arguement over the character Han Solo in Star Wars' first installment, "A New Hope." George Lucus is known for going back to his original triology and editing scenes here and there. Every time he does this, the fans of the series burst in a large amount of outcries, calling for the original to stay the way it was made.

While a majority were upset over the editing of changing David Prowse as Darth Vader's spirit to Haden Christensen's younger image of Anakin, the one that seems to be debated almost as much as "Did Luke and Leia have a thing?" is "Who shot first? Han or Greedo?"

To those who watch "A New Hope" many times, it is almost undeniable that Han Solo shot Greedo first. As Greedo explains how he is going to collect Solo as bounty, Solo, unbeknowest to Greedo, removes his blaster from its holster and holds it hidden behind his left leg, propped on his right. Before Greedo can argue, he fires under the table. No one in Mos Eisley Cantina objects, simply because Solo pays the bartender the fee for clearing the corpse, and walks out the door.

Lucas argued that Greedo shot first, and that Solo "had no choice" but to fire. To back up this claim, in the remastered 1997 release of "A New Hope" it shows Greedo firing before Solo. He siad he wanted to make it clear to children that Solo would not have fired unless attacked. However, fans questioned Greedo missing at such a close range, and argue that by changing the shot, it in turn destroys Solo's morally ambigous character, as well as his transition from anti-her to hero.

Although Solo still makes a drastic change into being a hero, whether or not he was morally ambigous, I feel, is the center of the issue at hand. In the world of Tatooine, and Star Wars 'verse at the time after the fall of the Republic, it was more or less a killed or be killed universe. Solo's lifestyle, before Luke and Leia, was not one that ever allowed for moral actions. He was a smuggler, "reckless mercenary" and debeter to Jabba the Hut. Had he not killed Greedo, he would have surely found himself mounted on Jabba's wall way before the end of "The Empire Strikes Back."

True, changing or tweaking the scene so Han leans left and they fire at the same time changes the character of Solo. however, in the long run it does not change it drastically. Solo is still ambiguous as to where he stands until the end of "A New Hope" and continues developing his cahracter until he is full encased in carbonite. Not to mention the Han Solo Triology written after the films to further delve in his backstory and smuggling days with Chewbecca.

Since returning the scene to its original form in the 2004 release, the phrase "Han shot first" has now become as common as "Frakin' toasters." Even appearing on T-shirts such as this one:

Devoted fans are always willing to forgive and forget Lucas for his edits and tweaks to the films here and there.

Decide for yourself:

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