Like other genres, sci-fi goes through both ups and downs. For example, there was a time when sci-fi was regarded as the realm of social outcasts seeking a means of escape. Something that can seem rather curious in a present in which sci-fi has become part of the mainstream. For proof, look no further than the sheer number of notable sci-fi movies and TV shows that were produced in recent times.
Chances are good that Star Wars is the first name that people will mention if asked to list some of the most notable sci-fi movies and TV shows to have been made in recent times. However, it is far from being alone in this regard, seeing as how 2017 saw two new installments in two other famous franchises, with one being Blade Runner 2049 and the other being Alien Covenant. With that said, sci-fi has been flourishing not just because of the nostalgia boom but also because of new and innovative franchises that have hit the ground at a run. One excellent example is Netflix’s Stranger Things, while another excellent example is HBO’s Westworld.
Numbers aren’t the sole indication that sci-fi is in something of a boom time for the entire genre. Another indication is the range of sci-fi that can be found out there. For example, there are works such as Star Wars, which has sometimes been called space fantasy by some people because it is not concerned with futuristic technologies so much as exciting adventure stories set in a futuristic-looking setting. In contrast, there are works such as Black Mirror that look at the potential downsides of new advances, which is a tradition that dates all the way back to the founding novel of the sci-fi genre, Frankenstein. Overall, the sheer range of sci-fi works that have proven to be popular is an encouraging sign because it suggests that there is a wide range of people with a wide range of tastes consuming such works, thus strengthening the speculation that we are in something of a renaissance for the genre as a whole.
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