@Draugnar I agree that Trek is more fantasy than fiction, but the line between the 2 is more of a spectrum and where to draw it depends who you talk to.

I draw the line with the tech. Any tech that gets a nickname like 'Treknology' because it isn't even internally consistent becomes science fantasy. In Trek, the tech is a Deus Ex Machina and, as such, is made up to meet the writers' needs of the moment.

Old fashioned scifi had less technology to fantasise with, more human ethics and better fundamental imagination. They were shooting in the dark and tended to try to foresee the impact on human society as they knew it (and only 3rd world people know it today).

Captain Nemo (Verne) is outstanding as an example of misplaced faith in technological advancement.; Frankenstein was intended the same way, from a female writers point of view; what about the time machine (Verne again if i remember correctly?), or that bloody thing with the big yoke with the spindly legs and the death ray from another planet wot caught a mysterious disease and yet did humanity learn its lesson?
Asimov is nothing but a show off futurist who had inside knowledge of hard scientific progress before most. His Robot morals are full of dull and obvious assumptions.

I hope you are right, but that will be for the future to decide. As far as effecting present society, I would have to say 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The atomic sub fleet effects society in ways you wouldn't belive, and few realize. While being the worlds most convincing diplomacy, and coverning International society as a whole.

So that would include all stories with FTL, worm holes,and etc techs? In that case that should include positronic brains.

Firefly, because it actually told a story with real relevance, and because it was just that epic.

Sigh. Now I need to go rewatch Firefly. *tear*

@theVerve That was HG Wells with the Time Machine and War of the Worlds.

I have no problem with wormholes, FTL or other technology so long as it isn't twisted differently every time to meet the author's needs.

It's an interesting contrast with Wells verse Verne. Verne tried to stay with what was known or projected techs. Wells made most of his techs up, as Draugnar states, for Deus Ex Machina.

Yes, i've had a few pints, warspite, thank you.

Never heard of Firefly.

Look at this from wikipedia about Verne:

In 1863, Jules Verne wrote a novel called Paris in the 20th Century about a young man who lives in a world of glass skyscrapers, high-speed trains, gas-powered automobiles, calculators, and a worldwide communications network, yet cannot find happiness and comes to a tragic end. Hetzel thought the novel's pessimism would damage Verne's then booming career, and suggested he wait 20 years to publish it. Verne put the manuscript in a safe, where it was discovered by his great-grandson in 1989. It was published in 1994.

Wow. Mid 19th century.

@Draugnar I prefer those type of stories also, but fewer people read those stories(unfortunity) thus have a less of an impact on general society.

I guess Jules Verne's pessimism led him to overlook the possibilities offered by science through the development of psychiatric drug lifestyle enhancement!

@Warsprite - you're probably right. I should think everyone's seen Star Trek in one form or another and yes, it must have inspired many many people. However, anyone who saw Star Trek (TOS) the first time round would have been prep'd for it by Gerry Anderson's puppet series - Super Car, Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds especially had a WOW factor that really got your attention. I don't know how it was shown in the 'States or elsewhere, but over here in the UK it was originally shown on a Thursday night in adult viewing time! - it was *that* ground-breaking.

And never forget that Star Trek (TOS) was *followed* by the real-life Apollo missions. I would say that this real science and endeavour was more inspirational to my generation, but that's not what you asked.

Yes Verne had great unstanding of the down and up sides of technology. Maybe he had used Wells time machine? Did he not also had a story about a Great War?

In the time it too me to type that there were 14 other posts.

They should really have a live stream chat room on this site, what's the point in putting everything on the board - maybe we should start a thread about a chatroom?

http://stagevu.com/video/sfppvhrhykch

Link to Divx for Jules Verne's Master of the world, starring Charles Bronson!

@ Speaker I think you did respond to the question. When I watched it in the 60s the network kept trying to kill it. Puting it late in the evening or up against top rated shows. I had fight with my sister who wanted watch Disney on Sunday eves one year.

@Warsprite - Jeez you're even older than I am!

@Verve Don't rub it in.

I put my chatroom thread up, interested to see if any admins comment...

"Never heard of Firefly."

I weep for you. I don't even know how to explain how awesome Firefly is. I've seen most "really good" TV shows. I watched the Star Trek franchise start to finish. I was a huge fan of Arrested Development. I've seen every episode of Battlestar Galactica multiple times.

If you added up those three shows and combined it into one, epic show, it would not come close to achieving the brilliance of the short lived 14 episode run that Firefly had. Firefly tops almost every single "Canceled before its time" list there is, and fan reaction was so intense when it was cancelled, they did a follow up movie, Serenity.

The long story short is this: Firefly failed because of one reason, and one reason alone: FOX. Just like they did with every show that required a modicum of intelligence to digest, (Arrested Development, Terminator: TSCC, or just see http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/08/the_20_greatest_shows_canceled_by_fox_before_their.php) they stuck it on Friday nights, and watched it dither into the night. What's more, they only aired 11 out of the 14 episodes, and aired them out of order, which for Firefly, was a huge problem.

Like they did with the first Star Trek. Inspite having a large fan base that included scientist and enginers.

Ahh, I do recall enjoying Serenity, quite original.
I'm not a TV owner so I miss these kinds of events.

Firefly was quite simply AWESOME.

I agree I enjoyed watching that show.

BSG>Firefly

Would've been interesting to see where Firefly would've gone if it had lasted longer than half a season, though. I think the *real* reason it got cancelled is that the show suggested that there are many circumstances where killing a police officer is entirely reasonable and justifiable - an idea that probably didn't meet with favor in the penthouse offices of the network that gave birth to COPS.

Perhaps in part. Fox just seems like killing any innovative shows that encourage thought. A thinking audience might kill their news show.