Origin of another species? – Life movie 2017

Out now in cinemas we have the sci-fi movie LIFE. The time it really caught my attention was when I think I saw the trailer at a cinema a few weeks ago when I went to see X-Men spin-off LOGAN.

Suddenly this new sci-fi trailer hit the screens which I had not heard of until that moment (or at least it had not caught my attention in magazines or on the internet). It features a number of well known Hollywood actors including Ryan Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal. It looked pretty good, some very good effects of some kind of space exploration mission and some mysterious new lifeform sample taken begins to dangerously evolve or mutate and grow as they return to Earth.

Of course in this brief but exciting trailer the film did resemble the SF classic ALIEN -many similarities with the spaceship crew, the visual sets and direction and the ominous mysterious alien entity threatening them. This is not at all the first or last film to look like this or display the influence of the Ridley Scott/H R Giger sci-fi/horror franchise.

How many different kinds of hostile aliens can we ever expect to see in movies? It is possibly a sub-genre of science fiction, probably mostly in film. Sometimes it works (very well) and often it is repetitive and derivative. With this new film the alien threat seems quite formless which may represent a number of things.

In the past we have had the Species film series (almost like ALIEN, having a monster designed by the late H R Giger) which though good for the first movie, became mostly predictable and boring with the sequels. It was also to a fair extent playing for cheap titillation and soft nudity thrills with the always very glamorous naked female version of the alien monster. We previously saw this in the 1980’s in the Tobe Hooper sci-fi shlocker Lifeforce (and the alien sexy female was also some kind of space vampire…)

We can probably go as far back as Invasion of the body snatchers and John Carpenter’s The Thing to see the other close influences on LIFE. Either the alien threat captures humans and infects or impregnates them, or like the Species films take on their human form. So while this is no really new vision the return of this kind of hostile alien contact to cinema screens may represent our very current social fears of terrorism and attack from the unknown. We feel the constant threat (thanks to right-wing news media) and their form may take any number of shapes and appearances.

 

James E. Parsons is author of Orbital Kin and Minerva Century now available in paperback, hardback and ebook from Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and other good bookshops internationally. His first horror novel is due published later in 2017.

 

 

To leave Earth-Minerva Century thoughts

The countdown has now begun. There are just weeks until my new science fiction/speculative fiction book Minerva Century is published.

This is a new story which looks at a possible time in future when humankind has left this planet, relocated to another, and we have changed ourselves and where we are, and why we are.

If we were to really leave our Earth, in big numbers-say hundreds or thousands of people at a time, or even more than this-how would we do this, and why would we do it?

There are a number of specific business people and individual corporate entities right now attempting to take small numbers of regular, willing individuals who are will to pay the price on brief journeys into near space with mixed results.

Very many sci-fi tales over more than a century now have considered where mankind might go in outer space, which planets we would make our own first. I would hope to think that I am not a pessimistic person, but what do you think might be the main thing which would finally make us leave this planet? Would we be leaving for good, progressive reasons or actually could it be that some terrible or horrific event or change in global cultures, economies, technologies might provoke us to escape?

The new SF book Minerva Century from James E.Parsons is published at the end of June, in paperback, ebook and hardback from all good booksellers. His first book Orbital Kin is available now.

The ways of space travel…

Now you may have noticed that the new Ridley Scott sci-fi movie The Martian is out in cinemas from last week, it has recieved mostly postive reviews it seems. It is a film adapted from an already quickly respected and well recieved novel from only a few years previous.

I may go and see this flick, as I am both a sci-fi film and Ridley Scott fan equally. This does though now have me thinking about the number of SF movies focused on exploring Mars, the Red Planet. Are there too many of these kinds of movies? Why always Mars?

I understand that this mysterious planet is possibly one of the most close to our own in a number of ways, but should we not consider and explore some the other known planets around us which are regularly ignored and forgotten?

Another question which comes to mind now-are science fiction films becoming far too serious again? This may be due to very interesting continuing research and investigations from NASA and other international space missions and tests, but in some ways I yearn possibly for just a little more fiction and imagination.

I understand also that films such as The Martian, Interstellar and Gravity from the last few years were partly made thanks in some ways due to the ground-breaking filming techniques and camera and CG overlap, allowing effects on screen never previously available to such stunning levels.

Such we still expect aliens and first contact in SF movies on the big screen? Are we just far past that time now?

New Book News…

Right here at the end of summer 2015, I am at the start of the path forward for my new science fiction novel being published. A deal has been made and now the process of editing and design begins over the next few weeks and months.

I can not say too much currently about the book, but I will suggest that it is what some might call ‘space opera’ science fiction, and it is set out in space much further into the future than my previous book Orbital kin.

More news soon, keep watching this blog for updates.

Orbital Kin-my debut SF novel available on amazon uk/.com, Foyles, Waterstones, WH Smith, Play.com and good bookshops in the UK and overseas. Paperback and Ebook.

Into a new year…new tales in space and terror and more…..

This is now 2015. Welcome, and if you were not looking forward to it, or did not wish 2014 to end…well, that is no longer an option. Here we are, and we should look ahead with confidence, commitment, and go forward toward challenges and adventures like we never have in the past.

Does that sound over the top? Unbelievable right now? Even I have to convince myself at times, give myself a nudge, remember that great fiction, art, and more can be produce if we just concentrate and focus. There certainly are many more tales to be told, worlds to be explored and put to page and screen here…

Currently I am finishing the new manuscript for my next science fiction novel. It is fairly different to Orbital Kin, with much more story taking place in the greater future and in space. With luck and time, it will hopefully be published months down the line.

I am then returning to my first horror novel, redrafting and focusing the plot. It is set in the north of the UK, and is a supernatural dark tale.

After that I may go back to the literary novel that I have just about written in first draft.

There may be more short stories and also a new or redesigned website in the months ahead. More details and news about all of those works here over time. 2015 is a new year of tales complete, new tales and more…

ORBITAL KIN: UK SCI-FI FICTION-THEMES…

Second blog post the day before I do a book signing at Trafford Centre WHSmith, Manchester 21st September.

Thinking of the themes contained within the Orbital Kin science fiction novel from 2013, there were many things at the begining of writing all the way through to the end, some new and some older.

There are many things that I think about, some things which trouble or fascinate me which relate and connect to the science fiction genre and this new novel does link to a number of them.

Initially the book focuses on scientific research, experimentation, breakthroughs. In our current modern world these events and happenings are often very curious, sometimes amazing and herald hope for many who need medication, physical help, help from disease, illnesses of many kinds etc.

I also think about how corporations often seem to get too connected to medical and scientific research and how that could be a very good or extremely negative element.

The story looks at the role of Britain in space exploration, how far or much further that might go or have been going. Are we able to do such things when currently much of the population are heading to food banks and unemployment?

The third part of the book explores potential ruin and chaos across the UK, causes by a mystery disease, outbreak or virus. Are we actually safe from these kinds of things? How would we cope-as a society, as individuals, as families or communities?

 

Some of the book observes and explores the difficult balance between science and religion, faith and facts, optimism and tragedy, hope and chaos. If there is life further out there in space, can we reach it, would it allow us to know? Should we make contact? Have we already done so? If we did, would that be the end of us…or the very begining?

 

I am book signing Orbital Kin 21st September (tomorrow) in WHSmith, Trafford Cen. Manchester.