Advice on sci-fi screenplays to read

[jdef75]

@ Dr Vergerus:

Well I think you're on the right track with the scripts you've mentioned:
Alien, Aliens, Starship Troopers etc...

And the other screenplays mentioned in this thread are all excellent sci fi works.

But don't worry so much about techno babble, instead look for the ways in which the writers elevated the material through theme, satire (Starship Troopers is so much more than Soldiers versus Bugs) and the creative subversion of genre conventions.

James Cameron in particular has a special genius that allows him to capture the contemporary zeitgeist in his films. Unlike many other filmmakers, no matter how old he gets, Cameron always seems to have his finger on the collective pulse of the movie going public. Aliens was written with a very distinct motif that resonated in the 80s.

BTW I think your english is great, you express yourself well, especially given that english is your second language. But I understand your need to read more to gain confidence.

[Dr. Vergerus]

Well... thanks! I worked in England for a couple of years, and I try to watch American films and tv in English as much as I can -here in Spain it's usually dubbed- so I can keep improving. But I know that I still lack vocabulary to craft vivid visual descriptions and striking dialogue. I'll keep working at it.

Thank you all for your suggestions, guys! I think it's enough for now; I'm actually working on a concept that has nothing to do with my initial monsters in space aim, but ideas have that funny way to show up when you're taking a shower or washing the car. It's more of a hard sci-fi idea, up to a point where it becomes...something else. It's the kind of idea that would drag me to the theater even if the weather that night was lousy and I had to wait in line while it rained, so I'm quite pleased with it. Now, a great concept doesn't mean necessarily a great story, so that's the point where I'm at: figuring out what the story is. Ah...exciting days.

Cheers!

[dangerouscreenwriter]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vergerus

Would you people be so kind to recommend me some sci-fi screenplays to read? I'm about to start a sci-fi project and need to learn some vocabulary and get a feel for the genre. I'm thinking of reading:

-Alien
-Aliens
-Pitch Black
-Event Horizon
-Battlestar Galactica teleplays
-Starship Troopers

Late to thread, but you could also try...

Dark City
Super 8
District 9
The Days Before
Knowing
Sunshine

They all have instances of odd tech.