Comic science fiction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Science fiction and Comedy
Comic science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that exploits the genre's conventions for comic effect. Comic science fiction often mocks or satirizes standard SF conventions like alien invasion of earth, interstellar travel, or futuristic technology.
Early pulp science fiction contained few comic stories. A notable exception was the Pete Manx series by Henry Kuttner and Arthur K. Barnes (sometimes writing together and sometimes separately, under the house pen-name of Kelvin Kent). Published in Thrilling Wonder Stories in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the series featured a time-traveling carnival barker who uses his con-man abilities to get out of trouble. Two later series cemented Kuttner's reputation as one of the most popular, early writers of comic science fiction: the Gallegher series (about a drunken inventor and his narcissistic robot) and the Hogben series (about a family of mutant hillbillies). The former appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1943 and 1948 and was collected in hardcover as Robots Have No Tails (Gnome, 1952), and the latter appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories in the late 1940s.
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[edit] Examples
[edit] Literary
- Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and related novels
- Robert Asprin's Phule series
- Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan novels
- Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat novels
- Stanislaw Lem's novel Cyberiad and his Ijon Tichy stories.
- Most of Ron Goulart's work
- Kurt Vonnegut's novel The Sirens of Titan, and most of his work
[edit] Films
- Dark Star (1974)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- Men in Black (1997)
- The Pink Chiquitas (1987)
- Spaceballs (1987)
- The Ice Pirates (1984)
[edit] Computer and video games
- Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles (2003–2007)
- Giants: Citizen Kabuto
- Ratchet and Clank series
- Space Quest series
- Leather Goddesses of Phobos
[edit] Television
1985 1990 2000 / / / .--############|----.--- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999) .--############|----.--- Red Dwarf (1988–1999) .----|----.######---.--- 3rd Rock From The Sun (1996–2001) .----|----.---#####-.--# Futurama (1999–2003, 2008-) .----|----.----|##--.#-- Invader Zim (2001-2002, 2006)
Considerable mention should be made in this section in regards to japanese animated science fiction comedy. There are a considerable number of works which would easily fit this description.
Anime Science Fiction Comedy: -Tenchi Muyo! series -FLCL -Martian Successor Nadesico -Blue Seed
[edit] Web comics
- Starslip Crisis (2005–present)
- Schlock Mercenary (2000–present)
- Jump Leads (2007-present)
[edit] Radio drama
- Canadia 2056 (2007-present)
[edit] Multiple media
- Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (radio, printed novels, TV series, feature film, etc.)