The movie Fantastic Voyage could be considered classic science fiction. Considering that it was made back in 1966 it was quite remarkable for its special effects, which were made without using modern technology.  It is about a journey through the human body in which made people were miniaturized in a submarine called the Proteus.  It is truly an amazing adventure. Movie critics have sometimes underrated it, although it did receive some awards in its time. I like science fiction which is like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells stories and I think it is much more creative and of better quality than than modern films such as The Terminator and The Matrix.  If you have never seen Fantastic Voyage the movie it is well worth watching— especially on Blu-ray disc, which shows the film at its best.

Do you like the models that were used in older science fiction?  I don’t always like it that they are replaced with the modern CGI technology.  Sometimes the models look more artistic to me than the computerized effects, although some people believe that the modern technology makes and TV shows look more real.  The technology makes it easier to create the effects, but perhaps the old way of making movies and TV shows was more creative. I am not always a realist in what I like.  I liked the models used in the original Star Trek of the 1960’s and Gerry Anderson’s puppet shows.  It was probably the best model work made for television.

I just watched the 1960 film version of The Time Machine again and I was even more pleased with the artistic beauty of the movie than than with previous viewings. The movie did not use modern technology, but it looks great on my screen.  Today’s science fiction often doesn’t have the artistic appeal that the older movies had.  And the science fiction films of that time were often based on better stories such as the fantasies of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. The 1959 film of Journey to the Center of the Earth also looks quite primitive now, but it is still very entertaining to watch with its dated special effects and interesting story. 🙂

I like a lot of Asimov, and some Larry Niven as well. And I did enjoy the original Dune although I find the sequels and prequels somewhat messy and depressing for my taste.

I haven't read any of Le Guin's scifi yet. I have started in on her fantasy, though.

@silverlily 

I liked the original Dune books better than the movie made in the 1980’s.  The movie was rather boring and very tiresome to watch. The TV miniseries made about ten years later wasn’t too bad since it had a better story adaptation, although the books were better.  I never cared much for Isaac Asimov’s books perhaps because they are somewhat technical, but many other people do like them. I liked Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey since it was like real space travel (especially the film). H. G. Wells and Jules Verne are among my favorite science fiction authors.

Some of the Star Trek fan videos look more like the old classic science fiction than the modern genre. I like it when they use old fashioned animation. The videos also have the modern CGI effects, but the ships of the Federation often resemble the Enterprise of the original Star Trek with some modifications. This gives the videos a rather classic appearance.

We were watching six episodes of a Star Wars movie about Obi-Kenobi's life, before he died in Star Wars IV, A new hope, on Disney channel, concerning Princess Leia at the age of 10, & also her twin brother, Luke. It is one of several available at the moment. Other such movie series include The Mandalorian, whilst, so far, there is another on Boba Fett. 

It is a rather predictable movie when we know nobody will be killed when that would contradict all the movies already made.  

I have been rewatching the old children’s series Land of the Lost series from the 1970’s.  Although today it is considered “cheesy” and ridiculous for its dated special effects I think some of the stories are actually quite good.  They were written by Star Trek authors such as David Gerrold and Margaret Armen. The show always reminded me of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World with stories about dinosaurs living a world preserved in time.  I thought the show had some interesting concepts.  I liked it so much that I bought all three seasons.  🙂

I am rewatching Sliders which starred Jerry O’ Connell and John Rhys-Davies.  I loved this series so much that I bought all five seasons of it.  The first three seasons of it are the best.  After the Professor left there was a drop in quality, although I think it is still worth watching the complete series.  The characters I like the best are the Professor and Quinn Mallory, although the others are mostly excellent too.  If you like stories about interdimensional travel you will love this series.  🙂

I also enjoyed Sliders and purchased the DVD set. Multiverse themes in TV and movies were uncommon then, and I liked the way the series approached it. I agree that the series dropped in quality after the Professor left.

I haven't watched it for a while, but an episode I liked was the first season's "Eggheads," in which intellectuals were held in higher esteem than athletes. Quinn participates in an interesting contest that is like Jeopardy meets American Ninja Warrior. He runs into trouble due to what his counterpart native to that universe has done before (throwing a contest due to gambling debts).

@stargazer 

I think John Rhys-Davies had said that there were plans to remake Sliders.  I don’t know if it will ever happen, but it is hard to imagine someone else playing the Professor and Quinn Mallory.  Still, it would be great if science fiction like that would return as a movie or television series.

I have been enjoying Night Gallery on DVD, and occasionally there are stories about other worlds such as The Different Ones, although most of the tales are about hauntings by ghosts and other creatures. I think this thread can include fantasy as well as science fiction.  They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar is one of the best in the series. Lone Survivor is great story about someone who escaped from the Titanic to travel to other doomed ships for the rest of his life.  I think Night Gallery had some wonderful eerie tales. It began its first year as a part time series after the pilot film was made and became full time in its second year. The third year was only about a half season before it was cancelled. It had an unfortunate end for a series that was so well conceived, although it had some very fine episodes. 🙁