Science Fiction

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This magazine is aimed at fans and creators of sci-fi and related media of all kinds. It includes all content related to the sci-fi genre and only content related to the sci-fi genre. The goal is to build a community for everyone who enjoys science fiction and related topics. This includes the obvious books, movies, and TV shows, but also original writing, the discussion of writing SF, futuristic art and designs, and the science and technologies that inspire the sci-fi genre. **Team Top 20**

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“The Marvels” and the Paradox of the Superhero Franchise (www.newyorker.com)

submitted 1 year ago by inkican@kbin.social to c/scifi@kbin.social

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How did a genre rooted in weirdness and wonder become a byword for the normative, the familiar, and the mundane?

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[–] Skavau@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Was it ever that weird? I feel Superhero fiction has always been for teenagers and kids primarily. What separates it that much from Tokusatsu, barring MA-twists where characters aren't really superheroes?

[–] snooggums@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

There are also a ton of comics aimed at adults, and I do not mean porn or violence. Just themes that are more in depth than simple heroes save the world stuff.

Plus most of what you are thinking of as for teenagers and kids is just aimed at all ages. The fact that we think being straightforward and without sex or gore is primarily for kids says a lot about us and not who is creating the comics.

[–] Skavau@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wasn't specifically referring to gore or violence, but themes - and I wasn't referring to comics specifically, just the bulk of superhero media. There have been some revisionist examples of superhero settings that take an established character and place them in a different context, with more adult HBO-esque themes. But the bulk of the many repeated releases for film every year don't seem to be of that nature.

[–] snooggums@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The blockbusters don't, but there have been adult or at least mature superhero movies around forever and not just existing popular characters in new settings. I think you are limiting 'superhero' to a specific subset that excludes anything that would not be aimed at kids.

Do you see Kick Ass as a superhero movie?

Darkman?

The Crow?

Constantine?