Why Smart Sci-fi Struggles to Find its Audience in a ‘Star Wars’ World

Posted February 20, 2018

External Article: USA Today

Lisa Yaszek, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the USA Today, February 20, article, “Why Smart Sci-fi Struggles to Find its Audience in a ‘Star Wars’ World.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:
 

There’s a renaissance of smart, original science fiction happening in movie theaters. If only the box-office receipts were as impressive. While entertaining space operas like Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy rack up the cash, sci-fi films that tend toward the intellectual — about mankind’s dealings with androids, aliens and technology — just aren’t clicking with mainstream audiences … Not all audiences embrace every kind of sci-fi, according to Lisa Yaszek, professor of science-fiction studies at Georgia Tech. Star Wars movies in particular represent a branch that focuses on humans being the center of the world: “They have more universal challenges. This is very much about the struggles between fathers and sons, quests for love and justice,” she says. 

For the full article, visit the USA Today website.

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