Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Science Fiction Non-Fiction: Robert C. Cooper (Stargate Universe) II

"It's kind of like getting on a cruise ship. You're not steering the ship. Every once in a while it stops in a port and you can get out and explore, but you only have a limited amount of time before you have to get on board and it moves on. You're not in control of that and there's something very interesting about that to us."
 
-Robert Cooper on the new direction of the Stargate franchise with Stargate Universe and the Destiny (SciFiNow #25, p.57)-



I love the race-against-the-clock element added to Stargate Universe. It offers another level of intensity and jeopardy to the survivors lost in space. I'm reminded of that splendid device implemented to great effect for Lost Season Two complete with the grocery checkout sound effect. John Locke and the survivors on the island knew it was essential to punch in the code to the computer or something terrible would happen. It amped up the anxiety and tension of an already tense situation.



Stargate Universe succeeds in that regard here as well, perhaps with less mystery. I mean if the clock runs out the ship will in fact leave you behind on a strange planet. And that's never good.

2 comments:

Dan Heaton said...

I also love that part of SGU and how they're always trying to figure out what they can do within the time. I'm going to do a series on SGU in a little while and can't wait to check it out again from the beginning.

SFF said...

Gosh, I know it. Such a solid science fiction series.