# My theory about bad science fiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-theory-about-bad-science-fiction/443622 "2008-04-02T01:45:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-theory-about-bad-science-fiction/443622/21 "2008-04-02T18:28:46Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Rieux] I disagree. \*No \* fiction is \*\*about \*\* ideas. \*All \* fiction is \*\*about \*\* telling a story. [/QUOTE] You clearly haven’t read any Gernsbackian late '20s early '30s sf. **For Us, the Living** is pretty close to all ideas, no plot or characters also. It has footnotes! In fact lots of early sf had footnotes. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-theory-about-bad-science-fiction/443622/22 "2008-04-02T19:53:04Z")
I remember seeing a list where, if it is present, means there is a 99% chance it is bad scifi. One item was something like “You have no control over where you are going, lost etc.” (Quantum Leap, Lost in Space, Sliders etc.) Another was “finding a place not on Earth and not connected to Earth that is much like Earth but different in some way” Like Land of the Giants mentioned above and many Star Trek episodes. Also, I think another was Aliens defined monolithically (no competing interests, rebels etc) or are defined by one characteristic (almost every Star Trek episode ever made). Anyone ever see that list? Linky? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-theory-about-bad-science-fiction/443622.md?page=1)