# Science Fiction movies about space travel, without aliens. (Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586 "2004-12-13T13:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/1 "2004-12-13T13:10:00Z")
I’ve been trying to make a mental list of sci-fi movies that include space travel of some sort, interplanetary or interstellar, even in a peripheral way, that do not, at some point, include alien life. For purposes of the discussion, I mean _any_ alien life, from microbes on up to humaniods with funny bumps on their foreheads. (Advanced Earth life from the future is a interesting enough exception that we might as well list those, too.) So far, I have an interesting mix of good and bad: Destination Moon Fortress II Outland Bladerunner Gattaca Armageddon Deep Impact I know that’s not a complete list. What have I forgotten (or never seen?) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/2 "2004-12-13T13:45:58Z")
Silent Running ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/3 "2004-12-13T15:07:52Z")
Would ‘Apollo 13’ count? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/4 "2004-12-13T15:19:48Z")
Planet of the Apes 2001 (depending on your interpretation…) The Black Hole Saturn 3 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/5 "2004-12-13T15:41:08Z")
Solaris, or maybe not? There is only _one_ alien in **Dark Star** and it is a very silly one, so could you sneak this in? **Jonathan C** IIRC Apollo 13 is _not_ fiction 🙂 I recommend reading [This Book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671534645/002-3151468-7555257?v=glance) to see just how much they got right in the film. Maybe when they do the sequel they can add some aliens? ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/6 "2004-12-13T15:42:48Z")
Space Cowboys ---
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/7 "2004-12-13T17:10:07Z")
strictly theater release? Or do you count made for tv as well? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/8 "2004-12-13T17:38:46Z")
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun aka Doppelganger. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/9 "2004-12-13T19:24:42Z")
Next year’s _Serenity_, barring a huge surprise from Joss Whedon. It’s based on the show _Firefly_, which didn’t have aliens. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/10 "2004-12-13T23:03:13Z")
The worst sf movie I have ever, ever seen: [Event Horizon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119081/) God, it took a google search for me to recall the title… it was so bad I blocked it from my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/11 "2004-12-13T23:28:32Z")
TV shows count? If so, Red Dwarf as well as the aforementioned Firefly. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/12 "2004-12-13T23:29:33Z")
I think it’d be an interesting debate whether _Apollo 13_ counts as science fiction. I mean, part of me says that it’s obviously not, but part of me says, damn, that’s some good science fiction. 🙂 > [@rabbit](#): > > strictly theater release? Or do you count made for tv as well? Feature releases, only, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/13 "2004-12-13T23:48:13Z")
Heinlein’s _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ Weber’s entire Honor Harrington series (start with _On Basilisk Station_) Anne McCaffrey _The Ship who Sang_ (I think there aren’t any aliens) Yeesh, that’s all I can think of without looking at my bookshelves. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/14 "2004-12-13T23:49:45Z")
Holy cow, I completely missed the part about **movies**! Sorry, nevermind, nothing to see here, move along… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/15 "2004-12-13T23:50:25Z")
Um, **Jules,** sweetie, wouldja do me a favor and check your DVD rack instead? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/16 "2004-12-13T23:53:28Z")
OK Poddy, but it’s full of cowboy movies! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/17 "2004-12-14T00:16:55Z")
Dune All the alien like people are really just engineered or spice inhanced earth humans. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/18 "2004-12-14T00:18:00Z")
> [@TitoBenito](#): > > Dune > > All the alien like people are really just engineered or spice inhanced earth humans. Oh crap, the worms were aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/19 "2004-12-14T02:00:48Z")
> [@Cowgirl Jules](#): > > OK Poddy, but it’s full of cowboy movies! 😃 I’m wracking my brain to come up with a space movie, with cowboys, without aliens . . . ---
**Author:** ![phaishazamkhan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@phaishazamkhan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phaishazamkhan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586/20 "2004-12-14T02:02:28Z")
Well it depends if the OP was referring to sentient aliens or non-sentient aliens. Dune is definitely a story about humans and space travel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-movies-about-space-travel-without-aliens-spoilers/279586.md?page=2)