What I hate about modern science fiction

[Cogwulf]

DNA.

Just about every mainstream science fiction film/tv show/whatever I can think of from recent years uses altered DNA to explain superpowers, whether it's through laziness or obsessiveness, writers nowadays seem incapable of original explanations.
The fantastic four had their DNA altered by cosmic rays, the characters in Heroes have mutated DNA, in the new Hulk film the hulk inherited modified DNA from his father.
It was fine to do this years ago, but now it's a cliché which has gone far beyond the end of it's life [/rant]

 

[Rain]

DNA.

Just about every mainstream science fiction film/tv show/whatever I can think of from recent years uses altered DNA to explain superpowers, whether it's through laziness or obsessiveness, writers nowadays seem incapable of original explanations.
The fantastic four had their DNA altered by cosmic rays, the characters in Heroes have mutated DNA, in the new Hulk film the hulk inherited modified DNA from his father.
It was fine to do this years ago, but now it's a cliché which has gone far beyond the end of it's life [/rant]

How about if it wasn't really superpowers? If the ancient etruscans had the ability to morph into wolves? Purely as a natural endowment of course. Sadly, the etruscans were before even the Romans, a bit in the earlier days of the Romans but little else. This just adds to the intrigue no? Since so little is known of them, aside from their heavy influence on Romanic culture.

 

[RubberDucky451]

I hate the lack of storyline in modern sci fi. I would have liked the matrix more if it had more story and less action.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

What's worse is that they don't even thing about it, for example the Hulk's ability to increase his mass and withstand sustained fire from 50.cal AP rounds and even survive being hit with the occasional high explosive or two. Simply, biological materials can not do that, heck even if the hulk was made of solid titanium he would still suffer mortal wounds from such forces.
The "it's genetics" excuse raises exponentially more questions than it solves.

Btw, why are only the bad guys Transhumanists? (mostly)
I want more of this: http://urbandream.deviantart.com/art/Sanakan-and-cibo-50066774

 

[Firehazard159]

Btw, why are only the bad guys Transhumanists? (mostly)

Is it really like that? Maybe I'm just too new to the genre, but in my exploration of the superhero world, good guys either just want to live 'normal' lives or they want to improve themselves through hard work / standard means.

Bad guys usually want to skip ahead, usually at the expense of others. Which, comes off as transhumanism on the surface, but in reality is a little different. Transhumanists want to skip ahead still, but not so much so badly that they're willing to hurt / destroy others to get there, nor do they want to use the power they gain from it, for destructive purposes. In other words, their power gain appears transhumanist, but the means are usually harmful, and so is the end result.

I'm not sure I was very clear, and I could be entirely wrong, but there's what I'm thinking ^_^

 

[Anthile]

Hmm, I tried to subvert this trope in my Ceres 9 RPG where something like super endurable and strong soldiers do exist (due to DNA engineering) but their natural lifespan is only somewhere between 20 and 30 years and after the war they sue the medical corporations into oblivion. After that, DNA manipulation is mostly banned and only used to fight genetic disease. It is clearly stated that the DNA is not a LEGO kit and that humans can just get stronger or smarter without paying a high price. However, there is still a lively black market for that kind of stuff.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

@-Firehazard159
It just seems anything that makes a character less human such as additional limbs/abilities automatically makes them evil, often nothing more than the mere presence of self modifications is excuse enough for the character to be behaviourally less human.

Examples:
CyberneticsEatYourSoul
TranshumanTreachery
SpiderLimbs

 

[Firehazard159]

Oh, you're talking more physical than philosophical, or whatever the term would be. I can see that, then.

My post feels silly now

^sad face should not = bawling face. : ' ( should be bawling, : ( should be sad -_- haha.

 

[Anthile]

DNA.

Just about every mainstream science fiction film/tv show/whatever I can think of from recent years uses altered DNA to explain superpowers, whether it's through laziness or obsessiveness, writers nowadays seem incapable of original explanations.
The fantastic four had their DNA altered by cosmic rays, the characters in Heroes have mutated DNA, in the new Hulk film the hulk inherited modified DNA from his father.
It was fine to do this years ago, but now it's a cliché which has gone far beyond the end of it's life [/rant]

Actually, how else would give a character super-powers? It's actually very limited.


-Power through SCIENCE aka science is evil but not if you happen to be American:

a.) Either cosmic rays, ominous particles or other weird phenomena. Mostly due to accidents. Lightning is just fine.

b.) Technological enhancement. If it happens to be artificial limbs expect lots of fauxlosophical rambling about "loss of humanity".

c.) DNA manipulation, super serums and other artificial stimulations. "What man was never meant to be/see/do" - expect to die a horrible death.


-Power through MAGIC aka "How it works, you ask? Just fine."

a.) The power is granted by a higher being. Alien, god or other magical beings like fairies, dragons or witches. Mostly the hero is in debt of said being or has been chosen to fight monsters of the week.

b.) It's in the blood. The hero has actually never been (fully) human to begin with and kicks ass just because of his awesome heritage. Expect such characters to be at least a bit arrogant and in the worst case to be outright racist.

c.) The protagonist finds a mystic artifact that does awesome stuff. Related to a.).

-Power through TRAINING aka "You can achieve everything if you just believe hard enough. Including magic."

a.) Training from hell. The character has to do sheer impossible tasks that he or she mostly just survives because the plot says so. Expect training montages. This goes through all genres, from martial arts and science over to the arcane arts.

b.) Survival. Related to a.), the protagonist goes through training from hell but forced from the outside and never had a choice to just live a normal life. Expect lots of angst.


Also, remember kids: ambition is evil and being dumb is good!

 

[Cogwulf]

What's worse is that they don't even thing about it, for example the Hulk's ability to increase his mass and withstand sustained fire from 50.cal AP rounds and even survive being hit with the occasional high explosive or two. Simply, biological materials can not do that, heck even if the hulk was made of solid titanium he would still suffer mortal wounds from such forces.
The "it's genetics" excuse raises exponentially more questions than it solves.

Btw, why are only the bad guys Transhumanists? (mostly)
I want more of this: http://urbandream.deviantart.com/art/Sanakan-and-cibo-50066774

The Hulk isn't as bad as things like Heroes where a small DNA mutation supposedly makes it possible to draw a massive amount of energy from nowhere, at least the Hulk had radiation to explain the energy he requires

 

[Agent Intellect]

I think the worst part about the DNA explanation for superpowers is when the endowed hero 'loses' their power. If it's genetic, then I'm curious as to how one can lose the 'power' phenotype, whether it be the color of your hair, the size of your nose, or your ability to hurl fireballs at someone with a gene that somehow allows them to "steal" other peoples powers. Is their power some sort of gene therapy or horizontal gene transfer?

Edit - this was sort of a rant against the show Hero's, which I've come to dislike, but it can apply to pretty much any sci-fi that fits my complaint (I know Spiderman did it, too)

 

[Jesin]

This isn't really all science fiction you're complaining about, it's just superhero-type shows.

It used to be nuclear radiation that did this. GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke.

 

[merzbau]

my vote goes to the well-worn "government & alien conspiracy" theme.. yawwwn..

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

Aliens described as reptilian or insectoid. Worse yet, humanoid.

 

[Sapphire Harp]

If a science fiction story is drawing on genetic engineering, it seems fair to me that it could realistically incorporate whatever developments we've seen in nature, and then a little bit... And there are some impressive feats out there... I think some insects and arachnids are far stronger than humans on a pound for pound scale... (well, nanogram to nanogram.)

For that reason, I appreciate the original notion of spider-man... but the years of storylines and having to compete with the villains who were added in, the powers of spider-man have gotten progressively more ridiculous... And, of course, he's got advanced protection from his name and marketability... which really kills any chance of actual risk.

Any heroically advanced or developed individual ought to die fairly... but they never do. *Sad*

By the by... you know what comes after genetic engineering as the explanation, right? Nanotechnology and quantum technologies. Check out Dan Simmon's Illium if you want a taste of the next generation of rationalizations. And it's good - definitely one of my favorite novels.
​

 

[ntfbfi]

Don't forget about mutatioin in fantastic four. I believe altering DNA do carry out a certain changes yet most of the ideas of the movies do turn it into a joke.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

@-Firehazard159
It just seems anything that makes a character less human such as additional limbs/abilities automatically makes them evil, often nothing more than the mere presence of self modifications is excuse enough for the character to be behaviourally less human.

Examples:
CyberneticsEatYourSoul
TranshumanTreachery
SpiderLimbs

I just lost an hour (and counting!) to this website. It's a whole lot better than I remember it being- maybe because I never got into the sci/fi and superpowers section before.

 

[Scourgexlvii]

my problem is not when they use DNA as a cure-all to create a simple origin for characters, but instead when they try to make it seem like something new. I don't mind re-used concepts, so long as the storyline is done well, and is relatively original, but I like it when they try and propose Heroes as something new, when it was done over-and-over before, and is essentially X-men in its basic form (People with mutated DNA gain powers impossible to receive organically, and being attempted to be controlled to stop catastrophe (a somewhat altered Days of Futures Past Rehash) I'm sure there are other examples, but I really stopped watching after the first season, because I didn't give a damn anymore)

 

[Architectonic]

They should change the name of the genre from science fiction to science fantasy.