James Cameron Tells the Story of Science Fiction

James Cameron's new series telling the 'Story of Science Fiction' through questions about key themes of the genre launches tonight on AMC at 10pm ET with 'Aliens,' the episode that asks Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, and others "what can aliens teach us about ourselves?"

Future episodes include questions about 'Space,' 'Monsters,' 'Dark Futures,' 'Intelligent Machines,' and 'Time Travel.'

AMC says "...this documentary series explores the evolution of sci-fi from its origins as a small genre with a cult following to the blockbuster pop-cultural phenomenon we know today. In each episode, James Cameron introduces one of the “Big Questions” that humankind has contemplated throughout the ages and reaches back into sci-fi’s past to better understand how our favorite films, TV shows, books, and video games were born, Cameron and his contemporaries – Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and many more who have helped fuel sci-fi’s spectacular growth over the last several decades – debate the merits, meanings, and impacts of the films and novels that influenced them and discuss where the genre — and our species — might be going in the future."

Crowd Control: A Crowdsourced Science Fiction Novel

With the help of a few hundred of their readers contributing to the process, CNET has just released its first installment of Crowd Control: Heaven Makes a Killing, their crowdsourced science fiction novel.

The work, produced under a Creative Commons license, was developed using one Google Docs file that was accessed by all the contributors. The current version of Crowd Control comes in at approximately 50,000 words, and is considered a work-in-progress. 

Crowd Control takes us to Earth Version EB-2 in 2051.

The moment that would come to define the relationship of two planets across two universes was based on a lie.

"So, you're telling us that you know God? You're saying you've spoken to God, essentially?"

The host sat leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, speaking slowly, wanting to be sure to get the phrasing just right to prevent the evasive answer she anticipated.

"Sure, I know God very well," the tall woman said nonchalantly, leaning forward in response. She turned her head and shot a grin at the TV camera. Her smile telegraphed complete confidence but also betrayed a bit of mischievousness to anyone paying close attention.

"I mean, it doesn't actually call itself God, but I can assure you it is the Creator we talk about when we talk about God, or Allah or Brahma or Yahweh. Many names, same intelligent designer of everything."

Like all good lies, this one was designed to be applied broadly.

CNET has the original draft posted online "for anyone to take from or build upon."