Science Fiction...or Fact?

This weekend I've been working on a 5000 to 10000-word dark science fiction story for an anthology and I thought I'd share some of my favorite science fiction movies you may have missed. I've restricted these titles to movies you can stream on either popular streaming services or free apps.

Starting in the 80s - Starman - available on HULU and Prime

An alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and makes her drive him across the country. The government tries to stop them.

Directed by the horror master John Carpenter and starring Jeff Bridges before he became insufferable and Karen Allen. This is a heartwarming film that shows what a master Carpenter is behind the camera, no matter the genre.

Staying in the 80s, Schwarzenegger's The Running Man is available on Prime

In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.

From the director of The Cutting Edge, The Running Man takes a Richard Bachman (i.e. Stephen King) short story and gives us an action-packed look into a very dark future where people's fates are decided by the networks.

Jumping to the 90s I offer you one of the greatest Science Fiction movies ever made. I expect everyone to have already seen this classic but if for some reason you've missed it you really should stop down a.s.a.p.

The Fifth Element is available on HULU

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.

One of my favorite directors, Luc Benson, created this incredible world and movie in the late 90s. With a superstar cast including Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, and Chris Tucker this movie has it all action, comedy, a love story, and an ability to show a serious movie with the proper amount of tongue-in-cheek to keep everyone engaged.

Jumping ahead to 2005, one of the most popular video games got a pretty fun, super-violent movie. Doom can be streamed on Netflix

Space Marines are sent to investigate strange events at a research facility on Mars but find themselves at the mercy of genetically enhanced killing machines.

This is a straightforward alien invasion shoot 'em up starring Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, and The Rock (pre-Disney).

Jump ahead a few years and one of my favorite directors jumped into the science fiction genre with Sunshine. You can stream it in HULU.

A team of international astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057.

This is director Danny Boyle's film before he won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire. He tackles the science fiction genre with a stellar cast: Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, and Mark Strong...to name a few.

This last one will be a little harder to find unless you just breakdown and purchase it. One of my favorite movies, period, is Upgrade. You can stream it on the FXNow app or rent/purchase on the regular streaming sites.

Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when the world of Grey, a self-labeled technophobe, is turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant.

Logan Marshall-Green, doing his best Tom Hardy impression, takes center stage as a man who has lost everything and must embrace the one thing he distrusts the most to move forward.

There are of course several obvious classics I haven't included here but there's always a chance they show up in another post.

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I have a story appearing in this anthology. You can get a Kindle copy for $2.99 or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited on January 13th. Paperback version to follow at some point.

Click Here.

Extreme Drabbles of Dread is a collection of bite-sized extreme horror stories.

This is an EXTREME horror collection and will push you to the edge of your limits. This is not for the faint of heart.

You have been warned.

If you like quick little stories meant to make you uncomfortable, scared, and a little offended...give this collection a read. Filled with stories by some of today's top independent horror writers and me. You can read for free with Kindle Unlimited or own it for $1.99. Paperbacks are only $10.99.

Click Here.