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A product of my time
Oct. 7th, 2014 06:49 pmOne of my many guilty pleasures is "'70s futures" - the aesthetic of the sci-fi of my youth. (Thus, while Star Wars technically takes place "long ago", it totally counts.) Some people, either in homage to or continuing to work in settings dating from that time, still make things that look like that (often with computers rather than actually building the models, sets, pyrotechnics, etc) and I'm often tickled when I see it.
The spaceships are, if not clearly derived from/inspired by Apollo-era NASA hardware, nakedly industrial and practical in design; the robots are likely to be the same, boxes with tool arms and a single camera "eye", though there's still a good chance of seeing the gleaming chromed humanoids from the previous generation, or the android that appears perfectly human until damage reveals its sparking wires or the electronic "face" under its false one. The computer displays are small and monochrome (with distinct CRT scan lines), while the consoles are large and covered with colorful lights and buttons and rocker or toggle switches. Even portable devices - sensors, communicators - are rarely smaller than a book or a salt shaker. Mechanisms built into the walls dispense "space food" in various odd colors and/or textures, few of them particularly appetizing.
While men may be clean shaven (and intellectuals are more likely to be), mustaches, beards and even sideburns are common. Women tend to go for either practical bobs or elaborate hairstyles. Jumpsuits, bellbottoms, and dress shirts with wide lapels are the order of the day. Sidearms are usually laser guns of some sort; some produce visible bolts or beams, but many simply flash at the business end and the target falls back with a charred spot and a burst of sparks. Spacesuits are always large and bulky, often semi-rigid, with big facebowl helmets.
And sometimes there's a red star or hammer and sickle on something. Because the Soviet Union is always going to be around, especially in space, right?
The spaceships are, if not clearly derived from/inspired by Apollo-era NASA hardware, nakedly industrial and practical in design; the robots are likely to be the same, boxes with tool arms and a single camera "eye", though there's still a good chance of seeing the gleaming chromed humanoids from the previous generation, or the android that appears perfectly human until damage reveals its sparking wires or the electronic "face" under its false one. The computer displays are small and monochrome (with distinct CRT scan lines), while the consoles are large and covered with colorful lights and buttons and rocker or toggle switches. Even portable devices - sensors, communicators - are rarely smaller than a book or a salt shaker. Mechanisms built into the walls dispense "space food" in various odd colors and/or textures, few of them particularly appetizing.
While men may be clean shaven (and intellectuals are more likely to be), mustaches, beards and even sideburns are common. Women tend to go for either practical bobs or elaborate hairstyles. Jumpsuits, bellbottoms, and dress shirts with wide lapels are the order of the day. Sidearms are usually laser guns of some sort; some produce visible bolts or beams, but many simply flash at the business end and the target falls back with a charred spot and a burst of sparks. Spacesuits are always large and bulky, often semi-rigid, with big facebowl helmets.
And sometimes there's a red star or hammer and sickle on something. Because the Soviet Union is always going to be around, especially in space, right?
