This fine documentary series provides us with a guided tour along the various sources and origins of British science fiction. It discusses the life and times of the genre's founding fathers, while examining the inspiration behind their main themes. It also discusses their influence on colleagues and successors, over a variety of media. "Founding fathers" may be too reducive here, since the group of visionaries includes women such as Katharine Burdekin, the authoress of the fiercely anti-Nazi "Swastika night".

Episode 2, for instance, deals with the social utopias and dystopias imagined by British science fiction authors like H. G. Wells, Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. (It turns out, strangely enough, that Huxley and Orwell crossed paths at Eton college.) The episode tries to find out why the British excel at this particular discipline. Could the presence of a tenacious class system explain all these preoccupations with social stratification, inequality, group identity and control ? Do people who like to write satire - another British speciality - find it easy to imagine dystopian scenarios ? Or is there something in the water that imbues authors with the right combination of pessimism, creativity and fearlessness ?

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the works being discussed are deeply sombre, dealing with subjects such as the death of nations and civilizations. But no adult can be called fully adult unless he or she is willing to examine harsh truths - and the same goes for literary genres. The unthinkable should be thought, if only for the sake of our collective sanity.

It is said that a good cookbook should not only invite the reader to try out the recipes, but that it should fill the reader with a wider desire to explore the cuisine and culture involved. According to this criterion, "The Martians and us" is a very good cookbook.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The sci-fi genre, short for science fiction, features imaginative and futuristic concepts that are often rooted in scientific principles, technology, and possibilities. These stories delve into "what if" questions and can serve as a platform to address contemporary social, political, and ethical issues by projecting them onto future or alternate settings.

James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Documentary series looking at British science fiction writers and their influence.

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The Martians and Us

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