Excavating the Future
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EXCAVATING THE FUTURE Liverpool Science Fiction Texts and Studies, 57 Liverpool Science Fiction Texts and Studies Editor David Seed, University of Liverpool Editorial Board Mark Bould, University of the West of England Veronica Hollinger, Trent University Rob Latham, University of California Roger Luckhurst, Birkbeck College, University of London Patrick Parrinder, University of Reading Andy Sawyer, University of Liverpool Recent titles in the series 34. Mike Ashley Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazine from 1970–1980 35. Patricia Kerslake Science Fiction and Empire 36. Keith Williams H. G. Wells, Modernity and the Movies 37. Wendy Gay Pearson, Veronica Hollinger and Joan Gordon (eds.) Queer Universes: Sexualities and Science Fiction 38. John Wyndham (eds. David Ketterer and Andy Sawyer) Plan for Chaos 39. Sherryl Vint Animal Alterity: Science Fiction and the Question of the Animal 40. Paul Williams Race, Ethnicity and Nuclear War: Representations of Nuclear Weapons and Post-Apocalyptic Worlds 41. Sara Wasson and Emily Alder, Gothic Science Fiction 1980–2010 42. David Seed (ed.), Future Wars: The Anticipations and the Fears 43. Andrew M. Butler, Solar Flares: Science Fiction in the 1970s 44. Andrew Milner, Locating Science Fiction 45. Joshua Raulerson, Singularities 46. Stanislaw Lem: Selected Letters to Michael Kandel (edited, translated and with an introduction by Peter Swirski) 47. Sonja Fritzsche, The Liverpool Companion to World Science Fiction Film 48. Jack Fennel: Irish Science Fiction 49. Peter Swirski and Waclaw M. Osadnik: Lemography: Stanislaw Lem in the Eyes of the World 50. Gavin Parkinson (ed.), Surrealism, Science Fiction and Comics 51. Peter Swirski, Stanislaw Lem: Philosopher of the Future 52. J. P. Telotte and Gerald Duchovnay, Science Fiction Double Feature: The Science Fiction Film as Cult Text 53. Tom Shippey, Hard Reading: Learning from Science Fiction 54. Mike Ashley, Science Fiction Rebels: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1981 to 1990 55. Chris Pak, Terraforming: Ecopolitical Transformations and Environmentalism in Science Fiction 56. Lars Schmeink, Biopunk Dystopias: Genetic Engineering, Society, and Science Fiction EXCAVATING THE FUTURE Archaeology and Geopolitics in Contemporary North American Science Fiction Film and Television SHAWN MAlleY LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY PRESS First published 2018 by Liverpool University Press 4 Cambridge Street Liverpool L69 7ZU Copyright © 2018 Shawn Malley The right of Shawn Malley to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication data A British Library CIP record is available print ISBN 978-1-78694-119-0 epdf ISBN 978-1-78694-873-1 Typeset by Carnegie Book Production, Lancaster To my feline companions past and present, Pringles, Tulip, Linus, Willow, Kizzie, Pompidou, Edgar and Biscuit, for teaching me so much about humanity. Contents Contents List of Figures xi Acknowledgements xv Introduction 1 Part 1: Battling Babylon: Military SFFTV and the War on Terror 19 1. Manticore 31 2. Stargate SG-1 44 3. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen 59 Part 2: Of Artefacts and Ancient Aliens 73 4. Ancient Aliens 82 5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 95 6 Smallville 112 Part 3: Cyborg Sites: The Case of A.I. Artificial Intelligence 135 7. Battlestar Galactica 145 8. Prometheus 167 Envoi 191 Works Cited 198 Index 223 vii This reversal is a worldwide phenomenon. It is now becoming clear that everything we once thought dead and buried, everything we thought left behind for ever by the ineluctable march of universal progress, is not dead at all, but on the contrary likely to return—not as some archaic or nostalgic vestige (all our indefatigable museumification notwithstanding), but with a vehemence and a virulence that are modern in every sense—and to reach the very heart of our ultra-sophisticated but ultra-vulnerable systems, which will easily convulse from within without mounting a frontal attack. Such is the destiny of radical otherness—a destiny that no homily of reconciliation and no apologia for difference is going to alter. Jean Baudrillard, from The Transparency of Evil (138) List of Figures List of Figures Introduction 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick, director, producer (MGM, 1968). 12 Part 1: Battling Babylon: Military SFFTV and the War on Terror 2. Metropolis. Fritz Lang, director, Erich Pommer, producer (UFA, 1927). 25 3. Blade Runner. Ridley Scott, director, Michael Deeley, producer (Warner Bros., 1982). 27 4. Babylon 5. John Copeland, series producer (Babylonian Productions, 1994). 29 Chapter 1: Manticore 5. Manticore. Tripp Reed, director, Jeffery Beach, producer (UFO International Productions, 2005). 41 Chapter 2: Stargate SG-1 6. Stargate. Roland Emmerich, director, Dean Devlin and Oliver Eberle, producers (Canal+, 1994). 45 7. Stargate SG-1, ‘The Tomb.’ Peter DeLuise, director, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, supervising producers (Sony Pictures Television, 2001). 51 xi xii EXCAVATING THE FUTURE 8. Stargate SG-1, ‘Babylon.’ Peter DeLuise, director, John G. Lenic, producer (Sony Pictures Television, 2005). 56 Chapter 3: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen 9. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Michael Bay, director, Ian Bryce, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Don Murphy, producers (DreamWorks Pictures, 2009). 69 Part 2: Of Artefacts and Ancient Aliens 10. Planet of the Apes. Franklin J. Schaffner, director, Arthur P. Jacobs, producer (20th Century Fox, 1968). 75 Chapter 4: Ancient Aliens 11. Ancient Aliens, ‘The Evidence.’ Alex Chionetti and Brian Coughlin, producers (Prometheus Entertainment, 2010). 87 12. Ancient Aliens, ‘The Mayan Conspiracy.’ David Osper, producer (Prometheus Entertainment, 2012). 91 Chapter 5: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 13. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Steven Spielberg, director, Frank Marshall, producer (Paramount Pictures, 2008). 99 Chapter 6: Smallville 14. Smallville, ‘Skinwalker.’ Marita Grabiak, director, Robert Hargrove, producer (Warner Bros. Television, 2002). 122 15. Smallville, ‘Absolute Justice.’ Tom Welling and Glen Winter, directors, Anne Cofell Saunders and Rob Maier, producers (Warner Bros. Television, 2010). 128 16. Smallville, ‘Shield.’ Glen Winter, director, Tom Flores, Holly Henderson and Don Whitehead, producers (Warner Bros. Television, 2010). 130 17. Smallville, ‘Icarus.’ Mairzee Almos, director, Tom Flores, Holly Henderson and Don Whitehead, producers (Warner Bros. Television, 2010). 131 LIST of FIGURes xiii 18. Smallville, ‘Beacon.’ Mike Rohl, director, Tom Flores, Holly Henderson and Don Whitehead, producers (Warner Bros. Television, 2010). 132 19. Smallville, ‘Finale.’ Greg Beeman and Kevin Fair, directors, Tom Flores and Scott Graham, producers (Warner Bros. Television, 2011). 133 Part 3: Cyborg Sites: The Case of A.I. Artificial Intelligence 20. A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Steven Spielberg, director, Bonnie Curtis, Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg, producers (Warner Bros., 2001). 143 Chapter 7: Battlestar Galactica 21. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Flesh and Bone.’ Brad Turner, director, Harvey Frand, producer (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2005). 151 22. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Kobol’s Last Gleaming: Part 1.’ Michael Rymer, director, Harvey Frand, producer (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2005). 153 23. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Kobol’s Last Gleaming: Part 2.’ Michael Rymer, director, Harvey Frand, producer (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2005). 154 24. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Home: Part 2.’ Jeff Woolnough, director, Harvey Frand, producer (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2006). 157 25. Battlestar Galactica, ‘The Eye of Jupiter.’ Michael Rymer, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, producers (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2008). 159 26. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Sometimes a Great Notion.’ Michael Nankin, director, Harvey Frand, Ron French and Michael Rymer, producers (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2009). 160 27. Battlestar Galactica, ‘Daybreak: Part 2, 3.’ Michael Rymer, director, Harvey Frand, Ron French and Michael Rymer, producers (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2009). 163 xiv EXCAVATING THE FUTURE Chapter 8: Prometheus 28. Prometheus. Ridley Scott, director, David Giler, Walter Hill and Ridley Scott, producers (Twentieth Century Fox, 2012). 187 Acknowledgements For their generous financial support I thank Bishop’s University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Special thanks goes out to Sylvie Coté and Julie Frédette of Bishop’s Office of Research, to Lee St. Onge and the staff at the John Bassett Library, to Nancy Robichaud and Monique Lafaille for their dedicated administrative assistance, and to my energetic and insightful research assistants Jeffrey Parent, Arian Fecteau and Jeanette Greven. I would also like to express my appreciation to everyone at Liverpool University Press, especially for my editors, Anthony Cond and Jenny Howard, whose guidance was instrumental in bringing this project to completion, and to David Seed and the Editorial Advisory Board for their encouragement. Thanks too to the helpful and professional staff at Carnegie