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Improbability drives : the energy Of Sf
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Macdonald, Graeme (2014) Improbability drives : the energy Of Sf. Parasdoxa, 26 . pp. 111-144. ISSN 1079-8072.
An open access version can be found in:Abstract
Let's begin with a blast from the past: the opening sequence of Star Wars (Lucas 1977). After the backstory crawl, a black screen resolves to a twinkling horizon offering a vista of distant moons and planets. Deep space lies beyond. This is a familiar canvas, lending itself to adventure, exploration, conquest—and narrative potential. In the foreground looms the upper-hemisphere of a nearby planet, over which the first scene—the spaceship pursuit—will play out. This scalar emphasis is enhanced by John Williams's famous score, which opens with a mixture of classical and excitable harmonics. These amplify the reverence and excitement at the vast territory laid out before us and punctuate the thrill of the ensuing chase. The combined effect impresses upon the viewer the relative size, speed, power, and torque of the vehicles. As the opening bars take an abrupt, dissonant character with the sudden overdubbed noise (in space!) of engine thrust and laser shots, sound and vision work in tandem to present a visceral chase aesthetic, involving dynamic drive and lift, force and velocity.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > English and Comparative Literary Studies | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Parasdoxa | ||||
Publisher: | Delta Productions | ||||
ISSN: | 1079-8072 | ||||
Official Date: | 2014 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 26 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 111-144 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||
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Open Access Version: |
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