Space Western

Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction which uses the themes and tropes of Westerns within science fiction stories. Subtle influences may include exploration of new, lawless frontiers, while more overt influences may feature literal cowboys in outer space who use ray guns and ride robotic horses. Although initially popular, a strong backlash against perceived hack writing caused the genre to become a more subtle influence until the 1980s, when it regained popularity. A further critical reappraisal occurred in the 2000s with Firefly.

Setting

A space western may emphasize space exploration as "the final frontier". These Western themes may be explicit, such as cowboys in outer space, or they can be a more subtle influence in space opera.Gene Roddenberry described Star Trek: The Original Series as a space Western.Firefly and its cinematic follow-up Serenity literalized the Western aspects of the genre popularized by Star Trek: it used frontier towns, horses, and the styling of classic John Ford Westerns. Worlds that have been terraformed may be depicted as presenting similar challenges as that of a frontier settlement in a classic Western. Six-shooters and horses may be replaced by ray guns and rockets.

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a "literature of ideas." It usually eschews the supernatural, and unlike the related genre of fantasy, historically science fiction stories were intended to have at least a faint grounding in science-based fact or theory at the time the story was created, but this connection has become tenuous or non-existent in much of science fiction.

Definitions

Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a wide range of subgenres and themes. Author and editor Damon Knight summed up the difficulty, saying "science fiction is what we point to when we say it", a definition echoed by author Mark C. Glassy, who argues that the definition of science fiction is like the definition of pornography: you do not know what it is, but you know it when you see it.

Syfy Universal

Syfy Universal is a family of television stations in countries around the world broadcasting science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural and paranormal programming, and owned or licensed by entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The first such channel was launched in the United States on September 24, 1992. It was originally named "Sci-Fi Channel", but the name Syfy was officially adopted on July 7, 2009, and most were renamed Syfy Universal by 2010. Exceptions to this renaming scheme included Syfy USA, Syfy UK, Syfy Latin America, Syfy Portugal and now defunct and replaced SF Australia, which was formerly Sci Fi Channel Australia. The Sci Fi Channels in Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, became Sci Fi Universal.

The list of Syfy or Sci Fi Universal channels includes:

See also

Syfy

Syfy (/ˈsaɪfaɪ/, formerly Sci-Fi Channel) is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the NBCUniversal Cable division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The channel features adult, supernatural, fantasy, paranormal, wrestling, reality, drama, horror and science fiction programming.

As of February 2015, approximately 94.8 million American households (81.4 percent of households with television) receive Syfy.

History

In 1989, Boca Raton, Florida, communications attorney Mitchell Rubenstein and his wife Laurie Silvers devised the concept for the Sci-Fi Channel, and planned to have it begin broadcasting in December 1990, but lacked the resources to launch it. In March 1992, the concept was picked up by USA Networks, then a joint venture between Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios. The channel was seen as a natural fit with classic films and television series that both studios had in their vaults, including Universal's Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Rod Serling TV series Night Gallery, along with Paramount's Star Trek. Star Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry and author Isaac Asimov were among those on the initial advisory board, but both had died by the time the channel finally launched on September 24, 1992. Rubenstein recalled, “The first thing that was on the screen was ‘Dedicated to the memories of Isaac Asimov and Gene Roddenberry’”.Leonard Nimoy was master of ceremonies at the channel's launch party, held at the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan; Asimov's widow Janet, and Roddenberry's widow Majel Barrett, were in attendance. The first program shown on the network was the film Star Wars.