Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Mark Gatiss, THE REAL HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION explores all aspects of science fiction and shows why it's more than just a genre. With the help of filmmakers, writers, actors and graphic artists who look back on their experiences and on how their obsession and imagination has taken them into the unknown, each 60-minute episode focuses on a different genre theme, including: "Robots," which transports viewers from the first steps of Frankenstein's monster to the threat provided by the TERMINATOR and the world of cyberspace; "Space," which chronicles the role that outer space played in stories -- from the horrifying scenes of ALIEN to the epic spectacle of STAR WARS -- including journeys to the stars and the alien encounters that awaited; "Invasion," which documents the moment of first contact, exploring what people will do when the aliens land -- from H. G. Wells' pioneering "The War of the Worlds" to INDEPENDENCE DAY, MEN IN BLACK and DISTRICT 9; and "Time," which explores the concept of traveling through time and the effect is has on the travellers and the people closest to them, including ideas like The Grandfather Paradox and The Butterfly Effect to the professional time traveller. Among those taking part are: William Shatner; Nathan Fillion; Zoe Saldana; David Tennant; Steven Moffat; Richard Dreyfuss; Chris Carter; Ronald D Moore; John Landis; Christopher Lloyd; Rutger Hauer; John Carpenter; Karen Gillan; Neil Gaiman; Kim Stanley Robinson; Scott Bakula; Ursula K Le Guin; Syd Mead; Kenny Baker; Anthony Daniels; Nichelle Nichols; Peter Weller; Edward James Olmos; and many more.