We’ve been eagerly following Prometheus, the Ridley Scott space epic, so we’re glad to see io9 give us a chat with its writer, Jon Spaihts. While Spaihts’ answers to anything plot-related are decidedly terse, he has some excellent observations on video game storytelling (“In games, sci-fi’s easier to achieve than mundane reality”), building human-level emotion into sprawling blockbusters, and the benefits of double-checking the science in science fiction. “For too many filmmakers, ‘sci-fi’ means ‘anything goes,” he says, “which leads in turn to arbitrary chains of events, or story rules that feel inconsistent or muddy. Story flourishes under constraint.” It’s even spoiler-free, unless you didn’t want to know that Prometheus would have “good characters” and “emotional arcs.”
‘Prometheus’ writer Jon Spaihts on science fiction worldbuilding
Jon Spaihts, the writer of Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus,” discusses writing good science fiction with io9.
Jon Spaihts, the writer of Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus,” discusses writing good science fiction with io9.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
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