EUtopias and Other Futures: A European Journal of Science Fiction

Scene from Pervye na Lune (First on the Moon) By Péter MARTON Just a quick piece on mockumentaries. I recently had the chance to watch two such films and it may be good to pass the information on in case you might have an interest in tracking them down, especially if you're a fan of the (sub)genre. One is Trollhunter , a Norwegian movie from 2010, described as dark fantasy by some, written and directed by André Øvredal. The other is Pervye na Lune/First on the Moon ( Первые на Луне ) from 2005, directed by Alex Fedorchenko -- an alternative history piece. Both films focus on conspiracies of different sorts: a benevolent one in the case of Norway where the conspiracy is keeping people protected, and a cynical one in the case of Russia where the mockumentary mentions even one of the interviewees appearing in it as having disappeared during the shooting of the documentary. (A documentary about a supposedly long-past event, at that, which was probably a way for the fi...

Gagarin is greeting Hungarian youth on the cover of a Hungarian newspaper, during a visit to Hungary, on August 26, 1961, exactly 57 years ago. His related handwritten message in Cyrillic may be seen beside his left leg. By Cseperke TIKÁSZ ** Join the European Science Fiction group on Facebook for related discussions. ** What did Yuriy Gagarin feel before his launch to space in 1961? What was Sergei Korolev (the chief Soviet spacecraft designer) thinking as the countdown proceeded? And what about German Titov, Gagarin's reserve? And Valentina Gagarina – the wife, with their two little daughters? We cannot possibly know, of course. What we know from the press coverage of the era is that an euphoric shock would soon be felt across the world, upon Gagarin's return, for Yuriy Gagarin, the first human to do so, has journeyed into outer space! In 2013, a new film on the subject was released in Russia: Gagarin: First in space (Гагарин. Первый в космосе). The production ...

By Péter MARTON This is a moderately spoilered review of the Hungarian movie " Lajkó: Cigány az űrben " (in our own translation: Lajko: Gipsy in Space ). Head to the cinemas first if you would like to form your own opinion of it, before reading a critical evaluation like this. And in the meantime, spend a last second marvelling at the art on the packaging of my favourite Russian chocolate ("Cosmic Odyssey") above , which is only loosely related, as illustration, to the subject of this post. Still here? Then let's talk, firstly, about key terms – because some people may be hesitant to watch this film upon encountering its title. Some think that "Gipsy" as a term is offensive, and perhaps "Roma" should be preferred as an alternative. What one then needs to realise is that there is nothing inherently offensive about the word Gipsy, and yet neither of the above terms is really fully appropriate. At different points in time, they were e...