Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Date of Award
Spring 4-15-2025
Abstract
Science fiction (SF) films are typically some of the most popular movies that are released each year. They tend to be blockbuster phenomena, raking in millions or even billions of dollars. Examples of modern SF hits include Avatar (2009), which grossed $2,923,710,708 worldwide and Avengers: Endgame (2019), which grossed $2,799,439,100 worldwide (“Avatar”; “Avengers: Endgame”). The SF film genre itself has a history that begins as early as the 1890s when film as a medium developed alongside technological advances in image and sound. Throughout the genre’s long history, several tropes have remained prevalent, such as a concern with the future, along with the creation of new, out-of-this-world technologies. The following section discusses some important SF film genre conventions that have existed since its earliest stages. The discussion of SF genre conventions leads to an overview of the specific film this thesis will examine, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The overall goal of the project is to engage with the philosophical dimensions of 2001 through an analysis of its sound design. The project selects and analyzes key moments that show how sound design can expand our understanding of technological transformation, biological development, and the boundaries of human experience.
Advisor
Eralda Lameborshi
Recommended Citation
Stalcup, Angela, "Beyond the Stars: 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Philosophical Dimensions of Science Fiction Film" (2025). Honors Theses. 269.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/honorstheses/269
Keywords
science fiction, films, popular movies, Stanley Kubrick, 2001, Space Odyssey
