Art Quote by Susan Sontag
“Science fiction films are not about science. They are about disaster, which is one of the oldest subjects of art.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Imagination of Disaster” in *On Photography*, 1977
She argues that sci‑fi movies focus on catastrophic themes, using disaster as a timeless artistic subject rather than scientific speculation.
In simple terms: Sci‑fi movies are about disaster, not science.
Key Takeaway
Recognize disaster as a core artistic theme.
Themes
film
science fiction
disaster
art history
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- movie criticism
- screenwriting
- media studies
Key Concepts
cultural critique
genre analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do audiences gravitate to disaster narratives?
- How does disaster reflect societal anxieties?
A Different Perspective
Science can still be a subtext, but often overlooked.
![“The films that I loved growing up were the science fiction films from the late seventies and early eighties [films], which were more about the people and how they are affected by the environments that they are in. Whether they are sort of futuristic or alien of whatever they are; that was the…” quote by Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/407/duncan-jones-12555_affected_the-films-that-i-loved-growing-up-were-t_2189987.jpg)
![“I think we tried to make a film [Moon] that was about human beings as opposed to going from one special effects set piece to the next one, which is what a lot of science fiction films these days do.” quote by Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c4/duncan-jones-12555_cinema_i-think-we-tried-to-make-a-film-moon-tha_1643184.jpg)
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
