The next stage in the genre may be not so much to invent a culture but to reflect reality, which is what I think the best science fiction does," says David Eick, executive producer of Sci-Fi's Battlestar Galactica series. "You're doing a story that has a resonance in the contemporary culture that is vital and immediate. You're basically telling metaphorical stories."

Other sci-fi creators may choose to explore new scientific and technical frontiers. While the first Star Wars was essentially a Western adventure film transported into space, the new sci-fi films need to fulfill the Star Trek promise of boldly going where no man has gone before.

Recent films may provide clues to the future. Created on a shoestring budget by newcomer Shane Carruth, Primer is the story of four friends who accidentally discover a time machine. But the 2004 film focuses not on time travel itself, but its repercussions. What happens, it asks, if you go back in time and meet yourself? Can reality be altered?