Category: Rob Eschmann

The Sociology of Science Fiction: Project Hail Mary, Star Trek, and the Broken Earth Trilogy

On By Karen SternheimerIn Behind the Headlines, Popular Culture and Consumption, Race and Ethnicity, Rob Eschmann, Sex and GenderLeave a comment

By Rob Eschmann

author photo Rob Eschmann

Author Andy Weir, best known for his books The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both of which were turned into successful science fiction films starring Matt Damon and Ryan Gosling, has recently been enmeshed in controversy surrounding his anti-woke comments and insistence that politics has no place in fiction.

Though they’re just coming to light, due to the recent release of the blockbuster Project Hail Mary film, he’s held these views for some time. In a 2017 interview, Weir said:

When I’m reading a book, I just want to be entertained, not preached at by the author… I deeply dislike social commentary. For instance, as a lifelong Star Trek fan, it’s always bothered me that there is a presumed “responsibility” within Star Trek shows to talk about social issues. I just want to watch Romulans and the Federation shoot at each other.

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When Science Fiction Becomes Real: Walter Mosley’s Futureland and The AI Doc

On By Karen SternheimerIn Behind the Headlines, Class and Stratification, Popular Culture and Consumption, Rob Eschmann, Social Problems, Politics, and Social ChangeLeave a comment
author photo Rob Eschmann

By Rob Eschmann

The news cycle in 2026 feels straight out of a dystopian science fiction film.

New AI models are so good at hacking companies hesitate to release them to the public, and the construction of new data centers force people off their land, pollute the environment, and take up natural resources as citizen water sources run dry.

We are witnessing the rapid expansion of an AI-enabled surveillance state, and even have less tech-forward trends that reek of Orwell’s 1984, like widespread book banning and masked men arresting people and sending them to overseas prisons without due process.

Given these disturbing trends, how do we ensure we don’t end up living in a post-apocalyptic film?

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No Such Thing as “Apolitical” Art: Project Hail Mary and the Voting Rights Act

On By Karen SternheimerIn Behind the Headlines, Popular Culture and Consumption, Race and Ethnicity, Rob Eschmann, Social Problems, Politics, and Social ChangeLeave a comment

By Rob Eschmann

author photo Rob Eschmann

Spoiler alert:  This post includes plot details about Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary, the 2026 science fiction film which garnered a 94% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has made over $670 million in the two months since being released, is one of the most well-received blockbusters in recent years. Ryan Gosling’s quirky performance as high school science teacher- turned astronaut Ryland Grace balances hilarity with moments of deep reflection on the fragile human condition. Grace’s space friend “Rocky,” a spider-like alien, is as charming as the beloved droids and tiny aliens in the Star Wars franchise. The film is stunning, with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller using practical effects to create mind-blowing visuals and otherworldly scenes of alien planets, calling to mind shots from Christopher Nolan’s 2014 classic film Interstellar.

In the midst of its success and near-universal acclaim, Project Hail Mary is being championed by anti-woke, anti-DEI fans and critics.

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A Complete Unknown: Art and Activism in Uncertain Times

On By econnellIn Popular Culture and Consumption, Rob Eschmann, Social Problems, Politics, and Social Change3 Comments

By Rob Eschmann

A Complete Unknown, a 2024 film nominated for 8 Oscars, explores the life and music of Bob Dylan (played by Timotheé Chalamet), as he makes the personal and professional choices that would go on to define him. With a star-studded cast, stories of Chalamet learning to play the guitar and sing for five years in preparation for his role, and a marketing plan that made even this hip hop head/purist start streaming Bob Dylan songs, the expectations for this film couldn’t have been higher. And it delivered, as expected.

What I did not expect, was this film, set in the early 1960s, to speak so poignantly to the issues facing the United States in 2025, as we confront what can feel like an unprecedented attack on democracy and American freedoms.

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There are No Heroes Here: Killers of the Flower Moon and the Treatment of Indigenous Peoples

On By econnellIn Popular Culture and Consumption, Race and Ethnicity, Rob Eschmann, Social Problems, Politics, and Social Change2 Comments

Rob Eschmann author photoBy Rob Eschmann, Associate Professor of Social Work, Columbia University

r.eschmann@columbia.edu

This post contains spoilers for the 2023 film, Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is as good as you expect it to be, directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring spectacular performances from Robert De Niro as Bill “King” Hale, Leonardo DiCaprio as Hale’s easily influenced nephew Ernest Burkhart, and Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart, a beleaguered yet resolute Osage woman married to Ernest. Even the story behind the film is inspiring, as Scorsese worked with the Osage Tribe leadership, employed over one hundred Osage as extras, and was intentional about avoiding the Hollywood trope of Indigenous folks in trouble, White man to the rescue.

But don’t expect to like this film. Expect unease. For three and a half uncomfortable hours my heart broke for the Osage community as I held my breath, waiting for some respite, for the calvary to show up and save the day.

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