ALL SCI-FI

larryfoster · Space Ranger Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 104

I became curious about the various designs of Captain Nemo's "Nautilus" submarine. One thing I liked of most of them, is his furnishing them with Victorian era furniture. That may have been 'state of the art' for the time setting of his adventures. But now, it seems like 'excess opulence' - which is wholly unexpected on a ship or uniform design.

I then came across the "Nautilus" submarine of the more recent movie: "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". I was shocked by the artwork design applied to exterior of that ship. I am referring to the artistic (decorative) designs, which serve no functional purpose. See here, those that are applied to the bow of the ship.

I am not an artist, but I think these designs are called 'filigree'. It's the kind of artwork that is used to decorate the boarders of currency and old book pages.

I was also thinking how... as technology progresses, ship interiors become more visually boring. Consider how once a ship flight control had many blinking colored lights. Later, they were replace with colored buttons and computer monitor screens. Now, dump the buttons for touch-monitor screens. Soon, the touch and monitor screens will be dumped, for human brain interface chips. Ships will simply be controlled by thoughts, and no need for anything resembling a 'flight control' station. Boring!

Now, pulling these concepts together and extrapolating... I ask:

What would fans think of other classic ships, like: the Forbidden Planet's "C-57-D", the Star Trek's "Enterprise", etc. - sporting elaborate filigree designs, marble statue decorations, and button-tuck upholstered carved wood furniture, - to their exteriors, and interiors? Can such added classic artwork compensate for the visual boorishness of advancing technology?

Additional note... the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" car was also arti-fied to excess. What if such artistic decorative creativity were to be applied to something like the Battlestar Galactica "Landram" vehicle? And crew member uniforms, sporting function-less wrap-around sashes - just for visual art style attractiveness? Cool, or not?
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Tired of waiting on NASA to adopt Flying Saucer technology! Sick of human political-representative government! I want 1970: COLOSSUS (The Forbin Project) A.I. - as World Control government! Providing flying saucer tech, "For the betterment of man."

Pow · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:59 am Post subject:

While the Nautilus from TLOEG was an impressive design its size was that of an aircraft carrier! Hardly what Verne established in his classic novel.

Pye-Rate · Starship Navigator Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 598

The "car" was a monster built on a truck frame that needed 3 lanes worth of room to turn.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:36 am Post subject:

Gord Green · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:56 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that Nemo was an Indian (Sikh perhaps?) and his Nautilus reflected traditional Indian motifs. Opulance was part of that tradition.
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

scotpens · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:57 pm Post subject:

Here's a website that covers just about every version of the Nautilus that ever appeared in print or on film.

Link: https://www.vernianera.com/Nautilus/Catalog/

Pow · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:32 pm Post subject:

Khan Noonien Singh was also Sikh.

scotpens · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:56 pm Post subject:

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:46 am Post subject: