Brainstorming project ideas

[alee_grrl]

So I am taking a course on law and popular culture this semester. We are allowed to write an essay on a topic of our choice. I am considering the intersection of science fiction and legal popular culture, but haven't narrowed the topic down any yet. I thought I'd start with social research first.

Anyone know of any good scifi that includes elements of legal culture (doesn't need to be about lawyers per se, can include info about crime, investigation, contracts, and other broader legal concerns)? Materials are not limited to novels. Short stories, novella, comic books/graphic novels, movies, short films, video games, hell even music if you can find any, all are great mediums for popular culture. My goal is to select two or three items and use them as the focus of my essay.

Thanks!

Comments

[sulien]

One very good source, I would think, would be the movie "Blade Runner" and the book it was based on, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick. Episodes of the various Star Trek series dealing with trials, court martial and law would also be great sources. Babylon 5 would be another good series to check out, as well, as there are quite a few episodes dealing with various cultures' laws and mores.

You might also look at the various results from Googling (or other search engine)law in science fiction, and various permutations along that line.

[alee_grrl]

Thanks! Those are all great sources. :)

[shadenoff]

In literature:
1) Isaac Asimov's Robot series (The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn, Mirror image). This books is about detective from the future Elijah Baley, who (with his partner, human-like robot R. Daneel Olivaw) investigating mysterious crimes (murders, particularly).
2) Harry Harrison's books about the stainless steel rat. "stainless steel rat" - is a nickname of the James Bolivar diGriz: swift-minded and well skilled in many things criminal from the future (later he will switched side and became covert agent of the "Special Corps" - secret organisation, that provide security, catch serial killers, eradicate tyranny govenments etc. all other galaxy).

In computer games:
1) In computer game Fallout 2, if you will act as a "bad", then you will see "wanted!" posters in a cities - and a head-hunters will come for you. In fallout 3, you can became head-hunter yourself, providing something from good/evil enemies bodies for reward (It depends on what side are you on). In this game series judgement is a "wild west" style.
2) In Thief series, as it's name clearly shows, you act as a thief (in the pseudo-medieval society). In one of the missions you visit a prison (luckily not as a prisoner) and can see a jailers record about prisoners and they punishments, in other you task is to infiltrate police station and set up some officer (you will found evidences that he really not a good person), and so on.
3) In quest "Syberia" you protagonist is the Kate Walker, young lawer, who is sent to a remote french village for preparing buy of a local toy factory.
4)"The Elder Scrolls" game series have relatively complex punishment system: when you perform something illegal (and you have been witnessed) you will get penalty. If any guard see you, he will run to you and offer three options: pay a fine, go to jail... or surrender arrest (not recommended). He also confiscate any stolen goods you have in possession.

That is all I can remember for now. :)

[alee_grrl]

Thank you so much. What awesome ideas (and great notes on all of them). The only one of the games I've really played is Syberia, and that one was amazing. I completely forgot about Kate Walker being a lawyer though. Playing video games for scholastic research is definitely an idea I can get behind. :) Thanks again!