It’s one of those peculiar coincidences where I run up against a number of things that make me wonder about one single topic; this time it’s way that science fiction is portrayed by film and TV. Both Hugh David (yep, the Hugh David) and the mighty Empire recently published blog posts that ask if our current definition of sci-fi is in line with the traditional ethos of the genre. Just because a story is set in the future, outer space or has a myriad of exotic technology, is it actually sci-fi? After reading both these and getting back into the work of Arthur C Clarke again I’ve come to realise that it could warrant an entire post of its own but the question “Yes, it’s good…but is it really sci-fi?” is especially important in one excellent piece of work: Planetes.

Yep, it’s every bit as uncomfortable as it looks

I’m probably the last to catch onto the series but in case you don’t know what the deal is it’s this: rubbish collectors in space. Really. Take the Final Frontier, the most romantic, exciting and downright cool setting possible, then pick out a section of it that is the complete opposite. The heroes – if you can call them that – of Planetes are the rank and file: the lowest-paid, least respected and most overlooked portion of humanity’s conquest of the stars. It’s both a wake-up call to those who fail to realise what it actually means to explore space, and is also one of the most well-executed pieces of animated character drama I’ve seen to date. Simply put, it rules.

The character-driven stuff will I’m sure make an appearance in a later post because I’m only just getting to know the main cast, and they deserve plenty of time and attention that will warrant an article of their own. The thing is, while I was being introduced to this wonderfully mismatched assortment of individuals I was being treated to a portrayal of cosmic exploration that had my inner tech nerd grinning from ear to ear at the same time. This, people, is what life in space is REALLY like.

One of the great things about Clarke’s views of space is how he pays attention to the little things: without going into excessive detail that either bamboozles the reader or fails to stand up to scrutiny, he suggests how things like actually living in space could be accomplished. In his seminal 2001 for instance an early chapter explains not only how a spacecraft could travel to Saturn but also how a zero-gravity toilet could work. That might not be as glamorous as huge-ass spaceships and battles with aliens but is no less important when you’re several million miles away from home and in the need of addressing a very fundamental issue: in space no-one can hear you scream but more worryingly no-one is around to replace the bog roll.

If you don’t know what the hosepipes are for you’re better off not knowing

Planetes has space toilets. And space cafeterias. And a lot of other things that would I’m sure have made the great man nod with approval. Imagine how we’d live and work in space if we were to extrapolate the current technology, politics and cultural traditions: sure, rockets and space stations would be bigger but within the next few decades we’d still be essentially the same, and the hardware we use wouldn’t be particularly different either if you think about it. Coming up with “technology that is indistinguishable from magic” is easier than you realise – coming up with untried technology that’s actually convincing when placed alongside what we already have is much harder.

Clarke’s visions are also pretty optimistic too, which may be something that inspired the worldview of Planetes. When I say most things are the same I mean we still have bureaucracy and class divides that exist in today’s world, and I think maintaining these negative aspects are a credit to the show’s drive for realism; nevertheless it also maintains another aspect that made us as a species begin our quest for conquering space in the first place.

The OP sequence shows the montage of cast members (highlighting how character-driven it is) but also shots of historical moments in aeronautics such as the launch of Sputnik, the lunar landings and the maiden flight of the Shuttle. Playing out behind this and the sight of Hoshino and Tanabe making symbolic sprints across the screen is a rapid slideshow of space vehicles going from the small, earliest models to the enormous Saturn V and beyond. The marriage of music and imagery sums up the spirit of the series: higher, faster, better, further.

There’s no place like home, right?

Behind the exquisite attention to detail is this infectious aspect of human nature that’s a blend of unquenchable curiosity and dogged persistence. Of course, the biggest problems to such grandiose accomplishments are the most unlikely: the opening scene of the very first episode presents the frightening issue of space debris, which is a threat to both the safety of those who travel in space and further exploration even today.

The definition of SF is notoriously hazy (and will have to wait for another post again) but casting the hair-splitting aside the portrayal of human determination and the act of ‘the improbable made possible’ is demonstrated wonderfully here. From a personal perspective we have the hopes, dreams and ambitions of the individuals who are at the bottom of the intergalactic pecking order so have the biggest hill to climb; it’s refreshing to see this unglamorous perspective on things but more on that later.

Getting back to my main point: the general background to Planetes is that it suggests how our future efforts will pan out, warts and all, and even throws in the space debris issue which is a serious one but probably not one that we usually consider. That to me is excellent sci-fi: it’s tackling pertinent topics that aren’t getting the public attention they deserve (in a thoroughly realistic fashion, I might add) and it’s using technology that’s more imaginatively put together than we see today but still isn’t outside the realms of possibility.

Just another day at the office, fifty miles up

There’s a creaky, cobbled-together grittiness about the vessels and a topical edge to the infuriating bits of politics that are all too familiar, favouring painstaking attention to detail rather than borrowing exotic technologies from other members of he genre. Rather than save animation time and money with pretty laser guns, shiny warp drives and hyperspace folds we’re treated to good old fashioned rocket engines; less exotic perhaps but if we’re honest about it, that’s closer to the future than most would want to admit. As far as I can tell humanity has yet to go beyond the confines of our own solar system at this early stage of the Planetes story: no invading Zentradi or Buster Machines here. And yet to me this early stage, resting between the recession-riddled present and the far reaches of space operas that span galaxies, is unique and exciting. Space junk collection is a dirty job but some bugger has to do it.