This article, from Far Out Magazine, argues that science fiction cinema thrives on innovation but is too often let down by tired storytelling shortcuts. It contends that although sci-fi remains the most consistently popular genre at the box office, from Avatar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it also produces some of film's biggest flops when studios lean on lazy conventions rather than genuine worldbuilding. The piece sets out ten clichés it believes filmmakers should abandon for good.

Among the habits singled out are excessive 1980s nostalgia used as filler, as seen in the Russo brothers' The Electric State, and derivative "nostalgic soundtrack" gimmicks copying Guardians of the Galaxy. The article also criticises franchises that let audiences and characters grow blasé about once-wondrous concepts, citing the Jurassic World sequels and Independence Day: Resurgence, and condemns overly convoluted, bloodline-obsessed plotting, exemplified by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's much-derided reveal that Rey is Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter.