Whilst collaborating with screenwriter Arthur C. Clarke on 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick demonstrated considerable fondness for science fiction cinema, appreciating works ranging from Ridley Scott's Alien to Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Confident in his taste, Clarke screened the 1936 film Things to Come—a celebrated British adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel widely regarded as a landmark in sci-fi cinema—expecting Kubrick would similarly admire it.

The screening proved a serious miscalculation. Kubrick's reaction was decidedly hostile, demanding "What are you trying to do to me?" and vowing to disregard any further film recommendations from Clarke. The severity of his rejection presents a stark contrast to his documented enthusiasm for other science fiction films, underscoring how subjective artistic preferences can be between even closely collaborating creators.