# Masters of Science Fiction (2007)

> A 2007 American science fiction anthology in which each hour-long episode adapts a short story by a respected genre writer into a self-contained speculative film.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3770

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 4
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: science fiction, drama
- Created by: Harold Becker, Jonathan Frakes, Darnell Martin, Michael Petroni, Mark Rydell, Michael Tolkin
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Stephen Hawking, Terry O'Quinn, James Denton, Sonja Bennett, Tom Butler, Elisabeth Röhm, Judy Davis, Gina Chiarelli
- TMDB rating: 6.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0772139/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: cerebral, contemplative, unsettling, thoughtful

## What critics say

Critics found the anthology's adaptations of respected science fiction stories thoughtful but uneven, with a mixed response overall.

## Synopsis

Masters of Science Fiction is a 2007 American anthology series for ABC that adapts short stories by respected science fiction writers into self-contained hour-long films. Each episode stands alone, with its own cast, premise, and setting, so viewers can enter at any point without following a continuing plot. The emotional engine of every installment is a single speculative idea, dramatized through a small group of characters who must live with its consequences. The tone is cerebral and contemplative, leaning toward quiet unease and moral questions rather than action spectacle or large-scale effects. Stories drift between near-future worlds, alternate realities, and intimate human dilemmas, with restraint doing most of the work. Production values are polished but unshowy, letting dialogue and performance carry each premise from setup to its final, often ambiguous, reflection. The series was canceled after a single season, leaving a compact body of work that appeals to viewers who enjoy thoughtful genre storytelling and the lingering aftertaste of an unusual idea. Fans of The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror will recognize the appetite for speculative premises explored with patience and a focus on what the ideas reveal about people.

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- [The Crossing (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62337)
- [The Universe (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/2491)
- [Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30012)
- [The Twilight Zone (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/15242)
- [Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61561)
- [Amazing Stories (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/963)

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