From ray guns to robots: “Wonderland” rewinds sci-fi’s greatest hits

Sky Arts is about to drop a four-part documentary series might just have you reaching for your ray guns and quoting “Klaatu barada nikto” (or not). Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age promises to be a cosmic journey through the genre that shaped our imaginations.

Starting Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at 8pm, Odyssey Television’s new series, directed by Adrian Munsey (the mastermind behind previous Wonderland outings), will explore how science fiction has not only reflected our fears and dreams but also, eerily, predicted so much of our reality.

Think about it: from the atomic anxieties of the Cold War to the digital dystopias of today, sci-fi has always been a mirror reflecting our deepest concerns. And this series promises to delve deep, exploring everything from literary giants like H.G. Wells and Ursula Le Guin to cinematic titans like Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg.

What you can expect from the new Wonderland strand

• A Blast From the Past (and Future!): The series isn’t just about flashy special effects; it’s about the ideas that shaped the genre. Expect to see discussions about the impact of the atomic bomb, the space race, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
• Literary Legends: Prepare for a roll call of sci-fi royalty! From Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece Frankenstein to the climate change warnings of Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, this series will explore the authors who dared to dream of other worlds.
• Cinematic Classics: Get ready for a visual feast! Wonderland will dissect iconic films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and, of course, the timeless charm of Doctor Who.
• Insightful Interviews: The series features interviews with leading academics, giving us a deeper understanding of the genre’s cultural significance. As Professor Adam Roberts puts it, “Because science fiction engages your imagination and it makes you think about alternate ways the world might be, or how the future might go, it functions as a kind of litmus test. It’s a way of checking how optimistic or pessimistic you, you are about the state of things.”

Here’s a look at the trailer.

What you can expect from Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age

The series features the following four episodes.

• Episode 1: Mary Shelley to Isaac Asimov (April 3rd): Dive into the origins of sci-fi, from the gothic horrors of Shelley to the robotic visions of Asimov. Expect discussions on the atomic age anxieties and the chilling predictions of nuclear apocalypse. As John Clute remarks “It may be a triumph of American science fiction, that we did not end the world in 1963.”
• Episode 2: Arthur C. Clarke to Ray Bradbury (April 10th): Explore the space age optimism of Clarke and the dystopian warnings of Bradbury. Get ready for a deep dive into 2001: A Space Odyssey and the “inner space” explorations of J.G. Ballard.
• Episode 3: Margaret Atwood to Ted Chiang (April 17th): Discover how sci-fi has challenged gender norms and explored diverse voices. From Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale to the modern works of Liu Cixin and Ted Chiang, this episode highlights the genre’s evolution. Tade Thompson argues that: “From my perspective, the aliens are the colonisers.”
• Episode 4: Quatermass to Christopher Nolan (April 24th): Trace the journey from classic British sci-fi like Quatermass and Doctor Who to the blockbuster spectacles of Nolan and Marvel. See how cyberspace and AI have become central themes, and how “Cli-fi” takes center stage.

This is worth a trip to Wonderland (or a Sky Arts subscription)

For those of us who grew up on a steady diet of vintage sci-fi, Wonderland promises to be a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It’s a chance to revisit the films and shows that sparked our imaginations and to gain a deeper appreciation for the genre’s enduring legacy.

So, grab your sonic screwdriver, dust off your vintage Star Wars action figures, and prepare for a cosmic adventure! If you’re a reader of this website, Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age is a must-watch.