James Cameron producing history of sci-fi series for AMC

AMC is producing a six-part series on the history of science fiction in collaboration with one of its most prolific modern purveyors, James Cameron. Tentatively titled James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction, it will examine the history of science fiction from the early days of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne to the pop-culture juggernaut it is today. "When I was a kid, I basically read any book with a spaceship on the cover and I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey many, many times," Cameron said in a statement

Each episode will tackle a "big question" that humankind has pondered over the ages, AMC said. As part of that, it'll dig into the genesis of beloved sci-fi films, TV shows, video games and books, and where they're going in the future. The series will also feature Cameron and other notable sci-fi personalities debating "the merits, meanings and impacts of the films and novels that influenced them."

Cameron added that he's interested in not just the history of the genre, but how it informed and interacted with real science and space exploration. Speaking about Kubrick's Space Odyssey, he said "I liked the special effects, but I really loved the ideas and the questions behind them: How will the world end? Will technology destroy us? What does it mean to be human?" He added that without early sci-fi writers like Verne and Wells, "there wouldn't have been Ray Bradbury or Robert A. Heinlein, and without them, there wouldn't be Lucas, Spielberg, Ridley Scott or me."

AMC didn't discuss any storylines or who notable guests would be, but the series should have science fiction fans salivating. Cameron is perhaps the ideal producer for the project, having produced sci-fi classics like Aliens and Terminator and being passionate about cinema technology. He's also a strong science advocate, having explored the Mariana Trench in a submersible. He also produced a short documentary film on climate change.