15 Science Fiction Movies Coming Up in 2013

In a previous post I lamented Hollywood’s lack of creativity and wondered why more movies don’t have real stories.  Well, real stories often come from real books so I took a peek ahead in 2013 to see what science fiction movies are coming up—and which of those are based on solid fiction. 

The list below contains only science fiction movies that are scheduled to be released this year.  It does not include superhero and comic book movies, animation, anime, movies based on video games, and (with a few notable exceptions) monster movies. It does not include movies that are unscheduled with release dates to be announced.

Here’s what we can look forward to seeing this year:

• The Host from the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer
• Upside Down
• Oblivion
• Star Trek II – Into Darkness
• After Earth
• This is the End (of the World)
• World War Z from the novel of the same name by Max Brooks
• Pacific Rim
• Percy Jackson 1, Sea of Monsters from Book 2 of The Olympians series (young adult) by Rick Riordan
• The Mortal Instruments, City of Bones from the popular Mortal Instruments series (young adult) by Cassandra Clare
• Riddick 3
• The Seventh Son from The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney
• Ender’s Game, first book of the Ender Quartet science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card
• Singularity
• The Hunger Games 2, Catching Fire, from the astoundingly popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

While I have noted the young adult novels, I often find them just as compelling—or more engrossing than—adult fiction.  The YA genre is no longer for kids only.  While I gave up on reading The Host two thirds of the way through, I have been listening to Clockwork Angel, the first book in Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series, while I drive and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.

Upside Down is out but must be playing in limited release because it’s not at the Cineplex. 

It looks like another week without going to the movies—nothing new that's good to see—but at least we have something to look forward to.   Given that we’re at the midpoint of the spring doldrums for movie releases, this list is as welcome as a warm sunny day in March.