History Main / WeirdScience

* As mentioned above this was a staple of the 30s and 40s pulps. DocSavage lived off this in particular.

* ''The Chinatown Death Cloud'' and its sequel ''The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown'' by Paul Malmont pay homage to this era with a couple of yarns in which [[DocSavage Lester Dent]], [[Radio/TheShadow Walter Gibson]], Creator/RobertAHeinlein, Creator/IsaacAsimov, Creator/LRonHubbard and other pulp writers investigate (and sometimes create) StockUnsolvedMysteries -- despite their very real flaws in comparison to the perfect straight-jawed heroes they churn out for a living.

* This is one of the main features of {{Fringe}}, with everything from travel between universes to Nazi biological weapons that kill everyone who is not blonde and blue-eyed.

** {{GURPS}} 4e actually has a skill called "Weird Science" which lets you invent ridiculous devices. Whether you are believed or they work is entirely dependent on the setting.

* Gnomes in many DungeonsAndDragons settings, including {{Dragonlance}} and {{Spelljammer}}.

''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later ''Magazine/{{Analog}}''), ''Unknown'' (also known as ''Unknown Worlds''), and ''Galaxy'' published generally high quality fiction. ''Magazine/AmazingStories'', ''Weird Tales'' and ''Startling Stories'' and others occupied the middle strata while ''Captain Future'', ''Planet Stories'' and many, many others published the more shamelessly trashy material. (''Unknown'' and ''Weird Tales'' actually published mostly fantasy and horror, though individual ScienceFiction stories and elements would get incorporated in the stories too.) They specialized in imaginative stories of ScienceFiction, with the less highbrow magazines in particular having a good deal more "BoysOwn Adventure" flair. The actual name ''Weird Science'' comes from EC Comics ComicBook, which tended to use the KarmicTwistEnding or, more rarely, the CruelTwistEnding. (EC also published ''Weird Fantasy'', actually another ScienceFiction comic, and merged the two titles later.)

Note also that Weird Science is not the same as HollywoodScience; the former throws realism to the wind in order to create spectacle whereas the latter comes from not bothering to get things right that could have been. They often have similar effects, but different causes; Weird Science springs from RuleOfCool, whereas HollywoodScience grows from poor research. (The extreme case, most often found in comedy, is ItRunsOnNonsensoleum.)

* Empire City in A. Lee Martinez' ''TheAutomaticDetective'' runs on this.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'', in its "classic" phase, had an ambivalent relationship to it as well, usually reveling in it, though at various times CreativeDifferences and [[GenreShift Genre Shifts]] would affect how much the creators acknowledged it. The new series (and its spinoffs) under RussellTDavies embrace it.

* Homaged in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Far Beyond The Stars" where Captain Sisko falls into a coma and dreams that he's a science fiction writer for the 1950s PulpMagazine "Incredible Tales".

* ''The Chinatown Death Cloud'' and its sequel ''The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown'' by Paul Malmont pay homage to this era with a couple of yarns in which [[DocSavage Lester Dent]], [[Radio/TheShadow Walter Gibson]] Creator/RobertAHeinlein, Creator/IsaacAsimov, Creator/LRonHubbard and other pulp writers investigate (and sometimes create) StockUnsolvedMysteries -- despite their very real flaws in comparison to the perfect straight-jawed heroes they churn out for a living.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' runs on the outrageous science of 50s sci-fi flicks. The ''Old World Blues'' DLC from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' takes this trope and runs with it. The first NPCs you meet in the expansion are a group of scientists who sound like they just came out of a 50's sci-fi flick. One of them has NoIndoorVoice, claiming that people keep tampering with his volume knob. They also use BuffySpeak when trying to repeat the names of the gadgets that the others among them have invented, and the main threat is a MadScientist who is [[WorldOfHam just as Hammy as everyone else.]]

* ''{{Deadlands}}'' has this as one of the sets of player skills. This being an explicitly Faustian setting, the knowledge to make the gadgets comes from less than heavenly sources, and every new gadget you invent makes you a little more insane.

-->'''Dr. Borous: ''WHAT HORRORS AWAIT THE LOBOTOMITE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN!??''''' ...... [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Really, anyone know? I'm at a loss here.]]

-->'''Dr. Mobius: ''WHAT HORRORS AWAIT THE LOBOTOMITE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN!??''''' ...... [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Really, anyone know? I'm at a loss here.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' runs on the outrageous science of 50s sci-fi flicks.
* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}''.

-->--'''OingoBoingo [[InvokedTrope tells it like it is.]]'''

WeirdScience is the name for the style of storytelling made famous by the ScienceFiction "pulp" (named after the poor quality paper on which they got printed) magazines of the [[TheThirties 1930s]] and [[TheForties 1940s]]. By the [[TheFifties 1950s]], sales fell off, probably because of the advent of television. A few of these magazines had covers far trashier than the contents, others reveled in cheese with the writers entertaining no delusions that they created great art.

The stories featured exotic worlds and gee-whiz gadgetry, [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe buxom space babes]], [[GoodOldFisticuffs two-fisted heroes]] and, most important, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment plenty of gee-whiz gadgetry]]; it is this last that can be called WeirdScience. Many of the most notable names in science fiction and fantasy got their start writing in these magazines, and, as the century progressed, the standards both for storytelling and scientific plausibility increased, although an exciting story was always more important than a realistic one.

Their influence is still widely felt: any ScienceFiction that involves derring-do with robots, rocketships and rayguns and doesn't worry about technical realism can be said to use WeirdScience, but it is especially likely to be found in PlanetaryRomance.

Note also that WeirdScience is not the same as HollywoodScience; the former throws realism to the wind in order to create spectacle whereas the latter comes from not bothering to get things right that could have been. They often have similar effects, but different causes; WeirdScience springs from RuleOfCool, whereas HollywoodScience grows from poor research. (The extreme case, most often found in comedy, is ItRunsOnNonsensoleum.)

WeirdScience tropes:

{{Settings}} where WeirdScience is likely to be found:

* ''StarWars'' famously draws from a tremendous range of influences, many not even from SpeculativeFiction, but all held together by a distinct WeirdScience sensibility.
* ''MomAndDadSaveTheWorld'' somewhat parodies WeirdScience, but in an affectionate way.
* ''Film/{{Stargate}}'': the movie had a lot to do with WeirdScience, as does the [[Franchise/StargateVerse series]]'.
* ''Film/TheCore'': the idea of taking a giant drill vehicle into the depths of the planet is pure WeirdScience; unfortunately, ''everything'' else in the entire movie is particularly bad HollywoodScience.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had an uneasy relationship with WeirdScience, striving for something believeable, yet at the same time not having as much concern for being accurate. Gene Roddenberry's famous dictum to never actually explain any technology but just use it and let the audience accept it fits right in with the nature of WeirdScience.

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' has lots of WeirdScience.
* ''Series/LostInSpace'' of course, especially in the bizarre alien gadgets and the MonsterOfTheWeek.
* The "Captain Proton" adventures on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' were an unabashed celebration of WeirdScience (somehow fitting for the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' that tended to veer away the most from scientific plausibility).

* ''{{Deadlands}}'' has WeirdScience as one of the sets of player skills. This being an explicitly Faustian setting, the knowledge to make the gadgets comes from less than heavenly sources, and every new gadget you invent makes you a little more insane.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' combines WeirdScience with tropes from more realistic influences.

* ''WebComic/GirlGenius'' lives and breathes off WeirdScience.

* Just about anything Frederick and Doctor Franky create in ''TheLifeOfNobTMouse'' fits this trope well.
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive.'' Just... just ''El Goonish Shive.'' Though ''especially'' anything Tedd makes... or gets his hands on... or breathes on...

* ''DannyPhantom'' is pretty weird with its science... well, more silly than weird, but still.

* ''[[TabletopGame/TrinityUniverse Adventure!]]'', being another celebration of 20s pulp, allows any Inspired character to try their hand at super-science. Daredevils can create Advancements, devices a generation or two ahead of their time; Stalwarts and Mesmerists can also create Innovations, devices that mimic the Inspired's extraordinary abilities.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', the blue/red Izzet League from the guild-dominated plane Ravnica run on this. Impossible is literally just a suggestion at best for them, and the things they create are weird indeed.

* ''The Chinatown Death Cloud'' and its sequel ''The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown'' by Paul Malmont pay homage to this era with a couple of yarns in which [[DocSavage Lester Dent]], [[TheShadow Walter Gibson]] Creator/RobertAHeinlein, Creator/IsaacAsimov, Creator/LRonHubbard and other pulp writers investigate (and sometimes create) StockUnsolvedMysteries -- despite their very real flaws in comparison to the perfect straight-jawed heroes they churn out for a living.