You've seen the famous aliens, planets and scientists, but now it's time to venture even farther into the depths of space.

The moment of first contact with extraterrestrials is a staple of science fiction. It usually involves a frantic scientist having a Eureka moment, realising in a single dramatic instant that Earth is being visited by creatures from light-years away.

Exclusive: What makes a great science fiction movie? Prof. Lisa Yaszek dives into the commonalities among iconic sci-fi movies across the decades.

Two different ways to tell the same story. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Science fiction is not monolithic. There are, in fact, two major sub-genres that divide sci-fi — hard sci ...