Science fiction is a genre which deals with a wide variety of concepts from alien worlds and lifeforms to travelling in space and time, often combining scientific fact with speculative and futuristic visions. Such ideas have been experimented with since the very birth of cinema, Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon (1902) is widely regarded as the first film of the science fiction genre with Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) another notable early example.

Over the years numerous science fiction pictures were produced with mixed commercial success but it was arguably Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) which changed the way the genre was viewed, this influenced a generation of noted filmmakers including James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg with the latter once referring to 2001 as science fiction's "big bang". Less than a decade later the science fiction blockbuster was born when George Lucas's Star Wars (1977) became the highest grossing movie in the history of cinema and launched the genre in to the mainstream, in the years that followed numerous highly successful big budget science fiction pictures were produced with many of these now frequently considered among the best movies ever made, the 1970s and 1980s undoubtedly changed science fiction film forever inspiring a new generation of filmmakers and ensuring that the genre continues to thrive to the present day.

The Prop Gallery are pleased to present a selection of original artefacts from various classics of the science fiction genre, these will be made available on The Prop Gallery website as part of Science Fiction Week which will see new listings added to the website for three consecutive days on Tuesday November 22, Wednesday November 23 and Thursday November 24 at 16:00 GMT. Science Fiction Week will see artefacts offered from some of the most influential and coveted titles of the genre including Alien, Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Terminator and Tron, this represents an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire pieces from these classic titles which are among the most sought after in the marketplace and define the era of the science fiction blockbuster.