Gary Dalkin looks back on the state of science fiction as another summer of massive budget SF and fantasy spectacles draws to a close. It seems this summer may have been a little better than those of late. The latest Michael Bay atrocity aside, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Godzilla received enthusiastic receptions and almost everyone loved Guardians of the Galaxy, which achieved the near impossible feat of pleasing fans, delighting general audiences and entering the popular culture as a new phenomenon in its own right.