The future doesn't seem too bad in these sci-fi animations for The Verge

What with overcrowding, global warming, automation and the threat of killer robots, it's no wonder the future seems bleak. And science fiction is more than happy to exploit our darkest fears. Just ask Charlie Brooker.

But you might feel a little more optimistic about the future after watching Better World, a new series commissioned by tech platform The Verge, which brings 11 original sci-fi stories by different authors to life through animation. Eschewing a dystopian vibe, the films seek to inspire hope for the future. 

1stAveMachine directors Device show off their enviably diverse animation skills on two of the films. The retro, pixelated style of A Theory of Flight [top] - which follows a female revolutionary building an open-source rocket to help people escape contaminated Earth to a better, cleaner life on 'Europa' - is a real contrast to the more cinematic feel of Overlay [below], which explores the use of virtual reality for palliative care through the story of a father’s dangerous mission to save his son.