James Cameron's works often deal with big themes. In 'The Terminator' series, he explored the idea of artificial intelligence turning against humanity. This has inspired many other science - fiction creators to think about the implications of technology in their works.
His use of special effects in movies like 'Avatar' has set new standards. Other filmmakers now strive to achieve similar levels of visual immersion.
Cameron is a master of world - building. In 'Avatar', he created an entire ecosystem and culture for Pandora. This level of detail has influenced how other science - fiction creators approach building their own fictional universes. His movies also often have strong female characters, which has changed the way female characters are portrayed in the science - fiction genre.