I need a sci-fi fix

[cafe]

I'll throw in my plug for the podcast world: The Rookie by Scott Sigler. It's about future inter-galactic pro (American style) football. I'm not a football fan, but it was still a fun listen. And it's free. Unless you want to buy the print version from Amazon.

 

[Varelse]

Yep those are good ones, too, Uber.

And then there are the classics... Babylon 5 was one of my all time faves.

I have all of those on DVD....

Well, someone lost one of my season one discs.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I'm not even the biggest Sci-Fi fan (I didn't really care for Babylon 5 or Lost for example), but I thought Firefly was da bomb. I wouldn't say Firefly is good sci-fi, I'd say it's just plain good (regardless of what genres you like). Serenity wasn't bad either.

 

[The Ü™]

I'm not even the biggest Sci-Fi fan (I didn't really care for Babylon 5 or Lost for example), but I thought Firefly was da bomb. I wouldn't say Firefly is good sci-fi, I'd say it's just plain good (regardless of what genres you like). Serenity wasn't bad either.

Well, Firefly did have good sci -- no sound in space. Serenity was clever by having the space battle take place inside a big cloud -- though I guess that was a way to cheat and make the battle more interesting. The only other movie I know of that dared to do that was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

You know a good sci-fi movie that I thought was horribly underrated was Mission to Mars. People hate that movie for some reason, but I thought it was thought provoking and had believable, if not realistic, science.

Starship Troopers is also another one of my favorites. Both the book and the movie were good in their own ways.

Another movie that was quite good was A Sound of Thunder. Sure, the special effects sucked along with other filmmaking qualities, but the film had a great idea, courtesy of Ray Bradbury...though maybe you should stick to the short story?

And technically all movies are fantasy because they're not real.

 

[Mycroft]

Thanks for the suggestions, everybody. I went and got Firefly and Sunshine. When the opportunity presents itself I will definitely pick up some Phillip K. Dick stories. (I've actually been meaning to do that, it's just been one of those things where people keep reminding me and then I keep forgetting whenever I find myself at the bookstore.)

 

[The Ü™]

I was gonna see Sunshine, but around here, it's only in limited release. I'll have to wait for video.

There were only three Philip K. Dick stories that made good movies -- Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report. I haven't seen A Scanner Darkly, yet, but I'm waiting for it on Netflix.

The original Stargate movie was fantastic and highly underrated. Pity it got clouded by cheap TV shows. Of course, I also liked Independence Day and, dare I say it, Godzilla (1998 version) wasn't too abysmal, either.

 

[Recluse]

Oh, but the very first "Godzilla" was a classic. Nothing beats it for cheesy monster movie mayhem. I constructed a papier-mache Godzilla in art class in honor of that film. And later, an even better clay model.

Not sure why, but as a child, I related to Godzilla in some strange visceral way.

 

[Mercurial]

Oh, but the very first "Godzilla" was a classic. Nothing beats it for cheesy monster movie mayhem. I constructed a papier-mache Godzilla in art class in honor of that film. And later, an even better clay model.

Not sure why, but as a child, I related to Godzilla in some strange visceral way.

[temporarily has the IQ of burnt toast after reading this]

 

[Recluse]

 

[The Ü™]

And the 1998 Godzilla was good in its own way.

 

[Recluse]

Glad to see my Godzillian Atomic Breath didn't burn your toast, too, Uberfuhrer. I'd hate to ruin everybody's breakfast.

 

[Oberon]

I'm not even the biggest Sci-Fi fan (I didn't really care for Babylon 5 or Lost for example), but I thought Firefly was da bomb. I wouldn't say Firefly is good sci-fi, I'd say it's just plain good (regardless of what genres you like). Serenity wasn't bad either.

Babylon 5 had its moments. If you could grit your teeth through the first season, it started to get good. The character development of G'Kar and Londo Mollari (during which they transition from bitter enemies to friends) is good, good TV.

And I never thought I'd use that phrase.

 

[The Ü™]

What about Farscape? Or as I call it, The Muppet Show in space!

 

[Recluse]

"Farscape" was one of my favorites: sexy and quirky--a killer combination. Too bad they had to rush through the ending storyline, but I felt that the ending of "Babylon 5" was wrapped up a bit hastily, too.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Babylon 5 had its moments. If you could grit your teeth through the first season, it started to get good. The character development of G'Kar and Londo Mollari (during which they transition from bitter enemies to friends) is good, good TV.

And I never thought I'd use that phrase.

"Babylon 5 you are an interesting TV show with a lot of wonderful qualities, but I am just not looking for that kind of commitment in a TV show at this point in my life. It's not you. It's me. I know there are plenty of other people out there that will want to watch you. I know you are a deep TV show and take some time getting accustomed to, but right now I am looking for a TV show that can give me cheep thrills and a lot of laughs without much commitment. Please don't take this as rejection Babylon 5, because you have a whole lot to offer other people."

 

[Mendacity]

Mycroft, if you're still interested in sci-fi book suggestions, you might pick up some William Gibson, Neal Stephenson (especially Snow Crash), some Ursula K. LeGuin, Frank Herbert if you haven't already read him and Harlan Ellison. It may not really fall under the sci-fi category but Neal Gaiman is one of my personal favorites.

 

[The Ü™]

Oh what the hell, everyone else seems to be grave robbing. I guess I'll dig in, too.

Another good Philip K. Dick story-turned-movie was Next. I enjoyed it quite a bit.