Solo4114
Master Member
So, many of us have significant others, friends, relatives, etc. who often do not share our love of sci-fi.
In your opinion, what would be the best sci-fi to perhaps get them interested, and why? I'm not asking which sci-fi YOU enjoy the most, mind you. I'm asking which sci-fi you think would most appeal to someone who isn't really a fan, or who thinks it's kind of stupid/juvenile/lame/whatever.
For my money, I'd probably hew towards smarter sci-fi, and sci-fi that really depicts complex and compelling characters. I tend to think that the best science fiction and fantasy and such works because it highlights the underlying human condition by setting it against and contrasting it with the fantastical. It's the juxtaposition of the setting against the very real reactions and problems of the characters (who, hopefully, are also well acted) that makes the story compelling.
So, my list would include:
- Blade Runner (for the more complex themes and the visual gorgeousness)
- The new Battlestar Galactica (in spite of my criticisms, I still think it was fantastic at getting people who weren't sci-fi fans to care and watch)
- Game of Thrones, if I knew they liked political intrigue (and/or had a passing knowledge of the Wars of the Roses)
Past that, though, it starts getting a LOT harder for me.
I might show them Buffy, but it'd really depend on my sense of them, their personal background (I wouldn't bother showing Buffy to someone who didn't feel like a social outcast in high school), etc. I might show them the new Doctor Who, but only after I'd already got them accustomed to indulging in a bit of escapist fantasy.
I might show them Harry Potter and LOTR if they weren't already familiar with them (and yes, I know that's not technically sci-fi, but you know what I mean -- basically tales of the fantastical, be they futuristic or high/low fantasy). Potter because I think it does a good job of dealing with much of the pangs of adolescence, set against a larger battle in a fantastical world. LOTR because visually it's stunning, and because it's about as good a modern fairy tale as you can get. But LOTR would be more of a stretch, I think.
I might show them Alien/Aliens, but then only if I got the sense that they were into (A) horror, and/or (B) compelling performances (I still think Sigourney Weaver's performance in Aliens was top-notch).
I might show them Carnivale and/or Twin Peaks, if I got the sense that they could handle (A) the surreal, and (B) stories that were cut short, if only to experience the performances (Nick Stahl still amazes me with one particular scene in Carnivale...).
I would NOT show them any of the adaptations of Dune, although I'd strongly suggest they take a look at them for the deeper social and philosophical insights to be found in at least the first four books.
I would NOT show them any of the Star Wars films, simply because I think most non-sci-fi-fans would find them too juvenile or purely about being escapist fantasy, which is usually why I think they don't dig sci-fi in the first place -- the setting to which folks escape via that escapist fantasy does nothing for them. Laser guns? Robots? Spaceships? ZZZZZZZ. And transposing fantasy tales of the farm boy slaying the evil wizard into a space setting would merely be trading one kind of boring for another.
So, what about you folks? What would you show to get someone who wasn't into sci-fi/fantasy more into sci-fi/fantasy?
In your opinion, what would be the best sci-fi to perhaps get them interested, and why? I'm not asking which sci-fi YOU enjoy the most, mind you. I'm asking which sci-fi you think would most appeal to someone who isn't really a fan, or who thinks it's kind of stupid/juvenile/lame/whatever.
For my money, I'd probably hew towards smarter sci-fi, and sci-fi that really depicts complex and compelling characters. I tend to think that the best science fiction and fantasy and such works because it highlights the underlying human condition by setting it against and contrasting it with the fantastical. It's the juxtaposition of the setting against the very real reactions and problems of the characters (who, hopefully, are also well acted) that makes the story compelling.
So, my list would include:
- Blade Runner (for the more complex themes and the visual gorgeousness)
- The new Battlestar Galactica (in spite of my criticisms, I still think it was fantastic at getting people who weren't sci-fi fans to care and watch)
- Game of Thrones, if I knew they liked political intrigue (and/or had a passing knowledge of the Wars of the Roses)
Past that, though, it starts getting a LOT harder for me.
I might show them Buffy, but it'd really depend on my sense of them, their personal background (I wouldn't bother showing Buffy to someone who didn't feel like a social outcast in high school), etc. I might show them the new Doctor Who, but only after I'd already got them accustomed to indulging in a bit of escapist fantasy.
I might show them Harry Potter and LOTR if they weren't already familiar with them (and yes, I know that's not technically sci-fi, but you know what I mean -- basically tales of the fantastical, be they futuristic or high/low fantasy). Potter because I think it does a good job of dealing with much of the pangs of adolescence, set against a larger battle in a fantastical world. LOTR because visually it's stunning, and because it's about as good a modern fairy tale as you can get. But LOTR would be more of a stretch, I think.
I might show them Alien/Aliens, but then only if I got the sense that they were into (A) horror, and/or (B) compelling performances (I still think Sigourney Weaver's performance in Aliens was top-notch).
I might show them Carnivale and/or Twin Peaks, if I got the sense that they could handle (A) the surreal, and (B) stories that were cut short, if only to experience the performances (Nick Stahl still amazes me with one particular scene in Carnivale...).
I would NOT show them any of the adaptations of Dune, although I'd strongly suggest they take a look at them for the deeper social and philosophical insights to be found in at least the first four books.
I would NOT show them any of the Star Wars films, simply because I think most non-sci-fi-fans would find them too juvenile or purely about being escapist fantasy, which is usually why I think they don't dig sci-fi in the first place -- the setting to which folks escape via that escapist fantasy does nothing for them. Laser guns? Robots? Spaceships? ZZZZZZZ. And transposing fantasy tales of the farm boy slaying the evil wizard into a space setting would merely be trading one kind of boring for another.
So, what about you folks? What would you show to get someone who wasn't into sci-fi/fantasy more into sci-fi/fantasy?