Wednesday 28 January 2009

Sci fi Chick and Fantasy Girl or, How to be a complete Geek

After I wrote my post yesterday (about my daughter and Dr Who) I wondered if anyone would comment on it. Not only did I get a fabulous response, so thank you to you who wrote in; many of you who commented to me, said that you watched Star Trek growing up, or Star Wars. There are a lot of us, and I am very glad!

Reflecting more, I realized after I read all the comments, that I have another hidden facet to my personality - or, perhaps not hidden, just not one I recognized before. So here, now, I officially present: SCI FI CHICK! *drum roll* To qualify in this select group, you must have enjoyed a science fiction tv series growing up, read at least one science fiction author, and have watched a recent science fiction series on tv.

Some favourite recent tv viewing:
Lost
Firefly - and the spin-off movie, Serenity
X-Files
Star Trek
Dr Who
Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy
Babylon 5
Battlestar Galactica


I would have to say that the above list comprises about 80% of my favourite shows ever on TV.

Some favourite SF authors:
Connie Willis
Orson Scott Card
Lois McMaster Bujold
Allan Steele
Ray Bradbury

However, the bulk of my sf/fantasy reading is fantasy, so *coughs* may I present:
FANTASY GIRL, twin to Sci Fi Chick. Fantasy Girl believes in unicorns, magic,elves, ghosts, happy endings, knights in shining armour, talking cats, witches, and fairy tales. She swishes around in her gauzy skirts and peasant blouses, reading long into the night, and writes down her dreams. For her I watch:
King Arthur anything
Merlin anything
Dresden Files (still getting reruns once in a while!)
Buffy (*sigh* still one of the best shows ever on tv)
Dracula in almost anything
and a host of other things I can't remember

My favourite fantasy authors are too many to enumerate, but some favourites are: Neil Gaiman, JRR Tolkien, Charles De Lint, Patricia McKillip, Robin McKinley, Susan Cooper, Delia Sherman, Emma Bull, Jasper Fforde, Peter Beagle, Tim Powers.....

Because, thinking over my tv viewing habits, they have followed my reading habits quite closely: mainly mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, with the classics thrown in whenever a BBC or England production comes our way, or WGBH PBS in Boston, which we used to get.

Is it any wonder my children grow up looking at the moon and the stars, wondering what's out there?

Sci-fi Chick and Fantasy Girl would like to acknowledge that this makes me completely geeky.

I do make one humble remark: I also watch some tv with my husband, mostly comedy which he prefers. Poor man, he only likes some science fiction movies (most of them put him to sleep), and he is so not into fantasy! Thankfully, we have the same sense of humour, so The Office, and Gavin and Stacey (a British comedy) are current must-sees, as well as 30 Rock. Over the last two years it was the BBC tv show Life on Mars, which we were addicted to. Part mystery/cop show, part time travel, it was simply cool, and we shared it. And so, my Fantasy Girl's belief in true love (The Princess Bride! and my husband always falls asleep by the Fire Swamp part....) comes true.

Happy reading, everyone!

7 comments:

Shelley said...

I guess I'm a complete geek, too (Well, I already knew that!) because I love all of the kinds of things you mentioned above. I used to love this series called Earth 2 but it didn't last very long, I don't know how many other people watched it--evidently not enough!

Michelle Fluttering Butterflies said...

I was never one growing up, but I think I'm turning into one. I adore The X Files, Lost, Buffy, King Arthur/Merlin, and I'm reading more and more scifi/fantasy books than ever before. And loving it all.

mariel said...

Well I for one am a fellow fantasy/scifi geek (though I don't enjoy reading sci-fi...curious!)! I love all things Arthurian along with and shows like Buffy, Firefly, Supernatural and Battlestar Galactica. Be proud!

DesLily said...

well..needless to say the original Trek will always stay strong in my heart. But I did watch other treks right up to and including enterprise. Liked Babylon5 and just so Shelley doesn't think she's alone I loved Earth 2! Loved the first two seasons of Lost.. now Lost is getting me lost! sheesh.
I never got into reading sci fi though.. way back when I read a few of the first Trek books by Carmen Carter and A C Crispin but as good as they were they didnt hook me into reading more.
I watch most every sci fi/ fantasy movie that comes out...(just saw Inkheart) love my old Trek movies and star wars of course, and love movies like Princess Bride and Kull, can't forget Dragonheart and of course the HP movies.. they are all the best!! When younger I was always at the "summer movies".. they were the ones that had the trek and star wars, the indiana jones and superman movies !

I read a lot of fantasy and YA books. Tolkien, Eddings, Weis and Hickman and Anne McCaffrey are some of my favorite authors.

Cath said...

I can that there are several of us here who would have to call ourselves sci fi and fantasy chicks. Heheh. I love that description. I'm pleased that so much of what you like comes from the BBC. A lot of what I liked and still like comes from the USA - right from the word go when it was American TV westerns in the early 60s, then The Man From Uncle, The Monkees, followed by Star Trek of course. I'd discovered sci fi just before Star Trek so when it appeared in the UK in 1969 I knew it was going to be a Big Thing with me. And it was. I fell heavily for Spock. Of course there were BBC shows too, Dr. Who and Blake's 7 to name but two. I think I've just always been a TV fan. These days I'm very much into Merlin, Dr. Who, Torchwood and am now rewatching the entire seven seasons of Buffy (I've only ever seen about half). Truthfully, I'd hate to be without my TV shows, and, like you said, my reading has mirrored this lifelong passion. Fun post!

Ana S. said...

As a fan of Babylon 5, x-Files, Hitchhiker's and plus Stargate, I think I qualify :D I'm definitely more of a fantasy girl, but I do have a sci-fi side to me too.

Also: GEEK PRIDE!

Susan said...

Shelley: i really liked Earth 2 as well. It didn't last very long, but we (my eldest son and I) were avid fans. Glad to know you were too! I think it's safe to say you are sci fi chick and fantasy girl!!

Michelle:well, it's never too late to become a sci fi girl!! :-) X-files *high five* because I lived for Fri nights when it was on! Cath's been telling about the new Merlin show in Britain, it hasn't come to Canada yet.

Mariel: you like Firefly. another one of us! (Becky from Musings from the sofa is another). *sigh* Nathan Filion is Canadian so I get first dibs!! lol
how do you like the new Battlestar Galactica? I actually get butterflies in my stomach before it comes on, it's so good and so surprising. I try to watch supernatural, but get bored because they often don't go for the jugular, though when they do, whew! those are scary.

Deslily: this season of lost is really good, even though the timeline is now hopelessly confused for me as they go backwards in time. i'm enjoying the acting and the fact we don't have the horrible Ben on the screen all the time, I hated him!

I tried reading a few Trek books too, but it wasn't the same, and I just can't get into fan literature, although it is big business. Gee, some of us liked Earth 2! Just not the ones Nielsen had ratings in, I guess. I really enjoyed that show. I think you qualify as both, welcome!!! lol

Cath: you're another Spock fan! he was my favourite too. I know I'm like McCoy in nature, but I loved Spock and kept trying to emulate him, to no success since I still cry far too easily. He's still my hero.

Isn't Torchwood good, especially with both Owen and Taniko dying like that? Wow. I just watched the season ender again, it was so good. Then the Dr Who cross-0ver (we got it delayed); it was hilarious, my daughter at age 6 is suddenly becoming a Jack fan!!! lol she kept squealing whenever he came on!

thanks, I enjoyed writing the post too. I'm having fun seeing how many of us do like sci fi and fantasy!

nymeth: hello, fantasy girl!! lol I'm so glad you enjoy X-files and Bablyon 5, in fact I am surprised by how many of us there are who liked Babylon 5. The creatures, Morden, Sinclair vs Sheridan vs who was the better captain.....how about you be mostly fantasy girl with a little sci fi stun gun on the side? lol

and Hitchhiker's is classic, I own the books and the dvds, and I have to admit to laughing far too much at Marvin, because I know I can sound just like him if I let myself get really negative!!!