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!