Science Fiction

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Sci-Fi is cool because it's about what is possible, instead of the feldercarb that often comprises what is real. If you want to get into Sci-Fi you have several choices. Of course, there are movies, TV shows, and books. I don't recommend that you try to get up to date on all of them at once. Start with the very best, and then branch out. 

BOOKS TV SHOWS  MOVIES


Books

One of the good ways for beginners to start is to choose award winning books. Somebody gives a book an award, it must be doing something right. I like to start people off with the books that have won both the Hugo and the Nebula Award. I've read them and they are all very good.

Another good way for a beginner to start is to find an author that you like and read a lot of their stuff. The opinions about authors below are strictly my own.

 Awards for Sci-Fi novels
bulletHugo - an award given each year by Sci-Fi fans.
bulletAwards by year
bulletNebula - an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc.
bulletAwards by year
bulletWinners of both awards

 


bulletAuthors - all of the opinions below are my own. In many cases, they're based on ignorance - I only know the books I've read, and there are so many more that I haven't found time for. There are lots of other Sci-Fi authors, but I haven't read enough to know anything about them.
bulletSoft Sci-Fi - more emphasis on people and story than science. This is not a clear line. 
bulletPhilip José Farmer. The Riverworld series of books is a very fresh vision. Burton makes a great protagonist, and that's just the beginning of the way that Farmer leverages history to write the future.
bulletRobert A Heinlein - The Action books - Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Glory Road, Hero For Hire. Later, the Lazarus Long stories, until he went crazy and started writing Time Enough for Love and all that came after.
bulletUrsula K Le Guin 
bulletThe Dispossessed
bulletThe Left Hand of Darkness
bulletJack L Chalker. A bit too much transformation of bodies for my tastes, but I exchanged email with this thoughtful Baltimorioles fan and he is certain that the point is When, not If, people will be genetically engineered in significant ways. I can't say why, but I can't put the books down. Give me more.
bulletThe Lords of the Diamond
bulletThe Well World
bulletThe Run to Chaos Keep
bulletThe Wonderland Gambit
bulletFrank Herbert - Dune. Was it me, or did this franchise start out great and then peter out?
bulletVonda McIntyre
bulletPhilip K Dick. A kind of grandfather to modern sci-fi. Strong future vision in every story.
bulletOrson Scott Card - He's famous, but I'm not nuts about the children's stories.
bulletConnie Willis
bulletThe Doomsday Book  1993
bulletTo Say Nothing of the Dog 1998
bulletLois McMaster Bujold
bulletHard Sci-Fi - some serious science involved in the story. 
bulletIsaac Asimov - The Foundation, the Robots
bulletDavid Brin. The Uplift Saga is very powerful. I like many of the characters. I wonder if this saga will ever be resolved?
bulletKim Stanley Robinson 
bulletThree Californias Trilogy
bulletMars Trilogy
bulletNeal Stephenson
bulletSnow Crash, 
bulletCryptonomicon, 
bulletThe Diamond Age
bulletGreg Bear
bulletGregory Binford
bulletLarry Niven 
bulletRing World
bulletArthur C Clark 
bullet2001 and after, 
bulletRama
bulletOn the line
bulletJoe Haldeman - The Forever War 1976 , The Forever Peace 1998

 

TV

There's more Sci-Fi on TV in 2002 than I can remember. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I admit that I like the spoilers. I intend to add links for episode synopses and for spoilers.

FarScape. One of the best shows on TV of any genre. Period. Cancelled in 2003. Watch repeats if you can find them.
Andromeda. A Gene Roddenberry Idea.
Stargate SG-1. McGyver goes to space with a babe, a scholar, and a big alien. I think that the scholar is gone now, and the series is moved to Sci-Fi this year. Wait, the scholar is back in 2003.
Earth: Final Conflict. Another Gene Roddenberry idea.
Enterprise. The current Star Trek show, which is a Gene Roddenberry idea.
Alias. While not strictly sci-fi, there's a bit of a time travel hint, and Jennifer Garner is unbelievable.
Babylon 5. They don't make this any  more, but I liked it a lot.
Yahoo - Entertainment::Babylon 5 
Spoofs and takeoffs
 
The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
  Firefly. I liked it and it didn't last.
  John Doe. Why didn't they wrap up the story?

 

Movies

Scifi movies are great experiences. I like scifi movies that have good stories, good characters, good actors, and that look cool.  

Star Wars

New Trilogy Old Trilogy
Star Wars - Episode 1 The Phantom Menace Star Wars - Episode 2 Attack of the Clones
 Star Wars - Episode 3 ??? Star Wars - Episode 4
A New Hope		 Star Wars - Episode 5 The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars - Episode 6 Return of the Jedi




Star Trek

The even ones are good, the odd ones are not as good. Exception - 6 was bad.

Star Trek I The Motion Picture (1980) Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Trek III The Search for Spock (1984) Star Trek IV The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Trek V The Final Frontier (1989) Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Star Trek VII Generations (1994) Star Trek VIII First Contact (1996)
Star Trek IX Insurrection (1998) Star Trek X "Nemesis" (2002?)

The Matrix

The Terminator


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