In defense of Science Fiction

Many of you who know me know that I have little interest in the Science Fiction genre. Star Wars passed me by for 32 years. Star Trek has never been on my TV for more than a nanosecond and I click on by. Any book by Asimov or Adams had never held space on my book shelf. That is... until two years ago when I met Byron.

Byron loves Science Fiction. He loves Star Wars and reads Star Wars books voraciously and can talk for hours (it seems) about the characters and plots and developments. There is an Asimov book on my shelf now, because it's now our shelf, and Douglas Adams has a place in our home.

By and I have very different tastes when it comes to music, movies and books. I have (but am aiming for the past tense of have) a bad habit of brushing off and poo-pooing things I have never seen and declare that it is not worth my time. I caused my grief with this attitude when we were meshing our lives.

So we made a deal.

For every movie in his genre that we watch, he sees something I like. The result has been me liking Star Wars movies (the new ones, I don't care for the original ones. Luke Skywalker bothers me. He's a pussy.) and Byron liking The Sea Inside. We even did an experiement where I would read one of his favourite books, and he read one of mine. I like "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". He hated David Adams Richards' "Nights Below Station Street".

But I digress.

In my limited experience with Science Fiction, I have come to admire the genre. The people who write Science Fiction are some of the most creative people out there. You have to be incredibly creative to think of universes, cultures, species that are beleiveable. You have to build a world that makes people suspend their disbelief for a moment and accept that this is reality. Which brings me to the Science Fiction fans. They are some of the most creative people, too. It's easy to read a book from a different historical era, or another country. It's a human experience that can be somewhat universal. But to read a book, or watch a movie and understand that while it's all fake, that world does exist for that moment is unique. And then to talk about the Horax like it's real is stunning to me.

So thanks to Byron for opening my mind to something new. Maybe I'll find a book of mine that you'll love one day, too. We're going to see Star Trek soon. Please, pick your jaws off the ground.

May the Force Be With You,
xoxoSallyS