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Me and Sci-Fi

I would not describe myself as a fan, as in fanatic, of science fiction. Instead I would say that enthusiast might be a better description. I like Star Trek in most of it's incarnations, but I have never had the desire to dress like a Klingon or add pointy bits to my ears. I can't put them in exact order, but out of all the Star Trek incarnations I would rate the original, the New Generation and Enterprise as best and Voyager and Deep space Nine as worst.

I have never rated such things as Buffy The Vampire Slayer as Sci-Fi and I hate much of the output of The Sci-Fi channel.

I get most of my kicks from reading Sci-Fi. Below is a list of authors who appear most frequently on my bookshelf ( in no special order).

 

Isaac Asimov

Arthur C. Clark

Harry Harrison

Edmond Cooper

Robert A.Heinlein

Ben Bova

Larry Niven

Alan Dean Foster

 

I do enjoy watching Sci-Fi movies, but I have a preference for older ones, or ones that have a really good story line instead of excess special effects and loud noises.

Two films that I would really recommend are The Day The Earth Caught Fire and Soylent Green. The first is set in London during the early 1960's and is in black and white. The second is set in the imminent future and is in colour. Both are very gritty, tense dramas and actually have little science in them. They are "what if ?" type of films.

I can't think of any very memorable scene in The Day The Earth Caught Fire. All of it is good. In Soylent Green there is one scene that sticks in the mind like glue. It is very sad, very moving and is accompanied by Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony ( I had to buy that uplifting music after hearing it there). You'll have to watch the film to find out what it is, but if it don't bring at least a lump to your throat, then your not human.

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Copyright Bill Kelsey 2003