a little gecko blog

Everyone watches lots of movies and loads of people read books. What your best friend told you about Science Fiction is completely false. The discussion around the water cooler is also unbalanced. True, real, born and bred Science Fiction is not: gore and monsters; ray guns and alien battles; space ships and corny sets; nor, anything to do with horror. What? No aliens, no ray guns? No monster chasing the pretty lady? No Captain Kirk to save the day?

Right O! Good honest science fiction , whether in films or in books is a major flavor different than what you have been led to believe. "Indiana Jones’ adventures in another place" is a bit nearer to a better definition. Truth is, no one definition could even come close to the marvelous worlds, cultures, people, objects, places, etc. that await the intrepid adventurer! Horror movies, vampires, magic swords, evil robots hold no place in the genre of really good sci-fi. The best way to understand great science fiction (or what should be called "Robinson Crusoe in space") stories is to recommend a couple of really intriguing stories that you have never heard of. Read these and decide for yourself if they are worth mentioning to mom.

Explaining a really good story that happens to be in the vein of science fiction is just like any other really good story you like to read. Little Women, Robinson Crusoe, David Copperfield, Sherlock Holmes, or Tarzan, are timeless. They are timeless because they are wonderful stories. Great Science Fiction (and a little Fantasy) stories are just like these; wonderful, full of perfect descriptions of marvelous places. They romp around in our heads, long after we have read them, when we least expect them to: memorable, enjoyable, just plain fun. And this came about all because you read a "good" Sci-Fi book. Now, go watch "Matrix" again. That is really good Sci-Fi. Forget Horror…Sci-Fi is the way to fly!