Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I Wonder How Sci-Fi the Future Will Be?

I am very picky about my science-fiction loyalties. Sci-fi from the past (Star Wars)? Eh. Ewoks are cute, but that’s pretty much my only opinion about the Forces. Sci-fi predicting the future (Star Trek)? Ew. Shatner, Stewart, and company never really did much for me. Sci-fi where the future has gone apocalyptic and catapulted us into a super-juiced version of the past (“Firefly” & Serenity)? Bring. It. On.

That’s the kind of space travel I want—shuttling around a colonized desert planet, wearing a corset and carrying a cool Japanese parasol.

Knowing that kind of space-travel-as-the-norm world will only happen inside Joss Whedon’s head kind of takes the fun out of thinking about the future. I honestly don’t think I’ve considered whether or not being on a space station or visiting Venus will be a real possibility for me or my nephew or his kids. I’m sure it will happen eventually, b/c if humans can find a way to claim more things and say they reign supreme over/on them, they will.

I remember having a dumb class assignment for a science fair in elementary school about imagining and building a model of what I thought a space station would look like … and what I remember about it was that it was terrible. I used lots of plain-white bendy straws, tape, and Saran Wrap. I didn’t really care one way or the other, but I do know that I grasped the concept that no matter how you decorate your space pad, you’d better have some plants if you want to make it, b/c photosynthesis rules!

And I remember drawing pictures of myself as an astronaut, mostly so I could draw a really perfect circle around my head for my helmet. I also gave myself curly hair in these pictures, so we all know how realistic that vision of the future was going to turn out to be.

I think I’ve decided that I’m cool with whatever form of space travel or space living the future brings, as long as someone makes Joss a consultant on the project. Because I can’t imagine there’s anything more awesome than riding a horse on the moon.

1 comment:

super jane said...

it's good to have you back.

i missed you.