I like my sci-fi... the problem is a lot of it is crap... and having just spent the last week and a bit watching Battlestar Galactica [yes i got through all 4 series, the pilot and razor in just over a week... i have way too much time one my hands...] i'm lacking a sci-fi fix and i'm looking for recommendations. Despite the tag it doesn't have to be TV, it can be a film or a book [though i'd rather watch than read atm]... all I ask is it not be ****... stuff i've seen recently -- BSG [+ the Pilot/Miniseries + Razor] Firefly + Serenity Farscape Andromeda Star Trek [Films 8-11 and Voyager] Babylon 5 Stargate Universe [+ the original film] Ghost in the Shell [+ Innocence] L5 Dr Who [most recent season of] Red Dwarf Stuff I Didn't like/that almost bored me into a coma -- 2001 [it was so dull I've never once managed to watch it all the way through... and i've tried, several times...] Alien [all of them] Star wars [again, all of them]
Fringe, its sorta sci-fi sorta crime show. I love it, its one of my favorite tv shows. I also put my vote in for red dwarf.
forgot about red dwarf [it's filed in my head as comedy rather than Sci-Fi]... it should be on the list...
^What he said. The Alien films aren't all about action and amazing special effects, much more about the horror/frights and the over-arching storyline that runs through the series. I would suggest looking up the original Startrek films, there are some real gems amongst the first 7 ( Wrath of Khan stands out as the all-time best Trek film ). The Abyss & Predator 1 & 2 are also epic films for their day, and you may well like the Final Fantasy film too.
everyone's entitled to an opinion... yours is wrong but you're entitled to it anyway... was half-expecting a comment like that at some point i'll give both lexx and fringe a look EDIT: seen all of the 'original series' films [with possible exception of #3], though personally First Contact is my favourite of all of them Not seen the Abyss, Predator 1 + 2 are action films that happen to have an alien in them imo [and 1>2, again, imo], and The Spirits Within wasn't bad... just missing *something*... it feels a bit lifeless, like none of the voice actors are that interested in what they're doing...
In terms of books, Neuromancer by William Gibson is a must, I have worn out 1 copy of that and if you like your reading a little heavier then take a look at Liz Williams' stuff. Patient Zero by Jonathan Mayberry is a good read if you like your zombie stuff as is his Dragon Factory. His style is a lot like reading a fast moving action film, lots of short, choppy chapters, in fact the entire first chapter is written on the back of Patient Zero, all 2 lines or so of it...
I'd definitely recommend Fringe. You might want to check out Torchwood, especially the last series, Miracle Day. The earlier series are a bit campy and fun. In Miracle Day it got real serious and well done.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (especially the last few seasons) Babylon 5: Crusade Dark Angel Jake 2.0 Special Unit 2 Ultraviolet Chuck First Wave The Invisible Man The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Alphas
Dollhouse was good, if you like Whedon. Terminator: The sarah connor chronicles was pretty good -- personally thought it was more authentic to the terminator universe than any of the films post T2. Strange days is an underrated cyberpunk-esque gem of a film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow of Hurt Locker fame. Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis and Tom Sizemore all in one film -- what more could you ask for? +1 For Neuromancer and the rest of the sprawl trilogy.
Only Voyager? That's easily the worst Star Trek You should watch Enterprise (especially Season 3+4), TNG and Deep Space Nine! Watching a random episode on Sky/Cable doesn't really get you into it as it would starting from scratch.
I have watched all of them, the list in the OP was just stuff I'd watched relatively recently [past 6 months or so]... I prefer the later TNGs, DS9 was ok, Voyager wasn't all that bad, Enterprise suffered slightly from an identity crisis [was it a star trek prequel or not?] and by the time they'd figured it out it was too late, it's also up there for one of the worst endings going... Dollhouse was interesting but i kind of lost interest when i heard it'd been canned [early season 2]... It was a while ago but my memories of B5:Crusade aren't pleasant ones... the others I'll keep in mind
another +1 for LEXX. It's utterly cheesy over top crap in the most brilliant and fantastic way, if that makes any sense. 14 posts in and no one has mentioned The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy?! Bit-tech I am disappoint. (admittedly the radio series and book would take preference over the Tv series but it's still an excellent option. No other visual media of this franchise was ever made! I mean it, the movie is the worst corruption of a book or TV series I have ever seen.) If you're a Wheldon fan I'd also give a +1 to Dollhouse. It wasn't amazing but it was decent enough. And a definite +1 for Chuck. not sci-fi in the space sense but a lot of fictional future tech and it really is a geeks ultimate wet dream scenario (as is Yvonne Strahovski *dribble*)
No-one mentioned Sunshine yet? Love that film. District 9 is good as well; fantastic production and some of the most naturalistic acting I've seen.
Sunshine annoyed me immensely. It had all the hallmarks of a truly great sci-fi movie and was going great until 3/4 of the way through the entire production team couldn't be bothered anymore, gave up, tried to remake event horizon and failed miserably. Such a waste.
Space: Above and Beyond? V: The Series was ok For books - anything by Iain M Banks in particular the Culture novels.
Let's first do the classics, young Padwan: Metropolis by Fritz Lang. We will not speak again until you have seen this. Forbidden Planet (see where Gene Roddenberry got it all from) This Island Earth War of the Worlds Invasion of the Body Snatchers And anything by Jack Arnold, frankly. Barbarella (see where Lexx got it from!) The Andromeda Strain Dark Star (see where ALIEN got the whole "truckers in space" look from) Silent Running (see where ALIEN got the whole "truckers in space" look from) 2001: A Space Odyssee (yes, I'm afraid so. It's obligatory) And of course: Blade Runner You have seen Blade Runner, haven't you? You HAVE, haven't you? Of course you've SEEN IT, HAVEN'T YOU?!? TALK TO ME!!! The foreign: Ikari XB1 (Russian, B&W. Atmospheric and a cracking ending) Solaris (Russian. Atmospheric, ponderous, but again required viewing. On the upside, 2001 will seem like an action flick in comparison) Raumpattrouille (A German Star Trek. Awesome. See the series, not the recent film compiled from the series) The Anime: Akira (Like Blade Runner, if you haven't seen this yet, get your coat) Ghost in the Shell; GitS Innocence; GitS Stand Alone Complex Series optional, but you might as well. Metropolis (a sort of homage to Fritz Lang movie, but a different story) Roujin Z (by the makers of Akira, little-known and much underrated) Cowboy Bebop (film or series; ideally both) The contemporary classics: Total Recall Strange Days The Matrix (there never were any sequels) Minority Report Through a Scanner, Darkly Moon Honourable mentions: I, Robot Repo Men In Time That should keep you going for a bit. It's not entertainment, it's an education.