[Original Version published via corporate personal blog, Sept 15, 2017]
The Draw of Sci-Fi I am a lifelong fan of Sci-Fi, starting many years ago with Star Wars, Star Trek and Space: 1999. Of course, I also grew up watching classic Japanese anime and TV shows like Go Ranger (One of the original precursors to The Power Rangers), Raideen, Star Blazers, and Kikaida. All of these shows fascinated me and blew my mind away each and every week When some of them went on syndication, I watched them again to relive the joy. But I’ve been asking myself why I was so drawn to these, and other, shows? Why do I have collections of related paraphernalia at home and at my work station? What is it about these shows and franchises that left such an impression on me? The quick answer is: I haven’t the foggiest idea. The long and, hopefully, not too forced of an answer focuses on Star Wars and Star Trek: My gut reaction is that both franchises engage in the possibilities and wonders of life beyond our own world. These shows take me away to worlds and cultures light years away. They open my mind up to the endless possibilities of space exploration and exploring what it would be like to live among a myriad number of cultures and creatures. Both franchises embody the idea that humans are not alone in the universe, and that, perhaps, humans are also not necessarily the most important. Because of this, they engage my imagination with endless “What ifs” and “Why nots”. These are all the visual trappings, however. What’s also essential is that the characters and situations are relatable. Some are based in our current reality, sometimes disguised as alien encounters or inter-political intrigue. Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry and was originally pitched as Wagon Trail in the stars. This high concept show followed the mostly humanoid crew in adventures in space where their moral and ethical beliefs were challenged. These beliefs were grounded in a very human idealism that there is a peaceful solution to all conflicts; the true test of humanity was how we use our intelligence and imagination to make key decisions that have larger consequences. Star Wars, created by George Lucas, is more of a space fantasy where the story focused on a test of good versus evil in a galaxy that was more culturally diverse than anything I had seen before. Similar to Star Trek, at the center was a test of morality, illustrated by the battle between the Force users, the Jedi and the Sith. In both franchises, the creators used classic archetypes mostly in the form of the Heroic Trio: Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy for Star Trek, and Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia for Star Wars. While Capt. Kirk was given the leadership role, he often received advice of logic and rational thought from Mr. Spock, but also the human, ethical concerns from Dr. McCoy. Whether Capt. Kirk follows their advice is also a testimony to his own decision-making and strength of character, sometimes eschewing their judgments to find a less obvious third option and solution. While Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy serve as more intellectual sides of morality, Capt. Kirk was the animus, the one who would act upon his eventual decision and, usually, the one who would take responsibility for the result of his actions, good or bad. In Star Wars, the story is more of a coming of age tale where the main character becomes the hero through a series of challenges and obstacles that start with loss (deaths of Uncle Owen, Aunt Buru, Obi Wan Kenobi), skills development (training by Yoda), and finally confrontation (battling Darth Vader). The Heroic Trio are less directly involved in Luke’s overall development, but his concern for their welfare drives many of the decisions he makes, often impetuous choices like leaving his Jedi training too early and his rush to confront Darth Vader directly. Like Star Trek, the Heroic Trio offered different sides of humanity: Han Solo (and Chewbacca) physical abilities, Princess Leia with leadership, and young Luke following his heart, his emotions. Both explore the realms of what’s possible in the human condition. There will always be those forces that pull us towards the darker aspects of our nature (Star Trek’s Mirror Universe, Star Wars’ The Sith), but the decisions to go in those directions are always dependent upon the choices each person makes. In Star Trek, adventures in the Mirror Universe (a concept explored in every Star Trek franchise series, to date), the formation of the Empire versus the Federation was dependent upon the decision whether to be the aggressor in every situation or not. In Star Wars, the pull of the Sith and the Dark Side tugs at Luke, drawing on his emotions that he, eventually, overcomes in his goal to save his father. For a different look into the same type of journey, a review of the Prequels reveals where Anakin, Luke’s father, made a different set of choices that resulted in his penultimate fall, both physically and emotionally. Anakin only found redemption as Luke completes his own Hero’s Journey. To be sure, I remain a harsh critic of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy and half of the Star Trek cinematic episodes, but even there, the core of their stories, situations, and resolutions, are enjoyable. It is a relief when the good side wins. So, these shows, and others like them like Firefly and Doctor Who, take me away from the world but they also do not shy away from moral and ethical issues that affect everyone on a daily basis. While the real affects from these shows and movies remain in the fabric of fiction, the impact that they have stays with me and millions of others. Lastly, I cannot overlook that both franchises are fun to watch. It’s fun to see space battles with intricate piloting and things blowing up. Starships, space ships, fighters and cruisers, blowing each other up is exciting to see. Action, when done well, adds another dimension to the overall TV and movie watching experience. I can argue ad nauseum the merits of how good Sci-Fi can elevate the human condition, and I do believe that there are great examples of this in recent years. But for all that’s said and done, I’m drawn to Sci-Fi in all of its forms simply because it stimulates my mind and is a lot of fun to watch.
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