Kate posted last week about Battlestar Galactica and how she's obsessed -- how everyone should watch it. In fact, over the last two months, I've become completely hooked on BSG, courtesy of my friend Felix literally handing me the first season. (Thanks Fe!)
I grew up watching the original series--the whole family would watch it on Saturday nights (or whenever it played). Yeah, the special effects were cheesy, and the plot remarkably similar to a certain other SF epic, but I loved it. (In fact, I still have a kneejerk, fangirl reaction 'by your command,' and the episode where the aliens were entombing people alive still scares me a bit. *cough*) This may explain a lot about me.
Yet for whatever reason, and despite the urging of several friends, I'd never watched the new version, until just recently. And now I'm hooked. The acting and writing are great, I love how it fits our world right now, and that the women are just as strong/tough/weak/stupid/smart/wrong/brave etc. as the men. It's smart, it's fast, it's fun, and it looks at dark, tough situations--what's not to love?
There's been a lot of critical attention/praise for BSG, which often starts along the lines of "Ignore the robots! This is really good!" Which drives me nuts--why does 'the mainstream' still think this?
Most of the sf I read and have loved has tackled exactly these sorts of topical issues for years--think of Joe Haldeman's classic THE FOREVER WAR, or Richard Morgan's recent MARKET FORCES. And KSR and Karen Traviss write about ecological issues and global warming, numerous authors have tackled social issues, discrimination, and so on.
Given its very nature this is -exactly- what sf does. It (and fantasy) are all about possibilities--good and bad, big and small. It's the literature of imagination, and observation, and commentary. Plus killer robots, wierd aliens, and cool toys. So why not bring on the astute political commentary and the kickass weapons both? They're not mutually exclusive.
Of course, since you're reading this I'm probably preaching to the choir. So let's hope we can use BSG to get more non-sf readers to come to the dark side as well.
In the meantime, Season 2.0, here I come!
-- Diana
Oh, my, you're in for a treat! The second season...wow. Prepare to be awed! Best show on television hands down (well, OK, "Lost" is pretty close). Wanders a bit in season three, but Ron Moore and company certainly take chances.
Wait until you get to the mid-season cliffhanger! We had to wait something like four months for the resolution to that one!!
Posted by: David Forbes | January 31, 2008 at 07:14 PM