Fenxy

The only way I could suffer through Titanic more than once is to eagerly await the final sequence where everyone dies and start laughing at their floating bodies. I kid you not I actually laughed at that aloud in the cinema while people were crying next to me. I had funny looks after that.

I don't think Dark Knight would smash the record Titanic made. It'll come close, but I doubt it would. You'd need a sappy love story with an overplayed love song to top that. I somehow doubt "Titanic 2: Rose Meets Gilligan" would play big at the box office.

It was awesome. I watched it twice. I dare say what for a villain, he's just as cool as The Joker. Dr. Horrible is an inspiration to all us mad scientists.

I read a science fiction blog called io9. I first heard it there ages ago. Then again, I've always been a Joss Whedon fan, so I would have heard about it anyway regardless. :)

Too bad it's only going to be shown for free till the 20th of July. I would recommend this to everyone I know, if they were online to watch it.

Pure awesomeness. In fact. I'm planning to watch it again. It is overhyped though and it is not the second coming. But watching the Joker play up totally makes up for it.

Never has darkness been so delicious.

Actually, you're not the only one who thinks so too. Check this out though, while Johnny 5 is the most obvious robot Wall.E took after, there are some more on the list as well.

The Robots That WALL-E Stole From

I hate to admit it. But right now its The Call by Regina Spektor from the Prince Caspian soundtrack. It was either that or the full version of this:

You can tell I made the right call on this one...or not.

Yeah Gnorb, it's all there. I'll put it down from memory what they wrote for the top 12 Sci-Fi series in no particular order.

Quantum Leap
Twilight Zone
Sliders
Stargate SG-1
Babylon 5
Outer Limits
Doctor Who
Star Trek
Farscape
Firefly
X-Files
Battlestar Galactica

Alien Nation!! That was good. Not awesome but good, though...I'm not sure Twin Peaks can be considered Sci-Fi. Sure it had weirdness, but it's too supernatural to be Sci-Fi. V scared the shit out of me as a kid. Especially when the invaders removed their fake eyes and jumped at the screen.

The War of the Worlds TV series was also one show I was addicted to. It's totally better than the Spielberg remake of the movie.

Another one that scared the shit out of me was a show which I couldn't remember the name. It was a cross between Aliens and body snatchers. Aliens would hide in the bodies of humans and when they attack it would be lethal to any human around because of the radiation from their bodies. The aliens were black and huge with spikes on their bodies. I wonder if anyone remembered a show like that?

Lost is Sci-Fi, but I think as a whole show itself, the plot is too convoluted to make any sense. It is awesome, but it needs to be easier to swallow.

@Scrivs: Because I refuse to watch it until I've watched the miniseries that came out before the series. I'm actually waiting for BSG to finish its run and come out with the complete boxset + miniseries and kill everything in one stone. Plus I don't usually have time to watch prime time. Most of what I have is on DVD or downloaded.

As an avid fan of Sci-Fi, I totally agree with the list. I was expecting them to forget stuff like Babylon 5 and Doctor Who but I'm surprised that they put those in there. I have watched every single one of them though. With exception of the new Battlestar Galactica (I watched the old version). Man...thisbrings back the good old days.

I remember sneaking up late at night to watch Quantum Leap every week and then missed the LAST 15 minutes of the LAST EPISODE of the series when my TV went kaput.

Now I feel like getting all the series on those lists and having a back to back sci-fi marathon. Pure geek awesomeness.

I refuse to admit that Blade Trinity ever existed. The first two blade movies were awesome. Transcends the comics but doesn't follow it. Blade trinity just takes a great thing from the comics (The Night Stalkers) and then make a comic out of it.

The best movie adaptation of a comic?

The first Batman movie that was directed by Tim Burton. Gothic and true to the comics. Not to say that Batman Begins wasn't awesome, but I think during Batman Begins, comics began to imitate the movie instead. I can't recall Batman being a ninja in the comic. Maybe I missed that since I wasn't much of a DC fan.

V for Vendetta was pretty good to the original graphic novels, so was Sin City and 300.

The absolute worst? Aliens vs Predator: Requiem. They bastardized and destroyed everything that made AvP good.

@Shadowsun: Speed Racer was based on the anime. I think Gnorb is going about American comics and graphic novels.

Star Wars? I laugh at Star Wars. :)

Seriously though, Gnorb beat me to it. Almost every science fiction novel out there it built around fantasy. If we're going to build science fiction around actual science that we know and understand now, a lot of the stories we know and love wouldn't have existed.

It is that imagination to go where no one has dreamed off that spawned some of the best stories in both science fiction and fantasy novel. Give, I don't real much fantasy as I do with science fiction, but I dare say Dune, Foundation, Rama, or Perdido Street Station all breathe in them fantasy that puts our imaginations into an infinite world.

I do think, however, that when it comes to these moral, ethical or plain societal questions raised about a future or possible other civilizations, we speak of "science" fiction, in which we start out with a more or less earth-like society and see how it deals with technological advances or manages the confrontation with alien entities.

The kind in which you speak off is more of a plotwise direction. It's something that allows the readers to digest more easily because rebuilding a whole world in your mind that's completely alien can throw off the average reader. That being said, many of the best science fiction novels start off with worlds that are completely beyond a present Earth like society. They are possibilities maybe, but the scope of the worlds, culture, philosophy and ethics of these universes are comparable with the alien worlds of mainstream fantasy novels.

At the end of it, wasn't it Arthur C. Clarke that once said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"?

Whether it be pop culture like Star Wars or the relatively unknown-to-the-masses stories like Perdido Street Station. Those far fetched possibilities of science cannot be told apart from fantasy. The point is not to look at them based upon its mainstream elements (both science fiction and fantasy), but rather in the intricacies in which they are built on.

P.S. Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy are excellent fantasy novels that have complex ethical and philosophical worlds. Why? Because they original worlds of their own not based on the Tolkien Universe.

I'd like to put:

"If you can see this, you're too close."

But what I'd really put is:

"Disclaimer: Not really made from green cheese."

Nice nice. Hard to find some of these songs, but keep them coming.

@Liza: Though I might have to mention that while Torchwood somewhat reflects modern Britain. Doctor Who is more sci-fi and less culture. It's more conservative Britain compared to Torchwood, so there is a marked difference you might not like.

@Liza: Torchwood is a spin-off of the new Doctor Who actually. The last episode of Season 1 Torchwood and first episode season 2 ties in nicely with the last 3 episodes of season 3 Doctor Who. The reason why Captain Jack is immortal is explained in the episode finale of Doctor Who season 1 and further along the final season 3 episodes.

In fact, Season 2 has more Doctor Who crossovers as well and rumour has it that season 3 of Torchwood will be made to crossover nicely with episodes of Doctor who later on.

@Gnorb: I know about Katsulas and Biggs passing on, that's why I say the show can't go on without it. But I didn't know about Michael O'Hare being sick. If Straczynski plans to bring remake Babylon 5, I don't know how he can do it since he outlined Sheridan's role in a lot of things. He'd better have a great reason to leave them out in the main plot because the Psi-Wars and the Drakk plague were good reasons for a whole new season.

Oh wait...am I supposed to pick one I like the best?

Don't make me choose cause it'll be very hard to decide. :(

Oh wow...let me get into this.

I have the complete Star Trek: Next Generation and Voyager DVDs. I'm trying to get the complete Deep Space 9 collection but I just don't have the money right now.

The thing is, I didn't really buy into the whole Star Wars universe as I did with Star Trek. Not that I didn't love it yeah, but it just didn't hold much of an appeal. At least not till the books came out, but we're not talking about the books or graphic novels here.

Babylon 5 One of the best written sci-fi series out there before it finally got axed. Even until now, Michael Straczynski thinks it can be ressurected, but I say despite the 5 movies, if it doesn't have G'kar, Sheridan and Delenn, it isn't going to work. Still, it's my cult favourite. I have all the 5 seasons including the 5 movies.

I also have all 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1 including the original movie. Loved it to bits, then they started with seasons 9 and 10 that kinda killed it a bit. Still thankfully they are making 2 movies to fix that little mistake because they didn't end it well enough. Jack O'Neil for the win!!

Firefly was one of the biggest mistakes to cost the Sci-Fi Channel. Serious it had so much potential. Still, thank God for Serenity and rumour has it a sequel to Serenity or was it a Prequel? Not sure if that'll work though, but we'll reserve that right.

Farscape was also another thing they should have canceled. Incidentally, the Stargate SG-1 episode with Claudia Black doing a Farscape movie pitch to the movie producer. Hilarious.

I loved Space: Above and Beyond. Well, only started watching it because it was produced by the same people that produced X-Files, but it was worth watching.

I can't say I don't love Heroes. I do. So there.

Also a show I can't say I don't love. The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Summer Glau (River Tam from Firefly/Serenity) as the new Terminatrix sent to protect John Connor. New alternate timeline. Spells cool all over it. The good thing is...doesn't sound like they are axing it after the first season.

As much as it doesn't have beam weapons, robots, space and flying ships. I think Jericho should have a worthy mention even though chances are...it's not coming back as well. Come on, post apocalyptic nuked America? How can that not be sci fi and cool?

There is a sci-fi show that has to be watched by everyone regardless but I'm not sure if Americans do get it. Doctor Who, both the original series and the remade series. I don't think you can be a true sci-fi junky without appreciating the Doctor for all it's low budget but highly well thought storylines, especially in the new series.

I've left out Battlestar Galactica because truthfully...I haven't watched it yet. I've watched the original yes, but I haven't had time to start this new remake. I'm waiting for it to end before I get the whole 4 seasons including the miniseries though. I know it'll be worth it.

With all this screaming I'm another junkie, it makes you wonder, what time dilating device do I have that allows me to have some semblance of a normal life?

Nice list Lelia. I actually forgot that I has Minority and Killing in the Name Of.

And just to put it in the spirit of things, let's leave it at rock for this list. I think it embodies the rebel more so than any other genre out there. Keep the list coming along guys. I know there are more than the fair share of rebels out there in everyone.

Damn...at least he finished his last film too. He was a good actor.

I didn't mind Battlefield Earth actually even though a lot of it made me cringe in horror.

The Golden Compass for me wins hands down. The worst piece of storytelling ever. If it wasn't for the fact I was with friends, I would have walked out of it halfway through the movie.

What have you been smoking again?

Vinyl or Downloads. I mean. Maybe I just like to live in the past but there is something about vinyl I can't put down. It feels much more solid than a CD. I've got a lot of vinyls that I kinda inherited from my parents and since I grew up on them, I find them appealing.

Of course though, being practical, vinyls aren't exactly the sort of thing you want to carry around in a subway to listen to music. So yeah, downloads are for me there.

@Vidar: Then you should have been rooting Neville because he is the bad guy in the movie.

That's the thing. It's not supposed to be a zombified horror movie. It's supposed to emphasize bias for the only human left standing. It should have left you empathizing Neville only to leave thinking of how wrong you are when you realize that the vampires are actually us and Neville is the one killing them all without prejudice.

Damnit, I'd have to watch the movie now. It really sounds like I'll enjoy it even if it doesn't follow the book to the letter.

Lord of the Rings had the movie being better than the book. We all have to admit that.

Neville and Sam (the dog) does die in the book so that much I expected and any deviation from that would just be bad.

What I want to know from the movie is that does it still bring the same feeling of despair and claustrophobic isolation that the book gave? I'm beginning to think that the movie is giving a different kind of atmosphere (aside from the obvious Hollywood bastardization) but for those that read the book and have watched the movie.

Does it capture that despair?

The thing is, the book isn't much of a zombie story. It's about a man who does everything to stay sane being the last person on Earth.

Of course, like those of us who read the book, he is legend because he's the last human alive, the myth in the darkness.

I have yet to see the movie though, I do hope it's worth watching. Especially after watching The Golden Compass which now ranks top of the list for the worst movie adaptation of a book I have ever seen.

The Outlaws - Ghost Riders (In the Sky)

It's meant to be a dark rock song damnit.

Surf the net. Watch TV. Do the jig with the on-hold music. You know, fun stuff.

There is always something to do when the phone is next to something entertaining, even if I'm on a corded phone.

Liz Phair - Probably few that haven't heard of her. Some of her songs might be a little twisted when you listen to it carefully, but they are really really good.

Within Temptation - Opera/Gothic Metal with heavy female vocals from Netherlands. The lead gives Amy Lee (from Evanescence) a run for her money. Haunting if you like that sort of thing.

I know there was a note like this somewhere around, but I can't find it anymore, just its variations. If I had to pick my top animes, graphics would come second though, but here's my list if you were to include graphics as well:

Vandread (First and Second Stage)
Last Exile
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (pay close attention to the famed God Knows music scene, it has the highest FPS in any anime).

If it was just the storyline above all else:

Full Metal Alchemist (still my number one favourite anime)
Neon Genesis Evangelion
You're Under Arrest (women in uniform, how could I not resist?)

Oh no...not time paradox jokes again!!

Oh whoops, I read that wrong. To my knowledge, most people can't tell the difference. To them, it's all cartoons so it doesn't really matter.

Those that have watched anime on the other hand, I don't know. Maybe they will appreciate it if done right.

Well, I don't watch much western style anime, but the Hellboy Animated movies are worth watching. It's voiced by the same actors as the Hellboy movie and it does have qualities worthy of an anime.

Animatrix was good too if you love the Matrix Trilogy as much as I do.

There are also a couple of Marvel based movies out there. I haven't watched it though, but I heard the latest of the bunch - Dr Strange - is worth watching.

Classic and recent ones huh?

My top 5 classic picks would be:

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Trigun
Azumanga Daioh (kiddish yes, but extremely lighthearted and funny)
Rurouni Kenshin
Sakura Wars

Recent ones would be:

Full Metal Alchemist
Gensomaden Saiyuki
Vandread
Samurai Champloo
Last Exile

Technically, I've got way more to recommend than that. There are just too many good animes out there to watch. With equally bad ones as well.