To Boldly Go...

Recently, I've had a resurgence of interest in sci-fi which led me to watch the second pilot of Star Trek: the Original Series (the first pilot was apparently not aired). Prior to this, I had only seen a few of the movies, random episodes of Next Generation, and a Voyager marathon on Sci-Fi Channel.

I wasn't expecting much from the series, but after watching only six episodes, I'm hooked. (I even have a favorite character, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.) It's such an entertaining and interesting show. So far, they've tackled such lofty themes as the duality of human nature and the difference between Man and God in a mostly sophisticated way. Sure, it's campy and low budget, but the story lines find that balance between entertaining and thought-provoking.

In addition to watching Star Trek, I pulled out season 1 of Stargate: SG-1 and started watching where I last left off last year. My favorite thing about season 1 is that every episode has roughly the same plot: the team goes through the gate to explore a new world, something disastrous happens to all or one of them, everyone copes. (After one day on the job, I would be begging someone for a transfer.)

Saturday, I received my letter of acceptance from the Graduate College of the University of Oklahoma. (I'm now waiting patiently for my letter from the English department.) To celebrate I went to see J.J. Abram's Star Trek reboot which was very good (though I like the original series better). Somehow, it manages to update the concept, infuse it with action, and still retain the original series' sheen of campy fun. My one complaint is that everything moves so quickly that had I not already been familiar with these characters, I don't think I would have connected with them at all. It felt at times that everyone involved in the movie's production was afraid to slow down and really explore characters or themes, fearing (I assume) accidentally veering into Nemesis territory.

Through all this sci-fi watchage, I'm not quite sure what prompted my renewed interest. When I was in high school, I avidly read science fiction which replaced mystery as my genre of choice. However, this period was very brief, and I soon started reading predominately fantasy/adventure books. But the time I was in college, I had stopped reading straight genre novels in favor of books with a bit more substance. Since that small period in high school, I haven't actively sought out sci-fi shows or books.

I think it may have something to do with the intentions of these types of shows. An interview with Amanda Tapping is included in the Stargate season 1 box set, and she talks about how the show strives to make people see things in a different way and think about things outside of their reality. I think that's why I'm drawn to the genre. There's something thrilling about space exploration and the thought of discovering new worlds. That's why (technical issues aside) I prefer TOS to the new movie. The series is more about the prospects of new worlds and experiences while the newest movie is firmly in the action/adventure/blow stuff up mindset. It's that conjuring of the unknown that I like.

Random note: While writing this post, I was perusing the news and read that the Atlantis is blasting off to repair the Hubble telescope, and I'm enthralled by this. It must be amazing to actually leave Earth and glimpse everything that's beyond.