As Area 51 is raided and the Emmys approach, I thought I'd take a moment for a genre that's a little more "out there."
Sci-fi is a genre that often gets overlooked by the Emmy nominating committee. Outside of the "creative" categories, they don't get much recognition. They're more than special effects and makeup. They're also more than just space travel and aliens, but seeing as a lot of our minds are in the stars today that seems like a good place to start.
Space and sci-fi go together like, well space and sci-fi. One of sci-fi's many strengths is looking to the future / the unknown, and what's more unknown than outer space? The imaginations of sci-fi writers have inspired in pretty much every way possible.
First, there's the tangible - technology. Countless innovations have started as pure imagination in the world of sci-fi. (The submarine, anyone?) Sci-fi is literally a bridge between storytelling and the real world. How cool is that?
Beyond technology, sci-fi has impacted the way we view our own world. It has very much been at the cutting edge of social issues from imperialism to equality in all its forms. Sometimes messages are easier to hear when we're slightly removed from them, and sci-fi proves that again and again. They may be a bit "out there" at times, but their stories are very much human.
That human aspect is why despite a lack of adulation from the "powers that be," sci-fi continues to capture the human imagination and inspire innovation. It's more than a nerd nirvana, it's hope for today and for the future.
Okay, that's all I have for you. Be brave, be kind, and keep dreaming, my fellow nerds.
...just for fun:
