You are right about Star Trek being the first space western. I hadn't even thought of it that way (mostly because I don't really watch a lot of the original series, I guess). Pondering on it now, I would like to submit that Star Trek made the space western, but Whedon definitely defined all the rough edges, accentuated all the necessary details. When I think space western now, Firefly comes to my mind not as the first, but I guess the most... definitive work on the sub-genre. I definitely don't think Star Trek would ever have gone in the directions Firefly went in, and combined with Whedon's sense of gritty realism, that show just blasted through a hundred doors for me personally. I think we may have to agree to disagree about where it goes on the list. ^_^
Haha, that's another one I forgot: Doctor Who. I still remember watching cheesy reruns with my mum, and the good doctor with bushy, bushy hair in a phone booth with billowing smoke and sparks all around. Loud noises. I need to go back and check the old eps out again.
And B5. Didn't watch it, I'm afraid. But it was a mistake to leave it out of the list, definitely. I'm glad you and ravenna pointed it out! That series has been recced to me recently. I should try to get hold of it so I can watch it.
I would like to say, though, that I read your Star Wars comment as disparaging to fantasy. If that is so (if I interpreted you wrong, please tell me!), I think it is a mistake to place fantasy on a lower level than sci-fi, genre-wise. Between the two of them (and the horror genre), there is no better medium for social commentary, and the genius of it is that people step all over all three genres because they see them as flimsy and silly, childish. Unimportant. It is my belief that the common person just does not see the similarities between what is in the fantasy/scifi/horror story and what is taking place in his or her own life. Either because they have no respect for the genres and can't see it, or they won't see it.
And if we really want to get technical, Star Wars can also be neither sci-fi nor fantasy: it's the Hero story with technology and magic. *giggles*
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Date: 2006-10-12 05:41 am (UTC)From:Haha, that's another one I forgot: Doctor Who. I still remember watching cheesy reruns with my mum, and the good doctor with bushy, bushy hair in a phone booth with billowing smoke and sparks all around. Loud noises. I need to go back and check the old eps out again.
And B5. Didn't watch it, I'm afraid. But it was a mistake to leave it out of the list, definitely. I'm glad you and ravenna pointed it out! That series has been recced to me recently. I should try to get hold of it so I can watch it.
I would like to say, though, that I read your Star Wars comment as disparaging to fantasy. If that is so (if I interpreted you wrong, please tell me!), I think it is a mistake to place fantasy on a lower level than sci-fi, genre-wise. Between the two of them (and the horror genre), there is no better medium for social commentary, and the genius of it is that people step all over all three genres because they see them as flimsy and silly, childish. Unimportant. It is my belief that the common person just does not see the similarities between what is in the fantasy/scifi/horror story and what is taking place in his or her own life. Either because they have no respect for the genres and can't see it, or they won't see it.
And if we really want to get technical, Star Wars can also be neither sci-fi nor fantasy: it's the Hero story with technology and magic. *giggles*
Yeah, I'm a geek. I admit it freely.