THE
TOP 13...
Disclaimer:
We’re going to assume here that you don’t need us to tell you about the wonders of Battlestar Galactica, The Matrix or the works of Tolkien. We’re further going to assume that Ender’s Game, Stars Trek and Wars, Twilight (which some of us like), Avatar and all things Joss Whedon, Christopher Nolan and Baen Books have at least made it onto your geekdar; likewise Lost, Supernatural, True Blood and Burn Notice. Also, we figure you know about William Gibson. And Philip K. Dick. And A Game of Thrones. And Starship Troopers: both Heinlein’s classic novel and the deliciously camp movie -- oh, and the animated series.
Basically, we’re giving you a lot of credit.
But below we have listed some perhaps less obvious geek pleasures that we think are essentials for anyone of even the slightest speculative persuasion. If you peruse this list and find yourself already au fait with everything herein, then we bow before your mighty wisdom. (Have you considered writing for us?) However, if you find anything listed here with which you are not intimately familiar, then what are you waiting for? Get out there and get caught up!
NB. This Top 13 was decided by Geek Speak’s crack staff, via a perhaps needlessly elaborate mathematical model involving arcane formulae of the kind that make one’s head hurt. So stay in school, kids! They’re not kidding when they say you may need this stuff in the real world. (Or as real a world as this magazine constitutes, anyway.)
And now, we heartily recommend…
1.
The Liaden Universe®
In case we haven’t made it clear in our frequent harangues on the subject, we feel Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s space opera-ific Liaden books are among the most rewarding ways to spend one’s leisure time. Rachel Hyland explains: “The Liadens are cool. They’re cool because their society is out of a bygone era, with an honor code straight out of Camelot. And there is something just so endlessly fascinating to modern day us about the storybook visions of a nobler time; these Liadens, with their formal manner of speech and their complex social mores, their ideas of “Balance” and absolute familial duty, hearken back to legends of Knights and Samurai and hell, even Jedi. But it may be that formal manner of speech that is the real clincher. Liaden sentences unravel like something from Jane Austen by way of The Tale of the Heike, with just a hint of Teal’c thrown in; a complex mélange of exacting grammar, effusive courtesy and a refusal to say anything the easy way—like Data, the Liaden do not employ contractions. Like the Japanese, they do not say no. Like FOX, they do not say sorry. Man, that’s cool.”
2.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (comic)
In his paean of praise to Brian O’Malley’s genius, A Meeting With Destiny, David Baldwin said: “The Scott Pilgrim books are simply unlike any books, written or illustrated, that I have ever read, or likely will ever read again. They are that good.” He goes on: “This is a series I know I will read again and again, and I am sure I will always find something new to enjoy about it.” Our Cathy Thomson concurs: “There's no limit to the imagination in this beautiful and wacky fantasy world... it's also the story that reintroduced young girls to the world of the graphic novel.” And for that, Brian O’Malley, we honor you. (By the way: we love the movie, too!)
3.
The Chronicles of Prydain
Sure, you may well have read these Lloyd Alexander books as a kid. Hell, as our K. Burtt said, in his review: “The Chronicles of Prydain could easily be subtitled as ‘My First Fantasy’". But the reason they’re on this list is to make sure you’re aware they are worth reading again. Katie Hager explains: “The awesome thing about this series is that no matter what the reader's age, he or she walks away with a different perspective of the books. I've known several people (including myself) who have read the Prydain books multiple times over the years and have found something new and insightful about them each time.” So if it’s been a while, pay a visit to Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran, Princess Eilonwy and the rest… you won’t be sorry.
4.
Futurama
We’re gonna come right out and say it. The latest, comeback season of Futurama was… not always so very good. But, as Josh Wanisko so saliently says: “I don't think the best Futurama is quite as good as the best Simpsons, but the worst Futurama is certainly better than the worst Simpsons.” True, that. And sure, we love Matt Groening’s future world for its loving parody of sci-fi, its pointed allegories and its fractious relationships, but it would be disingenuous for us to suggest that a big part of our affection for it lies in the metal person of one Bender Bending Rodriguez. To quote Jason Murdoch -- from the Top 13… Robots, Male Division -- how could we not love “… a robot who is an ‘alcoholic, whore mongering chain smoking gambler’, who also happens to be a kleptomaniac, wants to destroy all humans (except Fry), and who has a secret desire to become a folk singer?! Possibly more ‘human’ than every other creature on this list, he exemplifies narcissism, cynicism and many other such ‘ism’s… all with that swarthy Latin charm.” (Bender came in at #8.)
5.
Jasper Fforde
The brilliant, innovative, mind-bending and wildly entertaining works of this best-selling author (and recent Geek Speak interviewee) are simply not to be missed, we give you our word. From the first book of his first series -- 2001’s The Eyre Affair, detailing the time-addled adventures of “literary detective” Thursday Next in a topsy-turvy alternate 1985 -- to his latest creation, The Last Dragonslayer (and everything in between: Nursery Crimes! Shades of Grey! Uh... no, actually, that’s it), Fforde’s stylish prose and sparkling dialogue continue to delight and impress. These are books for book lovers, for comedy fans, for speculative fiction aficionados, and for serious scholars; they are also for those who like their Literature (for that is indeed what this is, capital-L Literature) on the satirical, ironic, and thought-provoking yet accessible, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny side. Essentially, the work of Jasper Fforde is for everyone; we defy you to disagree.
6.
Stargate SG-1
Geonn Cannon explains: “It's an epic, seriously and truly vast in its scope. Seventeen years of adventures, of aliens and ancients and technology, of humor and great characters... The show that allowed itself to grow by tying up story arcs early, by defeating their villains, by finding new villains. I think it's still the only show completely approved by the US Air Force, going so far as to make star Richard Dean Anderson an honorary general. I mean, how cool is that?” And Rachel Day, in her series review, really summed things up: “The best TV show ever. (No, seriously. Best. Ever.)”. SG-1 really is ten seasons of awesome, and should not be missed by any genre fan.
7.
MST3K/Rifftrax
As Rachel Hyland said, in the Top 13… Genre Parodies: “The ultimate in genre parody, this irreverent look at some of the worst movies ever made is easily a geek’s best example of what to do with those lemons life hands out so readily. Despite its somewhat labored premise -- the evil Dr Forrester (series writer Trace Beaulieu) sends hapless janitor Joel (series creator Joel Hodgson) into orbit, where he is forced to watch the detritus of world cinema, in order to test thought-control and torture techniques -- it is endlessly entertaining, full of wit, sarcasm and sly, knowing humor. Joel -- and, later, Mike (series Head Writer Michael J. Nelson) -- watch the movies alongside two robots Joel created, whom he clearly programmed with his own pointed sarcasm and wide knowledge of pop culture; they comment (or “riff”) on the many, many failings of these efforts, with often hilarious results.” And as for Rifftrax, MST3K’s natural, podcast-based evolution, we can’t recommend it highly enough. “It's the only way I could watch the remake of Wicker Man,” says Katie Hager. “And even then…”
8.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
“There has only ever been one film that I’ve watched at the cinema, laughed myself silly and enjoyed myself so much that I’ve immediately bought another ticket and watched it again the same day,” said Rachel Day, in this review: “Galaxy Quest is that film. The premise of a washed-up sci-fi TV cast, with the help of their dedicated fans, saving an alien race who think the TV show was real is a fun parody of all things Star Trek and fandom on one hand, and a great comic sci-fi film in its own right on the other.” It is all of that, and more. “By Grabthar's hammer...nothing else comes close,” says Kate Nagy. And: “It's a very rare movie that can poke fun while giving a sly wink. It was like a snarky love letter to the fans of science fiction and it never gets old,” says Geonn Cannon.
9.
The Powerpuff Girls
If you somehow missed this one -- or willfully let it pass you by on the assumption that it was a kids’ show -- we urge you to seek out this Cartoon Network insta-classic in reruns and try, try again. After all, as our K. Burtt suggests: “How can you not like a cartoon about butt-kicking kindergartners amidst a show full of amusing references?” He elucidates: “Sugar. Spice. Everything Nice. And Chemical X. Even if you knew nothing about The Powerpuff Girls, that alone should convince you to watch. Who hasn't wanted to be able to mess with Chemical X?” Chemical X, of course, was the essential ingredient in creating these three diminutive crime fighters -- Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup -- who sprung into being fully formed in the experimental laboratory of their nominal father, Professor Utonium. (Quite what the Professor was up to when attempting to create little girls in his basement is a question perhaps best left unconsidered.) Nevertheless, the sly humor, irreverent attitude and clever, clever writing makes PPG an eternally rewarding experience, and if the Japanese anime reimaging of the show, Powerpuff Girls Z, isn’t quite up to the standards of the original, how cool is it that there is a Japanese anime reimagining of the show at all?
10.
The Guild
When, in 2007, Buffy alum and Twitter-ebrity Felicia Day brought her gamer chic sensibilities to a webseries she both created and starred in, it generated a small but fervent following. Four seasons and almost four years later (plus, a starring role in the Emmy-winning Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Day’s The Guild is a bona fide, if still cult-esque, hit, with tens of thousands of dedicated fans feverishly viewing each new episode -- online, of course, at watchtheguild.com. DVD sales of the series have also been brisk, and Dark Horse even brought out a comic book (also written by Day), with a trade paperback collection of its three issue limited run released last November. In five minute installments, Day and an able cast of largely unknown actors (plus, Wil Wheaton) bring to light the tragi-comic lives of a group of dedicated role playing gamers who speak in often incomprehensible jargon and yet whose dilemmas and dysfunctions hold a universal appeal. If for some reason you’ve resisted the siren song of this geek goddess, then hold back no longer; “The Guild is such a fantastic web series!” said our Mark Ritchie here. “Felicia Day… she will be mine… oh yes… she will be mine.”
11.
Fringe
It has taken a while, but at last Fringe is starting to get the respect this smart, suspenseful and seductive show deserves. Created by J. J. Abrams and his usual suspects, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, at this time last year Fringe was facing cancelation, but rallied with a magnificent third season opening arc that has managed to sustain the show in the viewers’ high estimation, even after its move to the dreaded Friday Night Death Slot. As our Fringe reviewer, Joe O’Brien, has noted: “Season 3 has been the show’s most confusing one yet, with alternate universes, time-travel and more weird goings on than ever.” From its kick-ass kick off to the season -- in which we found our heroine, the FBI’s Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) trapped on the “Other Side” while a substitute Olivia infiltrated our world and had her wicked way with our Liv’s man (Joshua Jackson) -- Fringe has only gotten better with each passing week, and there is no question that it is very much worth your time, if you have yet to take the plunge.
12.
The A-Team (2010)
When a movie version of this campy 1980’s fave was first proposed, there was much sighing and head-smacking and gnashing of teeth. We’d all seen this kind of reboot before, and as anyone who sat through Lost in Space, Wild, Wild West or Bewitched surely knew -- not thought, knew -- no good could come of such an endeavor. How wrong we were! As Geonn Cannon reflects: “I LOVED the TV series, and I was wary of what this movie would do to it. As it turned out, it took everything that made me love the show and enhanced it. It was an origin story, it was an updated reboot, it was just... amazingly done. I actually prefer the movie version to the original now. ‘They're trying to fly that tank.’ Awesome.” Our movie critic David Baldwin concurs. “It got a lot of hate from everyone outside of this site,” he says sadly. “But I adore it anyway.” Give it a chance, and we think youll see why.
13.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
“Sarah Connor,” said our Brad Crammond, here, “is the rare series that rouses passion in the usually dispassionate. It was too short-lived, we got a season and a half of it -- the first cut short by the writers’ strike -- a paltry 31 episodes.” But in those 31 episodes, a lot of wonder was contained, and although we must concede to you that things are not quite satisfactorily wrapped up at the end of that second season, we still strongly urge you to assay the all-too-brief story of teenaged John Connor (someday leader of the Human Resistance, you will remember from your Terminator future history), his mother (played by the luminous Lena Headey), uncle and cyborg sort-of girlfriend, Cameron. “It is an awesome -- AWESOME -- re-imagining of the Terminator world,” says our Cathy Thomson. “Breaking all the rules and pretending (as many folks like to do) that Rise of the Machines and Salvation don't exist. Plus, Summer effing Glau!” she exults. “The hottest Terminator in the history of Terminator-ness”, Brad Crammond agrees. “When everything went wrong towards the end of the second season, I became a rabid fan telling anyone who would listen that John and Cameron were destined to be together and that it was amazingly important, that the fate of the world depended on everything turning out all right for the Connors.” The fate of the world may not rest on what happened next, but we truly believe your geek cred hangs on getting to know this cruelly murdered series when it was still in its prime (-time).
And here’s some more stuff about which we feel compelled to share our love. 13 is a very limiting number, when all is said.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Princess
Mononoke
Read Review
“Like every other Miyazaki work, an instant classic. Also, I'm convinced that Lady Kushana from Nausicaä is really the same character as Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke.” -- Josh Wanisko
From Dusk ‘Til Dawn (1996)
“Best. Movie Twist. EVER.” -- Cathy Thomson
Peter David
“One word: Imzadi.” -- Rachel Hyland
Twin
Peaks
Read Review
“If you have even the smallest, shriveled up, poor excuse of a heart, at least a portion of it will belong to the folks of Twin Peaks before you even reach the end of Season 1.” -- Joe O’Brien
Army of Darkness Read Review
“Hail to the King Baby! One of, if not the single best, cult films of all time.” -- David Baldwin (We also advocate watching the earlier movies in this series, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II.)
Farscape
Read Review
“I'm not sure there has ever been a better onscreen couple than Ben Browder and Claudia Black.” -- Kate Nagy
Batman Beyond Read Review
“What I did and do love about this series is the way the writers and voice actors take everything seriously; this is an art form for them, not a joke.” -- Gabrielle Lissauer
Girl
Genius
Read Article
“The Girl Genius tagline is “Adventure, Romance, MAD SCIENCE!” and that is nicely concise, but it is so, so much more. It is a rollicking rollercoaster of mistaken identity, adventure and Alternate History hijinks that is breathtakingly clever, funny and -- quite simultaneously -- tragic.” -- Rachel Hyland
Underworld Read Review
“Watch this movie if you haven’t already. Watch it for the clever plot, some fabulous characters and an extremely satisfying final action sequence.” -- Brad Crammond
And finally…
Sanctuary
Read Reviews
“This show is amazing no matter how you look at it. It was created and exists without studio intervention. It went from a small webseries to one of Syfy's biggest hits. It's a collaboration between Actor/Writer/Director in a way that I've rarely seen. And in addition to all of that, Amanda Tapping immediately took its success and used it as a tool to change the world by creating Sanctuary for Kids, which helps underprivileged children have a safe place to call home. If you haven't seen Amanda's Nepal blog, do yourself a favor and check it out. Amanda, this show, and this charity helped save children's lives. What has your favorite show done lately?” -- Geonn Cannon
We’re going to assume here that you don’t need us to tell you about the wonders of Battlestar Galactica, The Matrix or the works of Tolkien. We’re further going to assume that Ender’s Game, Stars Trek and Wars, Twilight (which some of us like), Avatar and all things Joss Whedon, Christopher Nolan and Baen Books have at least made it onto your geekdar; likewise Lost, Supernatural, True Blood and Burn Notice. Also, we figure you know about William Gibson. And Philip K. Dick. And A Game of Thrones. And Starship Troopers: both Heinlein’s classic novel and the deliciously camp movie -- oh, and the animated series.
Basically, we’re giving you a lot of credit.
But below we have listed some perhaps less obvious geek pleasures that we think are essentials for anyone of even the slightest speculative persuasion. If you peruse this list and find yourself already au fait with everything herein, then we bow before your mighty wisdom. (Have you considered writing for us?) However, if you find anything listed here with which you are not intimately familiar, then what are you waiting for? Get out there and get caught up!
NB. This Top 13 was decided by Geek Speak’s crack staff, via a perhaps needlessly elaborate mathematical model involving arcane formulae of the kind that make one’s head hurt. So stay in school, kids! They’re not kidding when they say you may need this stuff in the real world. (Or as real a world as this magazine constitutes, anyway.)
And now, we heartily recommend…
1.
The Liaden Universe®In case we haven’t made it clear in our frequent harangues on the subject, we feel Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s space opera-ific Liaden books are among the most rewarding ways to spend one’s leisure time. Rachel Hyland explains: “The Liadens are cool. They’re cool because their society is out of a bygone era, with an honor code straight out of Camelot. And there is something just so endlessly fascinating to modern day us about the storybook visions of a nobler time; these Liadens, with their formal manner of speech and their complex social mores, their ideas of “Balance” and absolute familial duty, hearken back to legends of Knights and Samurai and hell, even Jedi. But it may be that formal manner of speech that is the real clincher. Liaden sentences unravel like something from Jane Austen by way of The Tale of the Heike, with just a hint of Teal’c thrown in; a complex mélange of exacting grammar, effusive courtesy and a refusal to say anything the easy way—like Data, the Liaden do not employ contractions. Like the Japanese, they do not say no. Like FOX, they do not say sorry. Man, that’s cool.”
2.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (comic)In his paean of praise to Brian O’Malley’s genius, A Meeting With Destiny, David Baldwin said: “The Scott Pilgrim books are simply unlike any books, written or illustrated, that I have ever read, or likely will ever read again. They are that good.” He goes on: “This is a series I know I will read again and again, and I am sure I will always find something new to enjoy about it.” Our Cathy Thomson concurs: “There's no limit to the imagination in this beautiful and wacky fantasy world... it's also the story that reintroduced young girls to the world of the graphic novel.” And for that, Brian O’Malley, we honor you. (By the way: we love the movie, too!)
3.
The Chronicles of PrydainSure, you may well have read these Lloyd Alexander books as a kid. Hell, as our K. Burtt said, in his review: “The Chronicles of Prydain could easily be subtitled as ‘My First Fantasy’". But the reason they’re on this list is to make sure you’re aware they are worth reading again. Katie Hager explains: “The awesome thing about this series is that no matter what the reader's age, he or she walks away with a different perspective of the books. I've known several people (including myself) who have read the Prydain books multiple times over the years and have found something new and insightful about them each time.” So if it’s been a while, pay a visit to Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran, Princess Eilonwy and the rest… you won’t be sorry.
4.
FuturamaWe’re gonna come right out and say it. The latest, comeback season of Futurama was… not always so very good. But, as Josh Wanisko so saliently says: “I don't think the best Futurama is quite as good as the best Simpsons, but the worst Futurama is certainly better than the worst Simpsons.” True, that. And sure, we love Matt Groening’s future world for its loving parody of sci-fi, its pointed allegories and its fractious relationships, but it would be disingenuous for us to suggest that a big part of our affection for it lies in the metal person of one Bender Bending Rodriguez. To quote Jason Murdoch -- from the Top 13… Robots, Male Division -- how could we not love “… a robot who is an ‘alcoholic, whore mongering chain smoking gambler’, who also happens to be a kleptomaniac, wants to destroy all humans (except Fry), and who has a secret desire to become a folk singer?! Possibly more ‘human’ than every other creature on this list, he exemplifies narcissism, cynicism and many other such ‘ism’s… all with that swarthy Latin charm.” (Bender came in at #8.)
5.
Jasper FfordeThe brilliant, innovative, mind-bending and wildly entertaining works of this best-selling author (and recent Geek Speak interviewee) are simply not to be missed, we give you our word. From the first book of his first series -- 2001’s The Eyre Affair, detailing the time-addled adventures of “literary detective” Thursday Next in a topsy-turvy alternate 1985 -- to his latest creation, The Last Dragonslayer (and everything in between: Nursery Crimes! Shades of Grey! Uh... no, actually, that’s it), Fforde’s stylish prose and sparkling dialogue continue to delight and impress. These are books for book lovers, for comedy fans, for speculative fiction aficionados, and for serious scholars; they are also for those who like their Literature (for that is indeed what this is, capital-L Literature) on the satirical, ironic, and thought-provoking yet accessible, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny side. Essentially, the work of Jasper Fforde is for everyone; we defy you to disagree.
6.
Stargate SG-1Geonn Cannon explains: “It's an epic, seriously and truly vast in its scope. Seventeen years of adventures, of aliens and ancients and technology, of humor and great characters... The show that allowed itself to grow by tying up story arcs early, by defeating their villains, by finding new villains. I think it's still the only show completely approved by the US Air Force, going so far as to make star Richard Dean Anderson an honorary general. I mean, how cool is that?” And Rachel Day, in her series review, really summed things up: “The best TV show ever. (No, seriously. Best. Ever.)”. SG-1 really is ten seasons of awesome, and should not be missed by any genre fan.
7.
MST3K/RifftraxAs Rachel Hyland said, in the Top 13… Genre Parodies: “The ultimate in genre parody, this irreverent look at some of the worst movies ever made is easily a geek’s best example of what to do with those lemons life hands out so readily. Despite its somewhat labored premise -- the evil Dr Forrester (series writer Trace Beaulieu) sends hapless janitor Joel (series creator Joel Hodgson) into orbit, where he is forced to watch the detritus of world cinema, in order to test thought-control and torture techniques -- it is endlessly entertaining, full of wit, sarcasm and sly, knowing humor. Joel -- and, later, Mike (series Head Writer Michael J. Nelson) -- watch the movies alongside two robots Joel created, whom he clearly programmed with his own pointed sarcasm and wide knowledge of pop culture; they comment (or “riff”) on the many, many failings of these efforts, with often hilarious results.” And as for Rifftrax, MST3K’s natural, podcast-based evolution, we can’t recommend it highly enough. “It's the only way I could watch the remake of Wicker Man,” says Katie Hager. “And even then…”
8.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
“There has only ever been one film that I’ve watched at the cinema, laughed myself silly and enjoyed myself so much that I’ve immediately bought another ticket and watched it again the same day,” said Rachel Day, in this review: “Galaxy Quest is that film. The premise of a washed-up sci-fi TV cast, with the help of their dedicated fans, saving an alien race who think the TV show was real is a fun parody of all things Star Trek and fandom on one hand, and a great comic sci-fi film in its own right on the other.” It is all of that, and more. “By Grabthar's hammer...nothing else comes close,” says Kate Nagy. And: “It's a very rare movie that can poke fun while giving a sly wink. It was like a snarky love letter to the fans of science fiction and it never gets old,” says Geonn Cannon.
9.
The Powerpuff GirlsIf you somehow missed this one -- or willfully let it pass you by on the assumption that it was a kids’ show -- we urge you to seek out this Cartoon Network insta-classic in reruns and try, try again. After all, as our K. Burtt suggests: “How can you not like a cartoon about butt-kicking kindergartners amidst a show full of amusing references?” He elucidates: “Sugar. Spice. Everything Nice. And Chemical X. Even if you knew nothing about The Powerpuff Girls, that alone should convince you to watch. Who hasn't wanted to be able to mess with Chemical X?” Chemical X, of course, was the essential ingredient in creating these three diminutive crime fighters -- Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup -- who sprung into being fully formed in the experimental laboratory of their nominal father, Professor Utonium. (Quite what the Professor was up to when attempting to create little girls in his basement is a question perhaps best left unconsidered.) Nevertheless, the sly humor, irreverent attitude and clever, clever writing makes PPG an eternally rewarding experience, and if the Japanese anime reimaging of the show, Powerpuff Girls Z, isn’t quite up to the standards of the original, how cool is it that there is a Japanese anime reimagining of the show at all?
10.
The Guild When, in 2007, Buffy alum and Twitter-ebrity Felicia Day brought her gamer chic sensibilities to a webseries she both created and starred in, it generated a small but fervent following. Four seasons and almost four years later (plus, a starring role in the Emmy-winning Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Day’s The Guild is a bona fide, if still cult-esque, hit, with tens of thousands of dedicated fans feverishly viewing each new episode -- online, of course, at watchtheguild.com. DVD sales of the series have also been brisk, and Dark Horse even brought out a comic book (also written by Day), with a trade paperback collection of its three issue limited run released last November. In five minute installments, Day and an able cast of largely unknown actors (plus, Wil Wheaton) bring to light the tragi-comic lives of a group of dedicated role playing gamers who speak in often incomprehensible jargon and yet whose dilemmas and dysfunctions hold a universal appeal. If for some reason you’ve resisted the siren song of this geek goddess, then hold back no longer; “The Guild is such a fantastic web series!” said our Mark Ritchie here. “Felicia Day… she will be mine… oh yes… she will be mine.”
11.
FringeIt has taken a while, but at last Fringe is starting to get the respect this smart, suspenseful and seductive show deserves. Created by J. J. Abrams and his usual suspects, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, at this time last year Fringe was facing cancelation, but rallied with a magnificent third season opening arc that has managed to sustain the show in the viewers’ high estimation, even after its move to the dreaded Friday Night Death Slot. As our Fringe reviewer, Joe O’Brien, has noted: “Season 3 has been the show’s most confusing one yet, with alternate universes, time-travel and more weird goings on than ever.” From its kick-ass kick off to the season -- in which we found our heroine, the FBI’s Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) trapped on the “Other Side” while a substitute Olivia infiltrated our world and had her wicked way with our Liv’s man (Joshua Jackson) -- Fringe has only gotten better with each passing week, and there is no question that it is very much worth your time, if you have yet to take the plunge.
12.
The A-Team (2010)When a movie version of this campy 1980’s fave was first proposed, there was much sighing and head-smacking and gnashing of teeth. We’d all seen this kind of reboot before, and as anyone who sat through Lost in Space, Wild, Wild West or Bewitched surely knew -- not thought, knew -- no good could come of such an endeavor. How wrong we were! As Geonn Cannon reflects: “I LOVED the TV series, and I was wary of what this movie would do to it. As it turned out, it took everything that made me love the show and enhanced it. It was an origin story, it was an updated reboot, it was just... amazingly done. I actually prefer the movie version to the original now. ‘They're trying to fly that tank.’ Awesome.” Our movie critic David Baldwin concurs. “It got a lot of hate from everyone outside of this site,” he says sadly. “But I adore it anyway.” Give it a chance, and we think youll see why.
13.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles“Sarah Connor,” said our Brad Crammond, here, “is the rare series that rouses passion in the usually dispassionate. It was too short-lived, we got a season and a half of it -- the first cut short by the writers’ strike -- a paltry 31 episodes.” But in those 31 episodes, a lot of wonder was contained, and although we must concede to you that things are not quite satisfactorily wrapped up at the end of that second season, we still strongly urge you to assay the all-too-brief story of teenaged John Connor (someday leader of the Human Resistance, you will remember from your Terminator future history), his mother (played by the luminous Lena Headey), uncle and cyborg sort-of girlfriend, Cameron. “It is an awesome -- AWESOME -- re-imagining of the Terminator world,” says our Cathy Thomson. “Breaking all the rules and pretending (as many folks like to do) that Rise of the Machines and Salvation don't exist. Plus, Summer effing Glau!” she exults. “The hottest Terminator in the history of Terminator-ness”, Brad Crammond agrees. “When everything went wrong towards the end of the second season, I became a rabid fan telling anyone who would listen that John and Cameron were destined to be together and that it was amazingly important, that the fate of the world depended on everything turning out all right for the Connors.” The fate of the world may not rest on what happened next, but we truly believe your geek cred hangs on getting to know this cruelly murdered series when it was still in its prime (-time).
And here’s some more stuff about which we feel compelled to share our love. 13 is a very limiting number, when all is said.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Princess
Mononoke
Read Review“Like every other Miyazaki work, an instant classic. Also, I'm convinced that Lady Kushana from Nausicaä is really the same character as Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke.” -- Josh Wanisko
From Dusk ‘Til Dawn (1996)
“Best. Movie Twist. EVER.” -- Cathy Thomson
Peter David
“One word: Imzadi.” -- Rachel Hyland
Twin
Peaks
Read Review“If you have even the smallest, shriveled up, poor excuse of a heart, at least a portion of it will belong to the folks of Twin Peaks before you even reach the end of Season 1.” -- Joe O’Brien
Army of Darkness Read Review
“Hail to the King Baby! One of, if not the single best, cult films of all time.” -- David Baldwin (We also advocate watching the earlier movies in this series, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II.)
Farscape
Read Review“I'm not sure there has ever been a better onscreen couple than Ben Browder and Claudia Black.” -- Kate Nagy
Batman Beyond Read Review
“What I did and do love about this series is the way the writers and voice actors take everything seriously; this is an art form for them, not a joke.” -- Gabrielle Lissauer
Girl
Genius
Read Article“The Girl Genius tagline is “Adventure, Romance, MAD SCIENCE!” and that is nicely concise, but it is so, so much more. It is a rollicking rollercoaster of mistaken identity, adventure and Alternate History hijinks that is breathtakingly clever, funny and -- quite simultaneously -- tragic.” -- Rachel Hyland
Underworld Read Review
“Watch this movie if you haven’t already. Watch it for the clever plot, some fabulous characters and an extremely satisfying final action sequence.” -- Brad Crammond
And finally…
Sanctuary
Read Reviews“This show is amazing no matter how you look at it. It was created and exists without studio intervention. It went from a small webseries to one of Syfy's biggest hits. It's a collaboration between Actor/Writer/Director in a way that I've rarely seen. And in addition to all of that, Amanda Tapping immediately took its success and used it as a tool to change the world by creating Sanctuary for Kids, which helps underprivileged children have a safe place to call home. If you haven't seen Amanda's Nepal blog, do yourself a favor and check it out. Amanda, this show, and this charity helped save children's lives. What has your favorite show done lately?” -- Geonn Cannon
-- Further Reading:
Previous Top 13's
♦ Paranormal Romance Clichés, Issue 12, February 2011
♦ Robots, Male Division, Issue 11, January 2011
♦ Geek Gifts, Issue 10, December 2010
♦ Nameless Extras Made Good, Issue 9, November 2010
♦ Pop-Culture Witches, Issue 8, October 2010
♦ Confusing Movies of All Time, Issue 7, September, 2010
♦ Superheroes Without Superpowers, Issue 6, August 2010
♦ Genre Heroines Who Kick Ass, Literary Division, Issue 5, July, 2010
♦ Vampires! Issue 4, June 2010
♦ Geek Goddesses, Issue 3, May, 2010
♦ Genre-Themed Songs, Issue 2, April 2010
♦ Genre Parodies, Issue 1, March 2010
Visit our comment form!
HOME