io9: Poll

Pick The Worst Scifi Movie Sequel Of All Time

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:38:00 PDT

Now that we're already discussing Iron Man 3, and filming may soon start on the Superman Returns sequel, it's a good time to look at science fiction's wreckage-strewn history of bad and weird sequels. From the crazy dancing in The Matrix: Reloaded to the crazy dancing in Spider-Man 3, few genres have created as many horrific sequels as science fiction. But which SF movie sequel is the absolute worst? Only you can decide.

What Would Make Speed Racer Better Than The Matrix?

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:30:26 PDT

I saw Speed Racer last night, and though I can't tell you much about it yet (full review on Thursday!), I can say this: It might actually be better than director/producer pair the Wachowskis previous effort, The Matrix. I know them's fightin' words, but you gotta trust me on this one. Or, better, take our poll below and see if you can guess what makes Speed Racer better than the flashy trilogy that pitted latex-clad hackers against machines who enslave humans in a VR world so they can use our body heat as energy. Honestly, how could a movie be better than that? Take our poll, and I'll tell you Thursday if you got it right.

What's The Best Scifi Show To Get Your Kid Hooked On?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:20:00 PDT

It's never too early to produce the next generation of science fiction consumers. If they're old enough to walk, they're old enough to start obsessing about the finer points of space combat. (In fact, any kid worth her salt should understand the predestination paradox before she's potty-trained.) A serialized TV narrative is the best thing to start your kid on a life of SF addiction, but which show is best for providing that crucial first dose? Click through to vote, and remember: the first hit is always free.

Are Spy Movies Science Fiction?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:45:00 PDT

We don't talk much about the cloak-and-dagger genre here at io9. We haven't touched on the new James Bond movie, despite the scifi-sounding title (Quantum Of Solace.) We've barely even talked about Get Smart. (We did celebrate the history of James Bond's scifi plots, including Moonraker's fantastic space battle. But we're up in the air about how much of the spy genre belongs within the geodesic dome of science fiction.) Maybe you can help us settle the question.

What Genre Should Science Fiction Steal From Next?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:40:00 PDT

Science fiction has a long and honorable tradition of straying over the lines, from the noir of Neuromancer to the space-western of Firefly. But there are still a few genres that science fiction hasn't lifted from, in both the book and movie/TV worlds. Vote for the territory that SF should be invading next.

Give BSG's Ron Moore Some Career Advice

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:50:00 PDT

Battlestar Galactica supremo Ron Moore could be the busiest science fiction producer in Hollywood, if all of his post-BSG projects come to fruition. He's writing at least three big movie projects, one of which is a trilogy. And he has three TV movies in development, including two which are definitely appearing — and any one of those could be picked up as ongoing series. Hollywood being what it is, some of Moore's projects will probably vanish into the murk of development. Which of Moore's pending masterpieces do you hope actually succeed?

Which Science Fiction Anti-Hero Would Win A Poker Tournament?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:20:00 PDT

The greatest scifi antiheroes aren't just ruthless and hard as nails — they're also crafty. You'll never know what they're thinking, or whose side they're on, or how many aces they've slipped into nano-pouches somewhere on their persons. But which science fiction anti-hero is the cleverest cheat (or sorry, rule-improviser)? There's only one true measure of their worth, and that's a poker tournament.

ChooseThe Next Scifi Classic To Get The Comedy Remake Treatment

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:03:00 PDT

Now that Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner are remaking The Incredible Shrinking Man as a comedy, maybe we'll see the start of a trend of comedy remakes of scifi classics. After all, a version of The Day The Earth Stood Still starring Martin Lawrence probably wouldn't be any sillier than the "serious" Keanu Reeves version coming in December. So which classic movie do you think would make for a modern comedy masterpiece?

(More evidence of the possible funny-remake trend: Seth Rogen is supposedly starring in The Green Hornet, and Jack Black was slated at one point to star in a Green Lantern movie.) So vote already:

How Do You Find People Who Like Science Fiction?

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:30:00 PDT

With science fiction becoming more mainstream all the time, it should be easier and easier to find people who share your interest, right? At least, there are more big SF movies than ever, and literary writers are dipping into the SF well more and more. But there are many kinds of science fiction enthusiasts, from the highbrow George Saunders-ites to the girls who dress up as Optimus Prime. How do you find your own kind of SF lovers?

Which Big Summer Movie Ruined Science Fiction Forever?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PDT

With more big summer spectacles exploding, laser-blasting and CGI-ing all over the place, is serious, thoughtful science fiction being pushed out? Have movies like Transformers or Star Wars tractor-beamed the genre of science fiction away from perceived as serious literature, even in the book world? And which giant battle cruiser of a movie deserves the most blame for turning the genre into an amusement park ride instead of an exploration of our place in the universe? Vote for your scapegoat below.

Will Humans And Cylons Ever Really Be Friends?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:01:00 PDT

If a race of quasi-immortal cyborgs came and wiped out 99 percent of the human race, would you ever really forgive them? Let alone learn to live in harmony with them? Battlestar Galactica starts with an unthinkably enormous act of genocide, and ever since then the last survivors of humanity have been showing signs of opening their hearts, slowly and grudgingly, to their mass-murdering Cylon cousins. We've even seen Cylon sympathizers among the fleet. Is this realistic? Annalee and I were debating this amongst ourselves, and we figured we'd throw the question out there to you. What do you think?

Which Scifi Franchises Should Go Head-To-Head Next?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:47:00 PDT

It's sad but true: we'll probably never see another Aliens vs. Predator movie, now that AVP2 failed to set last Christmas on fire. But that doesn't mean Hollywood can't revive some other moribund franchises by forcing them to fight each other. Which classic but struggling universes would you like to see mashed together into an uncomfortable — but thrilling — clash of titans? Click through to vote.

What's The Most Overrated Classic Scifi TV Show?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:14:00 PDT

We've all had the experience of looking back at a movie or TV show that rocked our worlds a few decades ago, and going, "Oh." Suddenly, the awesome classic of the 1970s or 1980s looks kind of cheesy and silly. The robot pets, the speechifying, the Klingons in cowboy hats. You expect the special effects not to be that special or effective, but you're not prepared for the dialog or the acting. Which "classic" scifi show deserves to be kicked out of the canon?

How Should We Fund Space Exploration?

Ed Grabianowski — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:30:00 PDT

Even though NASA's budget actually increased in 2008, the government space agency faces an uncertain future as it transitions from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation Project, and it's been plagued for years by claims of inefficiency and lack of creativity. Is it time to look at a new way to pay for the exploration and exploitation of space?

What Happens If The Galactica Finds Earth?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:00:00 PDT

The final season of Battlestar Galactica starts this Friday, which means Admiral Adama and his crew have just twenty episodes to find the legendary Earth. But even if they do make it to their goal, chances are Ron Moore and the other BSG writers will have at least one more twist up the sleeves of their pleather flight suits. What do you think "Earth" in the Galactica universe would look like?

What Are You Doing To Prepare For Human-Alien Sex?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:00:00 PDT

The biggest challenge of the 21st century won't be global warming, or colonizing Mars. Rather, most reputable futurists agree, it'll be having sex with the vastly different alien species we'll make contact with. When we finally meet extraterrestrial sentients, it will take some ingenuity to have something resembling sexual congress with them. What are you doing to prepare for this challenge?

Now That Plagues Are Played Out, What Should Be Movies' Next Apocalypse?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:52:00 PDT

We fell in love with Doomsday's plague-quarantine horror, but sadly the rest of the world failed to fall with us. And maybe the failure of yet another movie about a deadly virus wrecking civilization means that people are finally sick of plagues? After I Am Legend, 28 Days/Weeks, and countless others, it's time for something else to take its turn crashing everything down. What do you think should be our new global disaster movie meme?

Which Science Fiction Ass-Kicker Would You Want As Your Bodyguard?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:18:34 PDT

It's a tough world out there, and if science fiction is any guide, it's only going to get more dystopian and hairstyle-challenged in the years to come. You're going to need some protection from all those tinfoil-clad harpoon-punks who want to steal your teeth. Ideally, it should be someone dependable, as well as a person you'd like to spend all your time with. Someone like one of the great bad-asses of science fiction. Which sci-fi bruiser would you want to have as your personal bodyguard?

What Scifi Dream World Would You Rather Be Trapped Inside?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:14:17 PDT

The best science fiction often includes a healthy dose of escapism — and sometimes even the main characters get to escape from reality for a while. Whether it's Captain Picard's happy flute-playing dream world, or Superman's wish-fulfillment chest flower, science fiction is full of dream worlds that are trippy, or lovely, or scary but cool. Which world of beguiling illusion would you like to spend your weekend trapped inside?

Which Scifi Villain Would You Elect President?

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:00:34 PDT

We're sick of watching our would-be commanders in chief descend into mean-spirited wrangling, so early into this presidential election year. If only they could take their cue from our greatest presidents. Like Lex Luthor in the Superman comics. Or Sylar on Heroes, who got to be POTUS in an alternate future. Now those were some presidents we could all salute. Which science fiction villain would win your vote for president of these great United States?

What'll Be The Most Surprising Hit Movie Of The Summer?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:20:23 PDT

Out of a dozen or so scifi movies coming out this summer, only four of them are absolutely bulletproof, according to you, our readers. Ten of this summer's science fiction films are in danger of falling into obscure-cult-classic territory — or worse. But there's also an excellent chance that at least one underdog will become a smash hit that nobody could have predicted. Which movie do you think will be the most surprising hit of the summer?

Note: You're really kind of voting for two things here. Which of these movies will be the biggest hit, and the most surprising hit? I wouldn't personally be that surprised if Incredible Hulk does well, but I'm including it because many commenters yesterday saw it as having weak buzz. Meanwhile, I would be stunned if Babylon A.D. played to more than a handful of confused Babylon 5 fans, despite the awesome presence of Vin Diesel and Michelle Yeoh.

So what's the biggest sleeper hit of 2008?

Which Summer Movie Will Be The Biggest Flop?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:51:34 PDT

This summer movie season will be like a traffic jam of Transformers wannabes, with more sequels and potential franchises coming out than ever before. And it's just barely possible that every single one of these films will be a mega-smash hit. It just doesn't seem very likely somehow. Click through to vote for the biggest box-office disappointment of summer 2008.

Note: I left out some smaller movies and some films that we know will probably bomb, like Eddie Murphy's Starship Dave. I also left out M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening, which seems likely to bomb, even though I don't want to diss the Wahlberg. I wanted to avoid including any movie that was such an obvious choice, it would get a landslide vote. Plus, I'm not sure either Starship Dave or The Happening is really intended to be a summer blockbuster, or if they're more like counter-programming hoping to score a niche audience.

Also, this seems to be as good a place as any to ask: Is Get Smart science fiction? Should we be covering it?

Is J.J. Abrams Really A Genius? You Decide

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:00:23 PST

If you'd been watching Felicity eight years ago, and somebody had told you that show's producer would one day own science fiction, you'd have scoffed. And yet, J.J. Abrams may well be the most powerful creator in science fiction today. But is he any good? We've already stated our arguments for and against J.J.'s genius status. Now it's your turn to vote.

What Law Of Physics Would You Like To Be Able To Suspend?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:20:34 PST

Science fiction and comics are full of mutants and aliens whose superpowers defy various laws of physics. Shape-changers who can alter their mass, people who can fly — in space, even! — and guys who can produce extreme cold or heat on cue. But in real life, the ability to negate just one of the laws of physics, whenever you felt like it, could turn you into a god. Which law of physics would you like to have a personal on/off switch for?

What Franchise Should Joss Whedon Take Over?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:10:23 PST

We're still sad that we'll never get to see Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman movie. After all, he's created some of the most memorable science fiction universes, including the space-western Firefly and his forthcoming programmable-amnesiac show Dollhouse. We'd still like to see Joss put his auteur-mojo to work on someone else's universe. Which longstanding science fiction universe would you most love to see Joss writing, directing and composing the theme song for?

What Do You Look For In Science Fiction?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:17 PST

Science fiction is really a jumble sale of about twenty different genres. We use the term "science fiction" to label a whole range of material, from space opera to near-future dystopias. But what really matters is what you get out of reading or watching it. What do you look for in your science fiction? Click through to vote.

What's Really The Worst Thing Trek Brought To Scifi?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:20:07 PST

Many of our readers were outraged yesterday when we suggested the "reset button" was the worst thing Star Trek had inflicted on science fiction. How dare we single out the reset button, when there are so many other horrendous things which Trek had brought to the genre? Like the holodeck, the bumpy foreheads, and the Extreme Technobabble? So we need your guidance, dear readers... What's the absolute worst legacy that Star Trek has bequeathed to the genre?

Note: To be fair, Trek didn't invent most of these things. It just perfected them and then mass-produced them, plus it had a disproportionate influence on the rest of science fiction just by being so all-pervasive.

What Scifi Fascist Regime Would You Rather Live Under?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:30:34 PST

Science fiction is full of fascist governments, especially in the decades after World War II, but some of them just seem like more fun than others. But some scifi fascists don't seem like they would govern that well — for example, the BBC series Doctor Who clearly uses the cyborg Daleks as a metaphor for the Nazis, but you never see the Daleks making the trains run on time. Others, like Battlestar Galactica's Admiral Cain, seem as though they're actually quite efficient. If you had to live under a fascist regime from SF, which one would you prefer?

What Utopian Scenario Will Totally Come True Soon?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:00:34 PST

Everybody's sick of dystopian futures and bleak predictions. Whatever happened to science fiction's tradition of sunny optimism and can-do cheerfulness? Just because our population is exploding, our consumer economy is dependent on the waning availability of cheap oil and our oceans are dying, is no reason to be negative. Click through to vote for your favorite scenario in which everything is going to work out totally okey dokey. Hunky dory, even.

Which Overexposed Scifi Actor Should Take A Nice Break?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:00:23 PST

You keep seeing the same faces over and over again in science fiction. At first it's like, "Oh, there's my old friend Summer Glau. I'm so glad she's getting work." And then, it slowly turns into, "How many maniacs of science can Jeffrey Combs play before he actually falls asleep in mid-speech and lights his hair on fire with his bunsen burner?" Especially when people like Will Smith admit they're only doing scifi because it's commercial. Click through to vote for the most overexposed science fiction actor.

I resisted the temptation to include people like Katee Sackhoff, who's only done two shows: Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman. Or Scott Bakula. Or half the cast of Firefly, who've gone on to be on other things. I also decided to leave out Bruce Willis and Cilian Murphy, who have been in a lot of scifi but aren't really "scifi actors" in the way that Will Smith is. Who would you have included on this poll?

In any case, you needn't feel guilty about voting for a good actor in this poll. Everyone here is a good actor, but maybe one of these people should work in other genres for a while. (Which, to be fair, Smith did for a bit.)

What Movie Remake Are You Dreading Most?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:20:17 PST

The fact that another science fiction remake is announced every week doesn't mean Hollywood has run out of ideas. It just means nostalgia is the mind-killer. And it's only going to get worse, now that the Omega Man remake I Am Legend was such a huge success. So which planned remake makes you want to firebomb your local cineplex? Click through to vote.

When I started putting this poll together, I was shocked by how many remakes are currently on the slate. Some of them are more definite than others: Jason Statham in Death Race, Brendan Fraser in Journey to the Center of the Earth and Keanu Reeves in The Day The Earth Stood Still are definitely happening. (Oh, and Will Ferrell's Land of the Lost.)

Less definite: Gerald Butler is supposed to be starring in the remake of Escape From New York, with a director TBA, but some reports say Butler has pulled out. (Butler himself said recently he's still considering doing it.) Peter Berg's Dune is in the early stages, and so is Roland Emmerich's Fantastic Voyage. Robert Rodriguez's Barbarella is in limbo, but he's still trying to get it made with Rose McGowan.

Even less definite: The remakes of Logan's Run and Metropolis seemed so uncertain, I left them out of the poll. Oh, and I forgot to include The Greatest American Hero and Scanners, which are also in the early planning stages, in the poll.

I started to make a joke along the lines of, "next they'll remake Westworld or something," only to realize a Westworld remake is also in the planning stages.

So leaving out the super-iffy Westworld, Greatest American, Scanners, Logan's Run and Metropolis, there are still a lot of forthcoming remakes to choose from. Which one fills you with the most revulsion?

Which Will Suck Less: Jumper or Knight Rider?

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:40:07 PST

This weekend pits the teleporting deadpannisms of Hayden Christensen in the movie Jumper vs. Val Kilmer's monotone as KITT in Sunday's Knight Rider TV movie. So which one will be less sucky? We've already weighed in with our Jumper review, and we've given you a look at some clips from Knight Rider. Will you be watching both, one or the other, or neither? Sound off in the poll below.

Weirdly, both properties involve Doug Liman, who directed Jumper and executive-produced Knight Rider. We just hope that in some parallel universe there's a kickass version of Knight Rider featuring Jamie Bell as the new driver, with Sam Jackson as the voice of KITT. So where do you stand?

Is Lost Fantasy Or Science Fiction?

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:30:34 PST

Lost doesn't just defy comprehension, it defies genres as well. We've been hotly debating among ourselves whether it's a science fiction show, or whether everything that happens is just magic. Like the spooky Jacob's Cabin, not to mention Locke's spine. But then there's the Dharma Initiative, and hints that something sciencey is going on as well. Obviously, we won't know until the final episode whether everything will turn out to have (pseudo)science behind it. But we can still speculate. Click through to vote on whether Lost is bringing the magic or the science.

Which Hero Would You Like To See In Hot Self-On-Self Action?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:40:07 PST

NiceKirk shares a tender moment with MeanKirk, who's worn extra eyeliner just for the occasion, in this clip from the Star Trek episode "The Enemy Within." You just know they stopped by Kirk's quarters for some nookie on their way to get merged back into one person. But what if Roger Korby's robot Kirk, and the fake-Garth Kirk, and the woman-in-Kirk's body Kirk also joined them? Or is there another scifi hero you'd like to see having an orgy with his/her alternate selves? Click through to vote!

What Kind of Futuristic Love Will Be Legal By 2050?

Annalee Newitz — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:45:13 PST

Some of you humans are probably getting your knickers in a bunch over this thing called "Valentine's Day." There are rituals involving flowers and candy and romantic dinners — all to guarantee that your mate feels adequately adored. But what about the robots who want a kiss? The aliens who pine for love? And what about the humans whose lovers include two husbands, one wife, two robots, and one degenerate speck of hypermatter? When will they have their day? Take our poll and vote for which kinds of scifi romance will be legal by 2050.

Who Would Be The Most Science Fictional President?

charliejane — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:20:26 PST

It's Super Tuesday! No, that doesn't mean you're going to get bathed in cosmic radiation and gain super-strength and diamond skin. (At least, not necessarily.) Rather, if you live in one of a bunch of states, you'll be choosing your party's presidential candidate. When you make that momentous choice, the most important question to ask is, which president would be the most science fictional? We've got our own polling booth right here.

Note: this is obviously a tongue-in-cheek poll, and we're not endorsing a candidate here. All the little tag-lines about each president were just the most science fictional thing we could find out about them by spending way too much time on Google news.

What's The Most Overrated Recent TV Show?

charliejane — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:30:23 PST

To hear people talk, we're living in a golden age for science fiction on television. The genre has never been so arty and grown-up, with real actors and stuff. Silver lame' jumpsuits are confined to American Apparel where they belong. But maybe some recent shows are just coasting unfairly on this wave of critical acclaim. Is there one show, in particular, that you think gets way more props than it deserves? Vote for your hatiest sacred cow below.

What's The Most Underrated TV Show?

charliejane — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:12:17 PST

Are people always dissing your fave TV show? Do they not understand why Torchwood is the greatest exploration of glory holes in the fabric of space-time since Quantum Leap? Do they fail to appreciate the wonders of Flash Gordon or the new Bionic Woman? Now's your chance to cast your vote for the best unappreciated instant classic.

What's Your Favorite Comic-Book Resurrection Tool?

charliejane — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:30:23 PST

Comic book characters are dropping dead right and left these days. If this keeps up, every comic book will star either Penance the Self-Mutilator or Jason Todd. Of course, we all know these dead characters will come back to life. The question is, what's the best all-purpose revolving-door resurrection tool for comics characters? Click through to vote!

What Scifi Cliche Will Come True First?

charliejane — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:30:23 PST

So everybody keeps saying we're living in a science fictional world now, thanks to the ipod nano and the global catastrophes. So we're just waiting on the edge of our seats for more stock science fiction plots to start coming true. Vote for the summer-blockbuster storyline that'll be the first to become our everyday reality .