io9: scifi confessions

The Television Series You Can't Stop Thinking About

Annalee Newitz — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:38:32 PDT

Everybody has one: It's the TV series you've collected on DVD, the one you quote from way too often. You've scientifically identified the best episodes, and try to convert new viewers by showing them. Now, try to convert us.

What show should we all be watching RIGHT NOW, and why? And what are the best episodes to start with?

I'm going to start by recommending Supernatural, a show that's on the air right now and just keeps getting better. There are plenty of other shows I love just as much, but right now I have Supernatural on the brain. Why is it so great? It's a well-written show whose paranormal investigators walk the same ground as X-Files but manage to have more depth of feeling and a better sense of humor. Also, the scrappy Winchester brothers are the opposite of Mulder and Scully: Instead of being elite FBI agents, they are fugitives who have to solve their cases using subterfuge and an underground network of "hunters" in the midwest who fight monsters.

So if you like smart dialogue and bad-assery, dive into Supernatural. I'd recommend starting with 4 episodes from season one: Episode 1, followed by 20-22. These will give you the plot arc of the boys' backstory with a yellow-eyed demon and their hunter dad (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and supply some of the best action from the sometimes uneven first season.

What do you recommend?

The Strangest Story About The Matrix You'll Ever Hear

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:00:35 PST

Sometimes watching the climax of a movie can be a little more climactic than you might think. In this video, a hacker named Jake explains something very NSFW that is related to Agent Smith beating the crap out of Neo. After this story, you might want to take the blue pill.

This is the second part in our series of vids in which people tell us strange stories about naughty things they did while consuming science fiction.

Tell Us About Your Science Fiction Sex Experiences (Part 1: Izzy)

Annalee Newitz — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:00:12 PST

As we prepare for Valentine's Day, we've started asking random people to tell us about their science fiction sex experiences. Some people ran away screaming, others told us in confidence, but two brave individuals were willing to go on camera and tell us about them. Today we bring you part one of "Tell Us About Your Scifi Sex Experiences," starring a poet named Izzy. Nothing naughty happens visually in this clip, but what she's saying is NSFW. So put on some headphones!