Why Firefly is not good Science Fiction

POSTED BY: cljohnston108
UPDATED: Friday, May 9, 2025 03:51
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CLJOHNSTON108

Thursday, June 28, 2007 11:20 AM

Just saw this linked over on SF Signal < http://www.sfsignal.com/>, and thought y'all would want to discuss...

Onelowerlight Rising: Why Firefly is not good Science Fiction
http://onelowerlight.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-firefly-is-not-good-scie
nce-fiction.html

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

ODDSBODSKINS

Thursday, June 28, 2007 12:57 PM

Strikes me as a justification for personal dislike, looks like mostly on the grounds that firefly is too liberal. Which is cool, everyone has different tastes, and different morals and shizz.

They may think their sins are original, but for the most part they are petty and repetitive.

YINYANG

Thursday, June 28, 2007 1:02 PM

So what if it's not good sci-fi? It doesn't have to be.

Here's one of the quotes that circulates at the top of the site:

"When I pitched the show, I said it was about nine people living in the blackness of space and seeing nine different things. That's what I'm fascinated by, how they all react. They must make decisions that are horrific to people who aren't fighting for their lives every day. It's about a group of people who are living hand-to-mouth, and are heroes, day-to-day." - Joss Whedon

I don't think this was supposed to be a sci-fi show. Heck, I don't think you can really put this into any one genre. Yeah, it's in space, and there are spaceships, but it's not about the universe, or the future - it's an ensemble show, and it's about the crew.

"A witty saying proves nothing." Voltaire

MAVOURNEEN

Thursday, June 28, 2007 1:09 PM

Thanks for linking this, Chris.

I have to say, this blogger's points are poorly developed, under researched, and as others on his blog pointed out...flat out wrong.

There will always be people who don't "get" a piece of fiction, be it a novel, a movie, a tv show. And of course, that's okay. What is unfortunate is that this particular person is using his religion as a backdrop to paint with quite a broad brush.

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SISTER

Thursday, June 28, 2007 1:50 PM

I believe this person has an agenda and I believe it is a religious one. What other sci-fi program even attempted to add a regular religious figure? (Book)...And saying Firefly was "bad" science fiction because of an emphasis on "sex"? Hellooooooo...??? Unless, of course, sex is indeed science fiction to the writer? Now if the writer just didn't like the show...fine, different strokes (oops, is that a sexual innuendo??) but saying it's bad science fiction...??? Whatever..

DEEPGIRL187

Thursday, June 28, 2007 2:42 PM

There are so many gaping holes in this guy's analysis that Serenity could fly through them.

Yes, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I have no problem with that. My problem is when someone pays only cursory attention to the subject matter without really looking at things in depth.

For instance, his feelings regarding Inara and her profession, particularly the events in "Heart Of Gold". She wasn't crying over Mal and Nandi because it went against what she stood for. She was crying because the person she had feelings for just slept with another woman. Getting your heart broken still tends to hurt, even if you work in a profession that deals with relationships. And the whole FTL thing? Name one instance in the show where it was even mentioned.

I'm glad this person liked Serenity and all, but if they were looking for straight-up sci-fi, they were in the wrong place to begin with.

**************************************************

"Right! Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!"

ZEEK

Thursday, June 28, 2007 3:04 PM

Any real fan of Firefly can see how far off this guy is. How many relationship were even in that show? What is he talking about saying they all start with sex? Let's see there's Wash and Zoe and then there's....

I really don't get what he means about Joss being preachy. There was no gay rights agenda in Firefly. It was just an accepted lifestyle. Oh the horror.

Bah I'm not gonna waste anymore time on that dude's post. At least he was civil in his misguided dislike.

RCAT

Thursday, June 28, 2007 3:10 PM

Odd that he says he likes Firefly but that it's bad sci-fi...He must think Star Trek is horrible sci-fi. Folks are always having sex on that show (w/ alien species, no less), TNG is preachy as can be, there is no religeon to speak of 'till DS9 (where as Firely is chock full of christian and budist ref.), and all the technical stuff (ftl,etc.) is expained away w/ made up words and jargon.

I like StarTrek, btw, just trying to get into his shoes.

"Always walk a mile in another man's shoes before you criticize him. That way, you're a mile away and you have his shoes."

KAYNA

Thursday, June 28, 2007 3:35 PM

Read some of the comments posted on his little message. The last one is his own reply. He replys to someone who made a remark about Judeo/Christian/Islamic religion, saying there is no such thing and that they are antithetical religions. Not so. The person he was replying to was using it in the sense that they all have the same basis and the same god. It's a term I've heard before in theological debates.

Anyway, add that to his opinions and justifications about Firefly and I start to see a pattern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Op: You're fighting a war you've already lost.
Mal: Yeah, well I'm known for that.

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Thursday, June 28, 2007 5:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mavourneen:
Thanks for linking this, Chris.

I have to say, this blogger's points are poorly developed, under researched, and as others on his blog pointed out...flat out wrong.

There will always be people who don't "get" a piece of fiction, be it a novel, a movie, a tv show. And of course, that's okay. What is unfortunate is that this particular person is using his religion as a backdrop to paint with quite a broad brush.

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Well, I say, Pi&& on the blogger and the horse he rode in on.

---- plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

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