I come from a nerd background. I’ve been a firm believer in both science fiction and fantasy in all forms since early on – books, TV, movies, the whole thing. I’m far from an expert, but I’m certainly a fan! The books I remember reading without stopping have often been fantasy (starting with Half Magic, and growing into Harry Potter and The Children of the Lamp series) and when I was in on a train with no unread books, I was glad DUNE dropped into my lap, along with some extra time on public transportation.
My mom’s a Trekkie. The birthday gifts that have gone over best are Tribbles and an Uhura nightgown (her old car had a Klingon University bumper sticker – it attracted a very strange crowd of on-lookers). So growing up, while my mom was strict and limited my TV intake, sci-fi usually got a free pass. More recently, I started an obsession watching Doctor Who. The second week of January, I fell in love with Rose and Christopher Eccleston. By mid-March, I’d seen up through The End of Time, plus Torchwood (and a Tom Baker or two by April!) Now, I’m simply sad that this weekend brings no new Matt Smith episodes. (Thank the heavens for Mad Men).
Now that you’ve seen my credentials, back to the point.
I’m a big supporter of science fiction and the what could be. So where’s my damn jetpack?! I get that it’s an unrealistic method of transportation and that there’s no way to safely regulate people flying in every direction at high speeds. In theory, I understand that strapping people to rockets may not be the best move. But I can’t help it – I’m sick of waiting for my jet pack!
I’m also eagerly awaiting a functional hover craft/flying car, consumer space travel, and Rosie from the Jetsons (along with everything else from the Jetsons intro sequence – the pancake flipping robot comes close!).
I know Michio Kaku says that we should get a transporter sometime in the future, but I’m getting tired of waiting. I’m ready to pop out for a quick day at the beach and be home by dinner. I propose using all the scientists devoted to studying anything that’s been irradiated for the last 100 years OR finding the cure for male baldness and putting them on what I call, “The Future Commission.” Any other suggestions?