Science Fiction For the Beginner

Science Fiction is my favorite genre of film. I love sharing my favorite movies with my friends, however science fiction is one genre that is very difficult to just jump into without some prior sci-fi experience. Classics of the genre, like 2001: A Space Oddysey and Blade Runner are difficult to even understand if you've never seen or read anything like them before. So here I've compiled a list of the best science fiction movies for sci-fi beginners in the different subgenres. So here goes.


Apocalyptic Fiction

Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The most popular apocalyptic future is the zombie apocalypse. Now zombie flicks can be a little intimidating to get into. There are few genres of film so dominated by small cult films. With the massive amount of zombie pictures out there, which do you start on? Shaun of the Dead is the perfect starting zombie movie. It has humor that is all-too-often lacking from the genre and you don't have to be a zombie fan to find it hilarious. It's easy to see why I consider Simon Pegg and Nick Frost one of the best comedic duos of all time.



Steampunk

City of Ember (2008)
At only around twenty years old, steampunk is one of the newest subgenres of science fiction. Steampunk normally describes fiction which shows a future where steam power and odler, typically 19th century era, technology is still in use for the creation of generally large and futuristic machines. An excellent example of steampunk is the novel Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, which describes the world as an apocalyptic wasteland with roving steam-powered predator cities who chase down smaller villages and cannibalize their parts to keep their city running. The recent City of Ember is the only accessible steampunk film made so far. Other examples of the genre include the Steamboy. That film is not featured in this post because I do not consider any kind of anime or manga to be anywhere close to accessible.



Time Travel

Doctor Who (2005)
I know it's not a movie, but the 2005 series of Doctor Who is the best beginner's time travel story. The show has been on the air since the 60s, but with the 2005 reboot, all of that backstory becomes unnecessary knowledge. The series can be picked up at any episode in its four season run and still be understood. This series has it all, humor, mystery, sometimes scares, and of course, there's time travel. The stories include ones going to the very end of the universe and even an episode featuring early twentieth century writer Agatha Christie. Absolutely something to check out for science fiction fans and non-fans alike.



Space Opera

Star Trek (2009)
Space opera is one of the most popular forms of science fiction that generally depicts a future involving multiple planet spanning empires and politics and generally involve multiple alien species. This is what most people think of when they hear the words science fiction. This subgenre includes the too-obvious-to-include-here choice of the original Star Wars trilogy. I chose not to include those films in this list because most of the population have already seen them, and if you haven't, you already have a dozen friends telling you that you must see them. This year's Star Trek reboot is an excellent starter's space opera. I have been a Star Trek fan for many years and I thought there would be too much backstory for the typical viewer, but H, my girlfriend, saw the movie with me, having never seen a single episode of Star Trek and still understood everything and thought, like me, that it was an excellent film.


Alternate Timelines

The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Movies about alternate timelines focus on how history could have been different if one small thing had been done differently. Common plots include what if the Confederates had won the war? and what if aliens had landed in World War II? The Butterfly Effect is a good movie about alternate timelines. In the movie, the hero has the ability to move back in time to change things in his past. Each time he goes back, he tries to fix everything in his current life by changing what he did in the past, but every time he tries, everything just gets worse.



Space Western

Serenity (2005)
Space Western is a peculiar form of science fiction. This genre tells stories that are set in space, yet still incorporate elements of a western. Serenity is based off of the television show Firefly, but no knowledge of the show is necessary to enjoy the movie. In the movie, the Serenity is a ship crewed by almost-outlaws who roam the outer limits of the galaxy looking for any kind of work they can find, whether it be smuggling or theft, or even occasionally something honest.



There's my list of the best beginner's science fiction films. I hope it enables someone out there to enjoy my favorite genre a little more.
-J