As a woman who had to explore geek culture and films, TV shows, books, and comics on her own, I know what an overwhelming task it can be. You start yourself with the basics, but then where do you go from there? You watch or read something in the sci-fi or fantasy genre that you really enjoy, and then it’s impossible to find anything else remotely similar without having an embarrassing conversation at your local video or book store. Us gals have enough trouble enjoying our interests without being called ‘fake geek girls’ and asking for recommendations can be an invitation for this type of attack depending on who you’re talking to.
We’ve created this series to help you navigate the huge selection of geeky movies, TV shows, and reading material out there!
Read:
The Foundation Novels by Isaac Asimov
On the surface, The Foundation trilogy of novels by Isaac Asimov has a lot of similarities to Star Wars (a galactic empire, classic good vs. evil), but there is so much more about this story that will impress fans of the former. The plot of Star Wars doesn’t revolve around some evil space monster eating planets or solar systems—it’s about a society crumbling and the ensuing chaos, just like Foundation and its sequels. A small tribe of mathematicians have applied ‘psychohistory’ to their current Galactic Empire and predict an upcoming 30,000-year-long period of barbarian rule.
This group has also discovered that a few simple changes will alter this course and the books are focused around trying to keep this dark age at bay. Long-dead Hari Seldon’s predictions are being used to guide them, along with his two “Foundations” set up at either end of the universe to maintain knowledge and decrease this 30,000 year period to only 1,000. It’s a little bit confusing to explain in only a few sentences, but it’s a great, innovative story. The Foundation Novels are definitely lacking in action and battles, but are a thrilling space fantasy trilogy with a similar underlying structure to Star Wars.
Watch:
Firefly
Do you love cocky Han Solo and the ‘space wild west’ he brings to the original trilogy? What about emotional journeys of characters that you connect deeply with? Then Joss Whedon’s short-lived TV series, Firefly, and its star, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, is for you. Sure, it’s set in the ‘normal’ world, 500 years in the future, making it firmly sci-fi as opposed to fantasy, but it’s got all the more than enough to keep a Star Wars fan happy.
Despite only being one season, Firefly develops rich, multidimensional characters that fans have become extremely attached to; what other series do you know with a Firefly-caliber following and a mere 14 episodes? It’s also very visually similar to the original Star Wars trilogy, with a worn, gritty feel permeating the series. And just like how each planet in Star Wars has a unique set of inhabitants and cultures, so do those of Firefly.
Read:
Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra, & Jose Marzan
This series packs a double punch, as it’s also excellent for people looking to get into graphic novels. Yorick Brown wakes up one morning to discover that he and his pet monkey, Ampersand, are the only two males on the planet to survive a plague that has eliminated all with a Y chromosome. From that point, the 60-issue series sends Yorick and Ampersand on fast-paced adventures all over the globe and headfirst into a society of chaos.
Star Wars fans will love the underdog hero of Yorick Brown who’s got the naivety of Luke, but the quick wit of Han. I found myself consistently laughing out loud and also on the edge of my seat to see how Yorick and the gang he gathers along the way will escape their latest challenge.
Watch:
Doctor Who
Yes, I know this one is a big order—if you only commit to the 2005 reboot series, you’re still looking at 8 full seasons and counting. But, I think fans who were attracted to the love story that permeates Star Wars Episodes 1 through 3 will also find Doctor Who tugging at their heartstrings. Relationships, particularly the relationship between the Doctor and his ever-rotating companion(s) are of utmost importance in Doctor Who. Viewers must be able to completely suspend disbelief and accept the rules of the universe in which they find themselves, something that both Star Wars and Doctor Who are great at developing. Doctor Who bounces around from planet to planet with different rules, species, possibilities, etc. frequently, and while the setup for Star Wars doesn’t change terribly often, new expectations are introduced throughout the films, particularly the prequels.
Watch and/or Read:
Dune
The similarities between the stories of Dune and Star Wars are MANY (I’ll avoid those here, because spoilers) and George Lucas has cited the novels by Frank Hebert as inspiration for Star Wars, however, it’s really the bigger concept which warrants the recommendation. Dune creates an engaging, all-encompassing world for us, with several different planets, creatures, and a somewhat complicated storyline that takes us all over the known (Dune) universe.
I think fans of Star Wars will enjoy both the novels and the 1984 feature film, but if you watch the film, you get the added bonus of the splendor of Star Wars—Dune is filled with over-the-top sets, characters, and costumes—all dripping in opulence. I’m a costume design junkie and am always mesmerized by both Star Wars and Dune.
Alex is a busy student from Canada with a penchant for nerdy entertainment. She has a particular passion for Doctor Who, but also loves makeup, traveling, a good cuppa, and yoga. You can find her on Twitter and blogging about all things geek and beauty at Six Feet in Heels.
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