You can deny it all you want — say science fiction is lame or for nerds. But we know the truth: Sci-fi is freakin’ awesome. It’s intriguing, interesting and actually asks you to use that noggin of yours to imagine the world (and the universe) as bigger and more exciting than it might actually be. Besides, you never know when some of that crazy, nerdy knowledge might come in handy. We recommended sci-fi favorites “Doctor Who” and “Firefly” last term for our favorite TV shows, so check those and these new recommendations for your sci-fi fix.
“Battlestar Galactica,” recommended by Rebecca Sedlak

I recently discovered this four-season TV show, which originally aired between 2004 and 2009 on the SyFy channel. “Battlestar Galactica” imagines a human civilization living on a group of planets called the Twelve Colonies in a distant part of the galaxy. In the past they created the Cylons, cybernetic machine workers and soldiers who eventually acquired artificial intelligence and warred with the humans. After a long period of peace, there’s a surprise attack by the Cylons, which is where the series starts the story: The Cylons devastate the Twelve Colonies in a nuclear genocide, wiping out billions, bent on destroying the human race. One military starship, Battlestar Galactica, escapes the Cylons and flees with a small civilian fleet, numbering about 50,000 souls — all that’s left of the human population. The show goes on from there, as the survivors regroup from the attack, hide from pursuing Cylons and try to preserve their humanity and civilization. Hope comes in the form of the legend of Earth: the mythical Thirteenth Colony that the survivors search for. The writing is emotional and gritty. There is less technobabble in “Battlestar” than in other sci-fi shows, no aliens, and there’s the wonderful made-up curse word of “frack.” As the story unfolds, secrets, relationships and intrigue develop that will keep you glued to the screen. Die-hard fans know the show’s original incarnation in 1978 capitalized on the success of “Star Wars” and other spacey, cinematic gems.@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407362/@@
“Fringe,” recommended by Kaitie Todd
Unexplained phenomena, drama, action, romance … did I already say unexplained phenomena? @@you did, yes@@ “Fringe” has all of this and more — but mostly unexplained phenomena. Featuring a story that revolves around two parallel universes, “Fringe” follows a special FBI team, known as the “Fringe Division,” who are tasked with investigating these strange and unexpected occurrences as they begin to occur more frequently in the U.S. An idea of some of what they’re looking into? Events of mind control, predicting the future, shape-shifters and liquefied brains, to name only a few. Produced by J.J. Abrams (the same guy who created “Lost” and “Super 8”), the show falls on the bizarreness scale somewhere in between “The X-Files” and “The Twilight Zone,” with an overarching plot that borders on convoluted but that is original and wholly unpredictable. One of the great things about this show is the cast of characters, especially the relationship between the three main characters, FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), and Peter and Walter Bishop (Joshua Jackson and John Noble, respectively). Overall, “Fringe” is a great adventure, consistently examining character relationships and creating suspenseful sequences, all amid bizarre and unlikely events. @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119644/@@
“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension,” recommended by Ben Kendall
This is my favorite movie. Ever. A cult classic with an ensemble cast, the film denies many conventions with plot. So much so in fact, that at times it seems muddled in strangeness; a person may not know what is going on at any given point. But in this case, that is its strength. Banzai is a brain surgeon-rock star-particle physicist-crime fighter that … well, the plot is thick. Banzai has a team of “men of action” with such awesome names as “Perfect Tommy” and “Reno.” This movie drips theme. With Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow and Ellen Barkin, the cast is awash with talent. To quote the film, “Why is there a watermelon over there?” You’ll have to watch to find out. Well, you won’t find out. But I still recommend it! @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086856/@@
“Star Wars,” recommended by Amanda Barker
“Star Wars” is simply an amazing series of films that are loved by many. Not only is it one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, but the book series was what made the films so great. When it was first made, it was something new and original that nobody had seen before. “Star Wars” was one of the defining films of its generation because it was the first massive blockbuster space-action film. No one had taken on a job like it before. It helped define the sci-fi genre in a galaxy far away from our own. Basically, you can’t call yourself a fan of science fiction unless you have seen “Star Wars.” @@http://www.imdb.com/find?q=star+wars&s=all@@