Thought-provoking, interesting, fascinating, illuminating. These are words that come to mind in describing the appeal of science fiction. When these things are expertly combined with the emotional, science fiction becomes a friend. Star Wars, E.T., Close Encounters, all sci-fi films that touched my heart and soul as a child in a way that I hope to never lose touch with as an adult. Its my favorite ingredient to throw into the sci fi mix, but it must be used very carefully.
My father and his brother were into sci-fi and gently shepherded me along in their ways through my childhood. Seeing how profoundly these films affected me, Close Encounters in particular, it was with a bit of ceremony that my father played for me on the only store bought VHS we had, his Close Encounters 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', starring his Harrison Ford in Michael Rennie. However, it wasnt the story between Klaatu and the little boy that resonated with me. That boy was looking to Klaatu as a father figure.
No, the story that struck me was the one between brothers, between Klaatu's people and the Terrans. I identified with Klaatu. He, like his counterpart in George Clinton's Starchild recognizes 'proven ability' but warns against the unkept mind when paired with advanced technology. Klaatu says he can't abide stupidity that his people have learned to live without it. For the closeted intellectual, these words pointed to a brighter future of tolerance, acceptance. It is a clash between the brains and the brute. Post war America of the 50's must've been a truly frightening world to live in. Despite this moving plea, it would be another sixteen years before science fiction of this ilk made another mark.
