I'm a huuuuge scifi fan, but I don't really consider the Star Wars films scifi, which is why it doesn't appeal to my fanatical nerdiness, and probably part of why it has much wider appeal. I don't know if that would be controversial to Star Wars fans.
I doubt Star Wars fans would consider that controversial as most admit they like it because of the story arcs and characters with the SciFi part of it being greatly enjoyed, but not the core. The icing on the cake. We'd miss it if it was gone, but we realize it isn't a traditional SciFi story.
Dr. Who seems to be the goto for SciFi geeks. A chick tried to get me into Firefly, Farscape and Dr. Who. It isn't that I didn't like them, just that I didn't feel compelled to binge watch at all. Dr. Who has been going for so long that I don't even know where to begin.
I think Battlestar Galactica Reimagined is considered "too mainstream" by hardcore SciFi geeks as well, so that's why I think I'm just a casual SciFi fan. And some of it comes off as really, really bad.
And X-Files, V, Twilight Zone are a different kind of Sci-Fi as well. As a non-SciFi geek, I feel like the telltale sign is some longwinded explanation that is more exposition than plot or character in a show is the sign of true SciFi geekdom 
Even though I love Doctor Who, I consider that very light on the scifi scale, but I'm a sucker for anything time travel.
I don't like the new BSG, but I thought everyone else loved it including the hardcore scifi geeks. I'm actually just finishing off the last few episodes of the original Twilight Zone now, and I'd argue it's the best and most influential scifi show of all time, even though not my absolute favourite. That and the original Star Trek had some similarities in their approach to scifi.
Scifi is a lot more than technobabble though!
I love that aspect of scifi when done properly (which it rarely is tbh), because it adds to the sense of believability and world building. A lot of shows just use it as throwaway excuse to intentionally confuse you into accepting what's happening, but when used well it's rewarding because it establishes consistent rules that you can anticipate and understand.
But I consider that as more of a surface level modern scifi attribute. Great scifi is often at a much deeper level than that, addressing important issues at an allegorical level and inspiring thought and change.
But I'm getting a bit off topic with my rant.
With all of that in mind, I don't think of Star Wars as scifi, because I think it's very straight up about being a fun adventure, that just happens to have spaceships and pew pew lasers. It also has elements that put it more into fantasy to me. I love fantasy too though, so that's not a bad thing.
Topic: Star Wars Discussion Thread v. Rogue One (Read 461233 times)
