The Geek Genome Project is an attempt to explain exactly what fanboys see in their favorite movies, TV shows, comics, books, and games. More than just a review, this is meant to be an overall look at why it’s part of what makes a fanboy a fanboy. This is about what these things mean to us.
Star Wars
The first thing the SciFi Channel ever aired was Star Wars, so I think it’s fitting for Star Wars to be the first entry in this. But you know, for the longest time as I was growing up with Star Wars in the early 80s; I never really associated it with science fiction. Star Trek was scifi to me, Aliens, Blade Runner, Doctor Who…but not Star Wars. Star Wars was just Star Wars. Looking back on it now I probably would have put Star Wars more in a fantasy genre than science fiction. But I guess that’s part of why Star Wars appeals to so many of us; it doesn’t force you into seeing it a specific way.
It’s been said many times that Lucas created a modern myth, and with Star Wars it’s absolutely true. This is even illustrated in other movies. For example, in Reign of Fire (a movie where Christian Bale fights Dragons in a post-apocalyptic future) the characters are acting out the story of Luke vs. Vader to their kids. Not ancient Greek myth, but the modern mythology they were raised on themselves.
Star Wars has become so much a part of our lives that it enters the conversations of fanboys all the time, and with some it’s a daily thing. Talking Star Wars with another fan is like a secret geek language, one where you don’t even need to finish a sentence to understand what the other person is trying to say.
