It’s a slightly click-baity title, but as we’re still generating more content for our magazines, this one included, why not?
My Sci-fi unpopular opinion is that 2001: A Space Odyssey is nothing but pretentious, LSD fueled nonsense. I’ve tried watching it multiple times and each time I have absolutely no patience for the pointless little scenes which contain little to no depth or meaningful plot, all coalescing towards that 15 minute “journey” through space and series of hallucinations or whatever that are supposed to be deep, shake you to your foundations, and make you re-think the whole human condition.
But it doesn’t. Because it’s just pretentious, LSD fueled nonsense. Planet of the Apes was released in the same year and is, on every level, a better Sci-fi movie. It offers mystery, a consistent and engaging plot, relatable characters you actually care about, and asks a lot more questions about the world and our place in it.
Becky Chambers books tend to be pretty low stakes, so you might want to check those out.
Was going to recommend them, and also point out that they go pretty far in the other direction. Once I digested Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and kind of actively decided I was cool with her approach, I really enjoyed her stuff. That first one felt like a bait & switch in the moment, though.
Not read any of her others (yet) but that book is lovely
My other unpopular scifi opinion is I hate Becky Chambers books with the fire of a thousand suns. Like I don’t just not like them, they actually make me angry with how twee they are.
In general I feel that way about any “cozy” books, I also ragequit The House in the Cerulean Sea.
ME TOO!!! I HATE BECKY CHAMBERS SO MUCH!!!
I’ve ranted on /r/fantasy a few times but her books are NOT HAPPY. I don’t know how to post spoilers here yet so I will not say everything I have to say about Becky Chambers, but in particular when you really examine A Long Way To a Small Angry Planet, she advocates for some pretty horrific things, and the ending either is pretty damn tragic or you are a huge giant hypocrite.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was written as a way to okay the taking of Native American children from their parents, so you didn’t miss out on liking it.
I hate-read it for some reason and couldn’t get over how Hallmark sanguine everything was and how much of a bumbling idiot the mc was. Plus, he was gay and I resented his inclusion into queer lit.