Everyone’s contemplated the eternal questions – where would you rather live, the Star Trek universe or the Star Wars universe? But what about the Logan’s Run universe or the Buck Rogers universe of the 25th century? Inquiring minds want to know. Don’t answer too quickly. Let’s take a minute to look at each of these and more, and then come to an informed decision.
Blade Runner
A shitty dystopian cesspool, but maybe not too shabby if you like city life. However, the level of pollution and overcrowded dinginess is a little over the top, so I’d have to rule it out.
Star Trek
Sure, it’s got a unified multicultural peace going for it, but how fun would it be for the Earthlings? Not everyone can be Captain Kirk cruising around the galaxy doinking every sexy alien that comes his way. No, the Star Trek Earth is a socialist communal never-never land. Too kumbaya for me.
Give me a holodeck and it might be a different story. But that wouldn’t arrive until TNG/DS9.
Star Wars
Unless you’re a Jedi, this Universe is pretty awful (with Order 66 in mind, it’s not exactly Disneyland for Jedis either). Tattooine and Geonosis are godforsaken deserts. Hoth is a godforsaken ice cube. Dagobah is a godforsaken swamp. Mustafar is a godforsaken lava planet. Alderon gets blown up. There’s the Ewok and Wookie forest planets – no thanks. Naboo is boring as hell. Coruscant is the city planet, but not exactly a dream world. Then there’s all these wars raging. Just hell no.
Logan’s Run
Upside: Every woman on this planet is smoking hot and wears skimpy miniskirts. And you males can order up one of these dynamite foxes to materialize into your living room at the press of a button.
Downside: The whole planet is air conditioned and looks like an 80s mall. Plus you get exterminated when you turn 30. Yeah, I think the cons outweigh the pros in this universe.
UFO
Now we’re getting warmer. Everything’s groovy and those Moon Maidens are the very definition of shagadelic. However, not to nitpick, things just aren’t that different. Other than SHADO headquarters) things look pretty much as they really were. It was supposed to take place in 1980, so I guess it’s to be expected. No thanks.
Thunderbirds
Giant rocket-powered vehicles that you can fly right out from under your living room in your secret volcanic island hideout and perfectly coifed hair.
Of course, this treads too near the so-called Uncanny Valley. So, I’ll pass.
Battlestar Galactica
I never watched the new Battlestar, so I’m going purely on the original series. All I can say about these shows is – who the hell wants to be stuck on a space ship forever? Can you say “cabin fever”? No thanks.
Star Maidens
This female dominated world was a Hotpants Paradise of stone cold foxes in short-shorts. But, being a man in a universe where men are considered mildly retarded doesn’t sound too inviting.
The Jetsons
As mentioned in The Top 15 TV Sitcom Homes of the 1950s-70s You’d Most Want To Live, this is a sci-fi paradise. A circular home in a space-age sky rise with all the modern conveniences you could dream up….. And yet, I think the wholesome vibe would get a little old. I need my sci-fi universe to have a little “edge”.
Doctor Who
Unless you happen to be a Timelord (or his luscious sidekick), the Dr. Who universe kinda sucks.
The Doctor runs around mucking about where things have gone pear-shaped. His Kirkian “inverse Prime Directive” attitude is quite fun, but it means you don’t get to see any of the nice planets.
2001: A Space Odyssey
We’ve got a base on the Moon, a manned expedition on the way to Jupiter, Pan Am orbital clippers, and Howard Johnson’s fried clams in space, f’cripesake. Can’t argue with the idea of chowing down on some good old HoJo’s fried clams while watching the Earth turn beneath you and phoning home on a videophone while watching old Monty Python reruns on my Newspad. 2001, here I come.
Yet, there’s just something a bit “off” about Kubrick’s universe. It’s a little too cold and quietly foreboding for my taste.
Space:1999
Another issue with being stuck forever… this time with lots of beige. No thanks.
A Clockwork Orange
A grahzny place with ultra-violence and dratsing. For the old in-and-out it’s real horrorshow. But too much krovvy and tolchocking for my tastes.
Blake’s 7
Authoritarian government with an ill-equipped rebellion committing acts of terrorism… we already have that. Plus, every planet looks like a disused quarry.
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
It’s got all the benefits of Logan’s Run without the mass murder of all 30 year olds. The 25th Century has smoking hot chicks everywhere you look with all the amenities of The Jetsons. Plus, the people of 2430 obviously appreciate the awesomeness that was 1979. Discos are “in”, as is the Farrah look and the macho Burt Reynolds style…. and there are wisecracking chauvinist robots to boot. Indeed, there’s literally no downside to this universe. Who needs a freaking “holodeck” when you’re livin’ the dream, baby!
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