Next week my ‘Top Ten’ lists are all dropping so I wanted to take a moment to highlight some Sci-Fi and Fantasy media that just missed a spot on those lists.

ForHorror Highlights my list was 95% movies, and today my list is completely the opposite, featuring mostly books and shows. I hope some of you check them out!

Shows

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Impulse (S1)

Youtube shows are not on my radar at all. The only reason I knew about this show was my sister-in-law pleading with me to give it a try (I have no clue how she ran across it herself). 

I’m really glad that I listened to her. The premise is Sci-fi, think the movie Jumper, but the core story is about a teen girl Henry dealing with a sexual assault that happens in the first episode. Not only is Henry trying to get a handle on new powers, but also trying to process what had happened to her. 

I don’t want to give much away but I believe they did a great job with the difficult subject matter. Henry feels like a real person and I’m deeply invested in her story, and I can’t wait to watch season 2.

The Mandalorian

While I’m writing this I’m patiently waiting for the finale of The Mandalorian to drop. I’m not a massive fan of Star Wars, I haven’t seen the original trilogy since I was a kid, and I haven’t been impressed with the new era of films.

Boy, was this a genuine surprise. Baby Yoda does help with being emotionally involved in the story, but there are a lot of elements that work for me, including the episodic nature of the series and the western feel. I might watch Rise of the Skywalker one day, but I got the Star Wars I want right here.

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The OA (S1/2)

What a crazy show hahaha. 

The OA is a show where you are either on board or not. I know the end of season one really alienated some of its viewers. I had… questions myself, but I think season two made up for it. 

Season two just dialed the weird up to 100% and the end was *chef’s kiss*.

And then Netflix cancelled it… 

It’s been months and I’m still upset by this decision. But I’ll pour one out for this truly original batshit crazy show. 

The Orville (S1/2)

I slept on this show for awhile because the marketing did it dirty. I thought its sole purpose was just to rip on Star Trek and I wasn’t in the mood. After the disappointment of Discovery, however, I decided to give The Orville a try and got hooked. 

Yes, the show definitely pokes fun at classic Star Trek but had a depth that frankly shocked me. Underneath moments of parody are stories that take me back to watching The Next Generation as a kid. Seth Macfarlane can sometimes get in his own way, but you can tell how much he loves Star Trek, which really shines in comparison to the hollowness of Discovery. 

Books

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All Systems Red (Murderbot #1) – Martha Wells

Not the biggest fan of A.I. stories but I thought this was an interesting start to a series. I really dug the personality of the ‘Murderbot’ and his relationships with others. I definitely want to read more from this novella series and hope I can squeeze it into my stacked TBR next year.

On a Sunbeam – Tillie Warden

What a gorgeous graphic novel. In the far future as a young woman Mia is flying with a repair crew in space, we also see a parallel story of her first tragic love. I appreciated how 100% queer this novel was, showing a variety of diversity, included a few individuals who prefer the ‘they’ pronoun. Also liked how easily Mia adapts to this, shows that the heart of using correct pronouns is about respecting others.

I think I’ll just show off some of the beautiful panels…

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I highly recommend On a Sunbeam. It’s really exquisite.

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Uprooted (and Spinning Sliver) – Naomi Novik

I think there’s a lot of good stuff going on in both Uprooted and Spinning Sliver. I personally like Uprooted more, but there’s one plotline that I just hated, and sadly that kept it off my top ten list. And it’s the romance. Oh boy was it bad. 

The relationship between the Dragon and Agnieszka should’ve just staying teacher/student with maybe developing into mutual respect, but romance/sex should’ve been off the table. The Dragon is awful to Agnieszka and every time horny feelings were hinted at I felt gross.

Movie

Avengers and the End of an Era

Marvel movies have had their ups and downs, but I just want to take a moment and give them due props. I think both Endgame and Infinity War were a solid close to ten years of buildup. I have no clue how the movies from this point on are going to fair, but I think no matter what this was a true cinematic event. Let’s see what the next act brings.