Firefly-help me out

[dravot]

It seems to me that there's a distinct lack of information - how many planets, how many star systems, etc.

From the sound of it, it *feels* to me like there has to be some form of FTL drive, because there are so many individual planets/locations mentioned or visited. To have them all in one system stretches credibility on that issue.

 

[Sir Brennen]

In addition, stars do not have to be light years apart. Multiple star systems frequenly have them light-minutes apart. So, we can have a few stars and gods only knows how many planets,.planetoids, and moons in a relatively small, isolated space. With a reaction drive (I throw mass out the back of the ship, and the ship moves forward), you can reasonably have people tooling around in such a system with hours, days, and weeks between stops.

But a multi-star system is actually much less likely to have planets achieving stable orbits, let alone ones in a range where they could be successfully terra-formed and support life. (Note I didn't say impossible, as we've already discovered a gas-giant in a mult-star system a few months ago that defies current planetary formation theory.)

I really don't have a problem with lots of planets in a single solar system, especially if they are moons of gas-giants, which can provide warmth to its satellites even at distances farther from the sun than the narrow bio-zone which Earth inhabits in our system.

And when you get down to it, Firefly is a space fantasy. It's a metaphor, stylized after the old west; it's a commentary on the scifi genre and is more about character studies than FTL drives. It's good scifi entertainment that doesn't need to get bogged down in the gritty details.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Firefly is modelled in large part by Westerns.

Go back and watch some of them. One that specifically comes to mind is The Magnificent Seven. Distance is a conveniently ignored aspect in the genre, and Firefly continues that tradition.

 

[Hijinks]

I agree. As someone who likes the Firefly show very much, I would like it much less if it went into lots of detail on how the ships fly, the illuminum 236 explosive space modulator, and so on. I want to know about the characters, which is Joss Whedon's specialty, not the ships and the physics of space travel. That's one reason I loved the original Star Trek but lost interest as the later shows became too technical for my tastes.

I think the number of viewers, like me, who cares more about the story/plot/characters outweigh the type of viewer who wants to know how Serenity flies and how far away exactly all of the planets are, and so forth. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to know those things, but I think they're trying to gather as much of a fan base as possible, and if they get too tech-y they may lose some folks.

 

[Umbran]

From the sound of it, it *feels* to me like there has to be some form of FTL drive, because there are so many individual planets/locations mentioned or visited. To have them all in one system stretches credibility on that issue.

Oh? Let us consider that...

Imagine out own solar system - with Venus, Earth, Luna and Mars all terraformed...

If there were a planet in the asteroid belt, we'd have another rock to terraform there...

Now, aroudn the gas giants, For things 1000km and larger, there's 4 Galilean moons (Io, Ganymeade, Callisto and Europa) that might be worth working on, and Saturn has Titan, Iapetus, Rhea, Dione, and Tethys.

So, right here, we're talking about 13 bodies. Given that, I don't see how the number of planets should be any more stretching of credibility than the FTL everyone says they'd need to have that many bodies...

 

[nyjm]

I think the number of viewers, like me, who cares more about the story/plot/characters outweigh the type of viewer who wants to know how Serenity flies and how far away exactly all of the planets are, and so forth. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to know those things, but I think they're trying to gather as much of a fan base as possible, and if they get too tech-y they may lose some folks.

Spoilers ahead...

here-here! hard science fiction has its place, and when done well is quite enjoyable (a lot of asimov's earlier stuff comes to mind.) but whedon obvious pulls more from the "new wave" of science fiction that started in the late fifty's and early sixty's that focused more upon character development than tech.

the technology in the "Firefly" universe is set-dressing. that's not perjorative: set-dressing is very important to portraying a certain context, which is in turn crucial for any TV show or movie. but, the technology and what it can or cannot do isn't the main focus. it may play an important role (where would the show BE without Serenity?) but it serves more as background framing and supporting of what's really central and gripping about "Firefly": the characters.

characters, their interaction and development, their decisions and actions, are the real heart of "Firefly." is mal really a good guy? i'd say, by and large, yes. but what does it mean that - especially for each of like the first three or four episodes - he kills someone in cold blood? why IS inara with the crew? what explains her attraction to mal? i think the relationships between zoe, mal and wash are given a fascinating look in "War Stories."

really, i think "Firefly" is whedon at the top of his game: giving us fascinating, dynamic characters in a fascinating, dynamic (and fantastical) universe. it's melodrama in the absolute best sense of the word (good vs. evil, extreme situations, heavy emotionalizing and even moralizing.) but it's also often complicated and turned on itself, creating expectations in the viewers and then running against them. whedon's brilliance come from creating characters for which that counter-current is not only logical but also intriguing. ("Crash" is definitely one of my favorite "Buffy" episodes.")

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

nyjm hit it right on the head. Joss Whedon has admitted that he does not concern himself with the science behind Firefly/Serenity. He knows enough to make, with some mild suspension of disbelief, a fairly plausible universe. He has no interest in working out all the details of how this works, or that exists, because the show is not about the science, and not about the setting, but about the people in this universe. That is why I love this show so much.

 

[sniffles]

Indeed, Hijinks has hit on what about the show appeals to me. I really don't want to hear someone's explanation of the FTL drive or whatever they use to get around. I want to see how the characters live in their universe. I do admit to being a tiny bit disappointed that there are no aliens, but then again, it's refreshing not to have the funny-forehead-of-the-week.

 

[Shadowdancer]

I don't know if this really qualifies as a spoiler or not, but if you want to go into the Serenity movie with absolutely NO knowledge about it, then stop reading this.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER*

Spoiler

The movie starts with a brief history lesson as a prologue. Mankind left Earth 500 years before, when the planet was no longer able to sustain life. People travelled (non-FTL) to another solar system that contained several planets and moons which can sustain life following terraforming. The series, and the movie, takes place in that one solar system. There is no FTL travel mentioned.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

Edit: Yes, I have seen the movie.

 

[trancejeremy]

I don't know if this really qualifies as a spoiler or not, but if you want to go into the Serenity movie with absolutely NO knowledge about it, then stop reading this.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER*

Spoiler

The movie starts with a brief history lesson as a prologue. Mankind left Earth 500 years before, when the planet was no longer able to sustain life. People travelled (non-FTL) to another solar system that contained several planets and moons which can sustain life following terraforming. The series, and the movie, takes place in that one solar system. There is no FTL travel mentioned.

Spoiler

So why couldn't they just terraform Earth? Or Mars, for that matter (it would be a bit chilly, and have some trouble retaining the atmosphere, but is not that bad a bet)