SFX magazine has published a list of the top 10 science-fiction characters of all tim

[Bamphalas]

I've never watched buffy. I don't consider it sci-fi, but neither is LoTR. Buffy is fantasy/ horror, but not sci fi. There should have been at least one Babylon 5 character on the list.

I agree. I love both shows, but Buffy and Angel are both horror/fantasy. That is unfortunately a common misconception about Sci-Fi nowadays, and it is a trap that even the so-called "Sci-Fi channel" has fallen into. About 90% of their programming is anything but sci-fi, and they continue to reduce the number of science fiction programs, in favor of paranormal reality shows and horror movies.

A proper poll would not have had a set list to choose from. Participants should have been able to write in ANY science fiction character and all votes should have been culled of any non-sci-fi characters.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

SFX is geared towards movie and TV scifi, so it's not too surprising what ended up on the list. Still, it does sort of prove how short memories are.

From the literature, I'd have to mention: Gully Foyle (from The Stars, My Destination); Louis Wu or Speaker-to-Animals or the mad Puppeteer (from Niven's Ringworld novels); the Mule (from Asimov's original Foundation trilogy); Honor Harrington (from the David Weber series); Severian the Torturer (from Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun); John Carter (from the E.R. Burroughs Mars series)

 

[Skade]

I agree. I love both shows, but Buffy and Angel are both horror/fantasy. That is unfortunately a common misconception about Sci-Fi nowadays, and it is a trap that even the so-called "Sci-Fi channel" has fallen into. About 90% of their programming is anything but sci-fi, and they continue to reduce the number of science fiction programs, in favor of paranormal reality shows and horror movies.

Though I agree with you, that is not the way many see it. Do you own any of the Del Rey/Balantine massmarket paperbacks of the Lord of the Rings? You'll notice that it says "sci-fi" on the binding. In the literary world most of the things we love are barely considered readable, and do not rate their own genre. Horror is often placed in its own category only because it is occors primarily in the here and now. Any alternate reality, with technology or magic advanced enough to be inacceptable in todays world is considered "sci-fi" to many who use literary terms to define such things. For SFX and any other publication its simply a matter of marketing. Genrally those who watch Buffy are going to watch Stargate, and they watch Star trek and so on.

I get the impression that Aasimov is more what you think of as sci-fi. I love Aasimov, but would you really want to see Foundation as a series? It would be like sci-fi reality television 24 hours a day!

Personally I don't think science fiction is even an acceptable term for all the vast varity there is in the non-genre, much less with fantasy and horror thrown in there.

oh, and just so I am almost on topic...
I love Buffy, I really do, but this list is pretty ridiculous. My top ten does not have even one Buffy character on it. If it did though, it would be Xander, cause I love the name.

 

[jdavis]

Yea the poll is goofy, don't even try to tell me that Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a better character than Darth Vader or that no Star Trek characters made the list. This has to be one of the most broken polls ever, it's sort of like getting ten people in Mexico to rank their favorite US monuments and then calling it definative. 4 of the characters are from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.....Come on if that right there doesn't point to a bias slant, then I don't know what does. Sci Fi has turned into garbage, I wonder if they even noticed that two of the people on the list are from a show they cancelled so we can see more of a guy talking to dead people.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

As an aside...I used to get SFX, and thought it was pretty good. Haven't seen it on local newsstands for a while, though. What kinda bugged me is that the way they did the cover a lot of the time, the title would be covered up a bit so it looked like you were buying a magazine with the screaming title: "SEX" Got some weird looks at some of the places I bought it.

 

[Krug]

Did Gandalf appear in an episode of Star Terk or something?

Coz it said SCIENCE-FICTION...

 

[MulhorandSage]

Did Gandalf appear in an episode of Star Terk or something?

Coz it said SCIENCE-FICTION...

Of course he did. He's Q.

Scott Bennie

 

[jdavis]

Did Gandalf appear in an episode of Star Terk or something?

Coz it said SCIENCE-FICTION...

Abe Lincoln was in a episode of Star Trek and he didn't make the list, now that is a travesty, but I'm sure Sci Fi will fix it, maybe John Edward can do a special crossing over to find out who Abe Lincoln's favorite Sci Fi characters are.

 

[Umbran]

Coz it said SCIENCE-FICTION...

Yep, it did. Now go take a look in most book stores. They don't have a separate "fantasy" section. By the bookstore definition, Gandalf is sci-fi. Sorry, but functional truth sometimes outweighs Funk & Wagnell's...

 

[Sixchan]

Most bookshops I've been in have a "Fantasy & Science Fiction" section. The WHSmith in town has an entire set of shelves devoted to Fantasy and only the side end is Science Fiction.

There are some blurred lines, though. What about a futuristic world with magic? Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Sci-Fa?
Is Giant robot anime Sci-Fi, Anime, or Giant Robot Anime (as its own genre)?
What about Sci-Fi comedy, like Red Dwarf?