
Everything I needed to know I learned from Sci-Fi
It’s 1977, and I am a nerdy, awkward, restless child. (Try to look surprised.) My mom takes me to two life-changing movies: the original Star Wars, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (this hotlink is Siskel and Ebert, in 1977). I. Am. TRANSFORMED. I realize I feel like an alien. I realize other people feel like aliens. I realize not everyone hates aliens. I am inspired to be braver, even though I am horribly, painfully shy, and help others whenever I can. Science fiction is a terrific teacher, IMO, because 1) Science and 2) Fiction. No, really. I’m going