by Sal Kenny

Created on: April 16, 2008

Science fiction has been a staple of television almost since the beginning leveraging man's imagination and interest in things wish were possible. The genre builds entire worlds out of simple ideas. Basic concepts like space travel, science experiments, and things going bump in the night can set the foundation for some of TV's most memorable and classic series. But at its core, science fiction on television generally falls into three categories:

Outer Space
The space genre is dominated by the 850lb gorilla of science fiction: Star Trek. Boldly going where no one has gone before since the 1960s, Star Trek has spawned numerous TV spin offs, a successful movie franchise, and legions of fans who range from the Klingon speaking trekkers to the casual movie goers. Star Trek has essentially built this genre from scratch.

But outer space on television goes beyond the Federation. More recently, series like Farscape, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica have gained loyal followings partly by not being part of the Star Trek universe. By intertwining interesting characters, humor, action in a world free of the Star Trek pretension, newer outer space series have given rise to the space cowboy.

Weird Science
A new super disease, genetic experiments melding man and beast, huge ants, tiny people, science experiments gone awry are another favorite theme for sci-fi writers. Stories in this weird science category often leap straight out of the newspaper. In most cases, they come with a warning about the dangers of playing god and enforce the law of unintended consequences. Series that fit into this category are Quantum Leap, Sliders, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Incredible Hulk.

The Unexplained
This is a catch all category. In this category you'll find a wide array of shows including Amazing Stories and The Outer Limits along with genre originator The Twilight Zone and the success in the 1990s of The X-Files.

Typically seeking truth behind a mystery, these shows cast the widest net incorporating ghosts, unknown creatures, and in some cases government conspiracies to keep the truth from the public. They probably come the closest to the world we live in today, analyzing phenomenon that people report experiencing on a regular basis.

The science fiction universe is vast and crowded. From aliens, to mad scientists, to ghosts there's something for the enthusiast and casual viewer alike. The only question you'll need to answer first is: Are you ready to believe?

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