Heads, It's BookTV - Tails, It's Sci-Fi

Luky loves BookTV, the 48-hour nonfiction book and author review programming every weekend on C-Span2. He says he learns a lot about the world as it is today, as well as human history and psychology. He also says it's commercial-free and the producers respect every perspective - conservative, liberal, religious, cultural, mystical, scientific - "you name it," he says, and cocks his ears forward as if he expects me to debate his choice.

I, on the other hand, prefer the Sci-Fi Network. Sci-Fi isn't the only source of science fiction, fantasy and mystery, of course, but I mention it only in juxtaposition to Luky's opting for BookTV, which is, by the way, not TV's only source of articulate information and authorship.

Luky accuses me of liking really dumb sci-fi movies. I think his assessment is a little unfair, butI guess I have to admit that I enjoy an occasional sequestration to either (and sometimes both) the extreme frivolity or serious scientific hypothesis in "flicks of fantasy" (that's Luky's term, which he uses thinking I'm missing his loaded alliteration to the idiomatic "flights of fancy"). He thinks he's so damn clever!

The thing is, bad sci-fi movies are an escape. Luky doesn't need escape as much as I do, I suppose. But even when I want to think about really difficult things - or, perhaps more appropriately, when I want to avoid thinking about those things - bad sci-fi can be the best retreat.

Well, these days we seem to be needing a LOT of retreats. Sorry, I have to stop now - Luky thought I said, "treat."