Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese

It all began with Eureka.

I grew up believe science fiction to be for those people over there. Oh, sure, there was Star Wars, and who could deny the greatness of Star Wars but beyond that, well, we didn't need anything beyond that. In fact, when my boyfriend (now husband) told me he liked Star Trek, it was almost a deal breaker for me.

Once we married, the TV wars began. I found myself sitting in on shows such as Star Trek Enterprise, and you know, it wasn't so bad. Not what I remembered from the other Star Treks. It was an interesting study on humanity, come to think about it, and the issues we face here from broad strokes like the nature of man to specific issues such as immigration. But I could take it or leave it.

Then there was Eureka. I wouldn't have believed it to be sci-fi except that it's produced by the sci-fi channel. Well, yes, it does use technology in crazy ways, but still. What makes Eureka for me is Colin Ferguson's character, the marshall turned sheriff who's an everyday guy and whose face scrunches up in confusion whenever the physics start talking (kind of like my face). He has these great lines. For example, in response to a long, complicated explanation of this machine, he says, "Why don't you just call it a death ray?" or the classic, "Let's not shoot the crazy end-of-the-world machine yet." My husband and I began watching at episode one, and I'm addicted.

But it got worse.

I fought it, and I'd like to think I put up a good fight. I pretended Lost didn't have any elements of sci-fi (it's really more fantasy, right?). Pushing Daisies, that's definitely fantasy, don't you think? And H.G. Wells books? Those are classics, not strictly sci-fi. I refused to watch any more of the Sci Fi channel.

Absolutely not.

Until this summer. I gave in to the Battlestar Galactica frenzy. We watched Season One in a week and a half, I'm ashamed to say. But when Admiral Adama says in the first episode that we've done these things and we haven't taken responsibility for them and is humanity worth saving, I was hooked. Now this is something I can sink my teeth into.

Toward the end of season one, issues of faith came to the forefront. How do we make decisions? If you believe in the gods, what is the appropriate course of action? Are the prophecies and stories more than empty myths? Can they be depended upon?

And the question of humanity. With the cylons now looking like humans, feeling like humans, and even getting pregnant like humans, what's the essence of humanity?

So we began season two last night. I can't stop now. Of course, my husband rejoices at my conversion. You see, he'd watched to original series and some Galactica movie.

Yes, we'll be watching Caprica when it begins this fall. Yes, I'm doing the dance of joy that in a few days, season three of Eureka begins.

Although, I don't think I'm ready to say flat-out that I'm now a sci-fi fan.