Science Fiction means a number of different things to me. It's probably influenced and affected every part of my existence to the point where I can say that I have lived and continue to live "My Science-Fiction Life".
Early memories would be things like Star Wars, Thunderbirds repeats, Saturday morning cartoons. Lots of exciting hardware with space battle and explosions. The trappings of science-fiction giving us hackneyed, but enjoyable "Boys-Own" adventures.
I moved into reading whatever I could find in the school and local library science-fiction sections. My choices weren't exactly discerning. Many, many Doctor Who novelisations were devoured long before I learnt what it is to be a fan, but I also remember the odd clunker like some sci-fi from the pen of Biggles creator Captain W.E. Johns.
The big influence and entertainment I've found from science fiction will always be Doctor Who. From the earliest black and whites to the brand new adventures of David Tennant. When you are a boy of a certain age, looking a certain way (Acne, Bad teeth, Bad glasses), lacking in sporting prowess and pretty averga ein most other respects, it's only natural that you'll look for some kind of escape and every time life has been bad or unkind to me, Doctor Who has been there for me. 25 minutes of forgetting my woes and just losing myself in its otherworldliness. Over the years it delivered me from loneliness and depression. Gave me friends, a wife, kids, sometimes work, certainly a purpose. I got to mingle with and befriend my idols and I have memories and moments I will cherish forever. Many things I have done I'm very, very proud of indeed.
And finally science fiction has allowed me to represent myself and the genre in the media, whether it's publicising the latest convention I was involved with on the local radio and television or fulfilling a life-long ambition to visit Television Centre to be part of the recording of "My Science Fiction Life" in November, 2006.
So long live Science Fiction and long live every geeky one of us. Life would be so dull and drab without it.
By the way, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm already working on the next generation. Alex, Isaac and Simone are all big Doctor Who fans, and Joshua? He has no chance. His middle name is Logan.
The My Science Fiction Life site is now closed to contributions. From this page you can see an archive of all the recollections made by this user.
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