Lesson #11: How to tell if someone is a vampire.
on Feb 6, 2009 in science fiction Count von Count Dexter film muppets sci-fi television vampires zombies Living in New Orleans, zombies and vampires are both serious threats.  And its very easy for zombies and vampires to blend in to the insanity hear, looking just like everyone else.  This lesson helps prevent any problems with vampires before they s...

Lesson #10: In space, no one can hear your explosions.
on Jan 13, 2009 in science fiction film sci-fi television This is not a lesson by me, but another one I found on the web.  I thought Sci-Fi Lessons readers might love this comic.  Enjoy!       ...

Lesson #9: Most aliens are bipedal.
on Jan 9, 2009 in science fiction Farscape film Jabba the Hut sci-fi Star Trek Star Wars television Along with speaking English, most intelligent aliens look a remarkable amount like humans.  It is amazing that creatures developed so similarly, even though we lived in different planets and different galaxies.  Even the Breen, a species in Star Tr...

Lesson #8: Zombies come in two speeds: slow and fast.
on Dec 16, 2008 in science fiction sci-fi video games television film zombies horror Resident Evil I Am Legend Night of the Living Dead I never feared an imminent zombie attack until I moved to New Orleans.  With an above ground cemetary only blocks away, the zombies can simply walk out of their graves rather than making the effort to dig out of many feet of dirt.  However, I’.

Lesson #7: The cuter something is, the more dangerous it may be.
on Dec 10, 2008 in science fiction Ewoks Futurama Galaxy Quest Gremlins Nibbler Nubbins Sanctuary sci-fi Star Trek Star Wars Tribbles It seems that characters in sci-fi programs have not caught on to this one yet, as they keep being drawn in by the lure of cuddly creatures.  Tribbles in Star Trek (and again in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Gremlins, Ewoks in Star Wars, Nibbler in F...

Lesson #6: Sci-Fi has a complex relationship to black leather.
on Dec 8, 2008 in science fiction black leather Farscape Jeremiah sci-fi Stargate Atlantis television This lesson is hard to explain, as it is nuanced and complex. Often, the longer a sci fi show has been on the air, the more black leather is involved. John Crichton (Ben Browder) on Farscape began the series in a U.S. space suit. However, he gradua...

Lesson #5: What to do when I accidentally become invisible.
on Dec 2, 2008 in science fiction androids Data invisibility out-of-phase sci-fi Star Trek Stargate This appears to be a serious problem in science fiction. Accidentally becoming invisible is very different from becoming invisible on purpose, such as Harry Potter with his cloak of invisibility. When someone becomes invisible intentionally, usually...

Lesson#4: Mutants are hip.
on Nov 17, 2008 in science fiction film Heroes mutants sci-fi Star Wars television The 4400 X-Files Popular culture seems obsessed with mutants. We’ve come a long way from The Elephant Man, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mask, or The Great Mutato in The X-Files, as mutants have campaigned for better representation in the media. No longer medi.

Lesson #3: Red blinking lights are generally bad.
on Nov 16, 2008 in science fiction 2001 Battlestar Gallactica film Knight Rider sci-fi television Terminator There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, the same progressive red lights on Kitt in Knight Rider were good, but bad on the Cylons in Battlestar Gallactica. For the most part, however, red blinking lights mean a bomb or an evil android.

Lesson #2: Looting corpses is a crucial survival skill.
on Nov 15, 2008 in science fiction sci-fi video games looting corpses Bioshock television film This is one of the most important lessons of the media. It is abound in television and films. Whenever someone dies, one must search the body for important goods, primarily weapons and ammunition. At a minimum, one must pickup a gun from the dead bod...