Whedonesque : Comments on 13039 : Vote Serenity for "Best Sci-Fi Ship".

I'm surprised that so many want the Falcon, it was a junker without the cool private crew quarters, but I'm surprised so few people care about Moya. I (of course) voted for Serenity (because I still want to build it and live on it in RL), but the Tardis would have been my second choice.

embers | April 24, 19:47 CET

Here's a direct link:
http://slashdot.org/pollBooth.pl?qid=1421

jam2 | April 24, 19:52 CET

NCC-1701? sneaky little nerds

Okay I voted twice. I had to vote for the Enterprise, too. Starfleet would have taken away my tricorder if I hadn't.

[ edited by kerfuffle on 2007-04-24 21:45 ]

kerfuffle | April 24, 19:53 CET

Unfortunately, I just can't vote Serenity with the Falcon in the line-up.

Sure, she looked like a junker, but anybody who knows drag racing knows the correct term for the Falcon is "sleeper", fastest ship on eithers side of the battle. Also, she's armed.

Most importantly--wookie co-pilot.

The_Joker | April 24, 19:55 CET

Shit that's hard. "Favourite" specifically, had to go with the Falcon. Might've been a junker but she'll do the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs [sic] ;).

If it actually was "best" though, the old blue box has to take it. Sure she looks like a POS and is held together with bits of twine and The Doctor's will-power BUT she's still hundreds of years ahead of any of the other ships. And you can't beat time-travel as an optional extra, s'way better than a 10 disc CD changer ;).

It's cool to throw down in a poll we might actually lose too. I know /. isn't as mighty as it once was but i'd think they can still match us for both numbers and fervour.

(Serenity, much as I love her, would be something like fourth after the 1701-D - though the CowboyNeal was also a fine boat, if a bit slow on the turn ;)

Saje | April 24, 20:07 CET

I can't vote Serenity either. Though I love the ship for it's part in the show and movie, it simply isn't the best ship...by a long shot.

DarenG | April 24, 20:12 CET

I voted Serenity, but it kind of hurt. We wouldn't have Serenity if it weren't for the Falcon, and the Enterprises are Sci-Fi landmarks.

Maybe I'll vote again just for good measure ;).

Resolute | April 24, 20:16 CET

What!? No Lexx option? (I had to vote for the NCC-1701, anyway, but still.)

Rowan Hawthorn | April 24, 20:16 CET

Rowan- Cheers for Lexx!

But I wouldnt pick anything but Serenity.

mifeng | April 24, 20:23 CET

I'm watching Babylon 5 for the first time in a decade and I think that show had the coolest ships. The Earth navy, Centauri vessels and of course the Shadows. Such cool designs.

Simon | April 24, 20:24 CET

embers | April 24, 16:47 CET

Serenity (because I still want to build it and live on it in RL)

embers,

You did order a set of Serenity Blueprints from QMX, right? They are down to the last 100 or so.

Serenity Sequel, Sequel, set we can tour at Universal Studios and hold weddings and shindigs and Joss can film episode-like Firefly/Serenity movies.

That's why I've got my Serenity Blueprints...you know for when I win the lottery.

Anonymous1 | April 24, 20:46 CET

Must admit I voted for NCC-1701 (ducks fruits and various meats).

Hey, it was my first love as a child and I was pissed when it was cancelled.

Now, some 40 years later, I still get pissed when my favorite shows are cancelled. Hmm, starting to wonder if there's a pattern here?

Madhatter | April 24, 21:18 CET

For me, it would be the Millennium Falcon first, then Serenity. But if Nostromo had been on the list, no contest.

Tonya J | April 24, 21:34 CET

As much as I heart Serenity, where's the love for the TARDIS? Time travel, and it's bigger on the inside. How can you beat that?

Hex | April 24, 21:35 CET

Simon, I loveeeee Babylon 5, and the ship designs were amazing! I have to say I love the Vorlon, minbari and the whitestars. Especially that planet killer.. ooh a dousy. And in temrs of ship, I really cant go with serenity as much as I love her. I have to say either Moya or 1701-D.

kurya | April 24, 21:39 CET

Its not the fairest poll anybody ever put up, either, is it? You've got small freighters against capital ships and its splitting the trekker vote, also.

The_Joker | April 24, 21:44 CET

My favorite ship would have to be the one I feel the most emotional about. The Millenium Falcon was a very cool ship but I never got attached to it because I didn't feel like the characters were very attached to it not even Han Solo (he let the guy with the cape fly it in ROTJ).

Serenity has to be it for me, not because of my love for the show but because of her importance in the eyes of her crew, Mal who fell in love with her at first glance, Kaylee who could feel her moods, and the rest in other ways.

Moya would be a close second, she was a character in every way, her life was in risk a lot of the time, she suffered grate pains and even had a kid. She was also the only character on Farscape that all the other characters (even Rygel) loved.

The others are just ships. I like my car, but I won't cry if something happened to it. I don't think anyone would have cried for just a ship.

urkonn | April 24, 22:32 CET

The others are just ships. I like my car, but I won't cry if something happened to it. I don't think anyone would have cried for just a ship.

I may have been a kid (and a big nerd) but I remember tearing up a bit when the Enterprise was destroyed. Heck, it was almost as bad as Spock dying.

As much as Mal loved his ship, I think Kirk loved his more.

kerfuffle | April 24, 22:42 CET

I took the word "best" in this poll to mean which was the best ship within the story, so I had to vote for Serenity. It's just how I think. I've never really cared for technobabble or other faux science aspects of science fiction

I can picture Serenity in my mind, I know her parts. In those few episodes of Firefly and Serenity, we know more about Serenity than we do about the Enterprise, for example. I've seen way more episodes of Star Trek than Firefly and everything feels disconnected when I try to think of any of the Trek vessels. The Enterprise is all Phase-fluxers, dylithium crystals, and midichloreans to me.

Also, Serenity is more than a just a ship to the crew. Several references are made to this. I've never seen Dr. Who, and only 10 episodes of Farscape, so I can't really speak for those ships, but the Falcon would be the closest ship to Serenity in this regard.

Now, if I had voted based on features, one of the Trek ships would have won, though I don't know which is which (thus saving my reputation for being cool).

Caleb | April 24, 22:53 CET

Perhaps this poll should be: "Which ship would you prefer to be on?"

Madhatter | April 24, 22:58 CET

Interesting that it notes I've already voted since a) I have not and b)... oh wait, that just means Geoff in the next cube over voted as we're behind the same firewall. Oh well... I would have to show the blue box loved as well. Even though series three (29) isn't exactly blowing the doors off yet, I think it'll pick up, and I've been loving the TARDIS as long as I've loved ST:TOS. Can I vote for Gene Hunt's car from Life on Mars?

zeitgeist | April 24, 22:59 CET

kerfuffle - Me too !

What a great list, but virtually impossible,for me, to choose which ship to vote for.

Shade of Pale | April 24, 23:02 CET

The Enterprise is all Phase-fluxers, dylithium crystals, and midichloreans to me. - Caleb

Don't forget the tribbles.

I can see your point of view. It's weird but I have the total opposite reaction. I didn't have the same kind of connection with Serenity that I did with the Enterprise. Of course, I'm talking about the Enterprise in the orginal series. The new versions of the ship weren't quite the same. Maybe if Serenity would have had some swooshy doors and some groovy sixties lighting and decor...

Plus, phasers = cool.

Question: What are midichloreans?

[ edited by kerfuffle on 2007-04-24 20:09 ]

kerfuffle | April 24, 23:02 CET

Perhaps this poll should be: "Which ship would you prefer to be on?"

Yeah, then I'd have to say the Enterprise, just make sure you're not one of the crew members that Kirk asks to go down to the surface with him and you'd do fine. If you're a secondary character on Serenity, you really don't have a chance, plus being on the run really isn't me.

Of course, I'm talking about the Enterprise in the orginal series.

We can agree on this! I think TOS had a less sterile feel to it than TNG, though I'd have to watch some episodes side by side to pinpoint why. I really liked TOS, though for some reason the ship isn't that interesting to me. Maybe it's because I've only seen the second movie...

Caleb | April 24, 23:15 CET

Perhaps this poll should be: "Which ship would you prefer to be on?"

Oh, that's easy. Serenity. That captain and that Jayne fellow are both smokin hot. Plus everyone curses like crazy.

I agree with you Caleb. Avoid going to the surface with Kirk. If they issue a red shirt, run.

kerfuffle | April 24, 23:24 CET

I'm tossing my hat in with the TARDIS fans, if only because it's the easiest one to parallel park.

Lady Brick | April 24, 23:45 CET

I certainly took the poll to mean which I would prefer to live on, and I didn't think the Falcon would be much better than sleeping in your car. I do agree that Enterprise is big, and has those cool holodecks (at least the NCC-1701-D does) to play in, but still: I would hate to have to walk around in a jump suit acting all perfect all the time. No, for me only Serenity, Tardis, and maybe Moya, spell fun, relaxation, family comfort.

embers | April 24, 23:49 CET

Question: What are midichloreans?

Aside from spelled incorrectly? ba-da-da! They are actually George Lucas' "scientific explanation" for people wielding Force Powers in Star Wars. So, why is it listed in a sentence about Star Trek -- I dunno.

zeitgeist | April 25, 00:00 CET

Ha! Thanks zeitgeist. My nerd-knowledge ever expandeth.

kerfuffle | April 25, 00:04 CET

Caleb, that is known as a "red shirt". Not that I'm a trekkie, minds you.

Madhatter | April 25, 00:20 CET

Much as the Falcon rocks, I've still gotta pick Serenity. She was basically a member of the crew...when she was getting roughed up and battered when Wash was gliding it in...well, I never knew I could actually care that much for an inanimate object before (stuffed animals notwithstanding).

Does anybody remember that little online game where you had to pick the Chinese symbols? And if you got it wrong Serenity blew up? Yeah. That was traumatizing.

[ edited by UnpluggedCrazy on 2007-04-24 21:42 ]

UnpluggedCrazy | April 25, 00:42 CET

Aside from spelled incorrectly? ba-da-da!

Haha, I actually looked the spelling up on google, and I copied it from the nerdiest page I could find! On Wikipedia it's spelled: midi-chlorian, though google corrects other spellings to mitichlorian. I'm confused!

So, why is it listed in a sentence about Star Trek -- I dunno.

Just trying to be funny. I didn't remember them being mentioned in any of the movies, though according to the wiki page they were mentioned in episode 1. Now I have to forget that piece of information again!

Caleb | April 25, 00:49 CET

Gotta go with the TARDIS. I mean, you can hide it on a street corner. (Although people will walk by & say "What's a police box?") And time travel. And there's no captain more attached to his ship than the Doctor is to the TARDIS.
Now, if we're talking which crew we like the best, that's a different story. (Trying to picture the Serenity crew on the TARDIS... No, that's not working.)

jcs | April 25, 00:52 CET

So, why is it listed in a sentence about Star Trek -- I dunno.

Dude, are you trying to say the Force is not strong with the Enterprise ? Red-shirts, attack ! I'll, err, just be back here ~~hiding in safety~~ waiting for the best moment to join you ;).

Caleb, the TARDIS (I think canonically) actually enters into a sort of symbiotic relationship with The Doctor (and in the 10th Doctor's case is basically the one thing he has left of his home planet). It's certainly way more than 'just a ship'. In some incarnations it's even presented as being semi-sentient.

Re: The Enterprise, Picard wasn't that sentimental about it but La Forge sure was (and even moreso Scotty in TOS). And with Kirk i'm reminded of (I think) the end of Star Trek III where he's destroyed the 1701 ("no bloody As, Bs, Cs or Ds" ;) and says to Bones something like "My God Bones, what have I done ?". Pretty sure it was his first command as well so I think he'd be pretty attached. I know what you mean about the 1701-D though, lovely ship but just a bit too clean. And everyone playing the Cello and writing/producing their own stage productions and so on would get up my nose after a while. Does anyone ever just lounge around in their pajamas playing 24th century X-box and getting pissed on Brandy liquers ? I mean, just chill every now and again, y'know ?

(BTW, since the poll just says "Favourite Sci-fi ship" I went purely on the ship itself, not the crew or the universe it was set in etc. That stuff could affect my choice a fair bit)

Saje | April 25, 00:53 CET

(Trying to picture the Serenity crew on the TARDIS... No, that's not working.)

Sentient ship w/ time traveling capabilities + River w/ crazy = dunwannathinkaboutit

Lady Brick | April 25, 00:56 CET

Y'know all those times throughout history when people meddled ? Thinking I really wouldn't wanna be those people with a River/TARDIS combo headed my way.

I mean, being landed on by a pinch in the space-time continuum has to hurt right ? Then there's the teenage psychic ninja fists ...

Saje | April 25, 01:08 CET

lol @lady brick... its a good thing I wasnt drinking anything when I read that. And Caleb... only the second star trek movie??? OK I know you have your cool cred, and I am sooo uncool... i wouldnt consdier myself a n all out trekkie but I am afan of the franchise(practically grew up on it), however the 4th and really the sixth movies are really worth seeing. Especially the 6th movie, quite poignant too considering it was released jsut after the collapse of communism in Russia practically ending the cold war. I love that movie to bits, thats all I can say, and with that I shall leave with the little cool cred I have left.

[ edited by kurya on 2007-04-24 22:11 ]

kurya | April 25, 01:10 CET

Kurya,
The Voyage Home. Best Star Trek Movie...ever.

Does anyone ever just lounge around in their pajamas playing 24th century X-box and getting pissed on Brandy liquers?

Pity, they never did.

kerfuffle | April 25, 01:21 CET

Saje: yeah, I admit that I haven't seen any Dr. Who, so I'm only speaking of the ships that I knew about on the list.

It's no surprise that Serenity feels more personal since that was one of Joss's goals with Firefly. I mean, Serenity has a real dining area, with a wooden table, where people eat real food. Star Trek's vision was completely different. Star Trek, like the Alliance in Firefly, focused on the well being of civilization as a whole at the expense of personal liberty. The difference being that in Serenity, the Alliance was the antagonist.

I am biased by all of these things, since I myself would not enjoy living in a society like Star Trek's, so that also explains my vote.

Does anyone ever just lounge around in their pajamas playing 24th century X-box and getting pissed on Brandy liquers ? I mean, just chill every now and again, y'know ?

I think the closest they get is when they play in the holodeck. So while you and I may play Sherlock Holmes on the Xbox, they play it in a "simulated relatity" chamber. I don't think they allow drinks in the holodeck either, so that's right out.

I just thought of another ship, though it doesn't really fit my own criteria for "best sci-fi ship", but what about the Heart of Gold? Infinite Improbability Drive!

Caleb | April 25, 01:28 CET

Trumpet. 'nuff said.

napua | April 25, 01:33 CET

One thing is for sure Caleb, we know that people did hang out in their pajamas on The Heart of Gold, since that is all Arthur Dent ever wears!

embers | April 25, 01:34 CET

I just thought of another ship, though it doesn't really fit my own criteria for "best sci-fi ship", but what about the Heart of Gold? Infinite Improbability Drive!

TARDIS + hallucinogenic drugs > Infinite Improbability Drive

(Please note that I do not support the use of recreational drugs, especially by time travelers.)

[ edited by Lady Brick on 2007-04-24 22:45 ]

Lady Brick | April 25, 01:35 CET

Okay. Next subject.

Madhatter | April 25, 01:39 CET

kurya: I'll watch those movies. I grew up on TNG, but later discovered that I liked TOS more for the reasons everyone mentioned in this thread.

By the way, in reality I checked my "cool" card a long time ago, at a door far, far away.

So, with that in mind, where would I start watching Dr. Who? There seems to be a lot of love for it here, so I should probably give it a shot. Should I start with the vintage series, or is there a better place?

Caleb | April 25, 01:43 CET

Caleb: Star Trek universe vs. Serenity universe? I dunno. I think I would take vulcans and green slave girls over Reavers any day.

kerfuffle | April 25, 01:47 CET

Caleb: I started with the revamped series in 2005 and didn't watch any episodes of the classic series until very recently. I found the new series to be a good starting place... they did a great job of introducing new viewers to the universe without dragging in too much baggage from the previous decades of stories.

Lady Brick | April 25, 01:50 CET

Caleb, I guess you have that libertarian streak in you hehe. I grew up on TNG, I remember watching it when I was 8 years old, but I also watched TOS at the same time. I think you would like TOS, its less clean, a bit more cowboy like hehe. It is true that Serenity really feels like a home because it has actual rooms we can relate to and yeah a wooden table on a space ship, how awesome is that?

kurya | April 25, 02:04 CET

Wow what an evil poll ! I love both versions of the Enterprise, and the Falcon always seemed like it was more than just fast but way more "agile" while moving around.

As much as I love Doctor Who, I always had problems seeing the Tardis as a real "ship". It just seems like it belongs in a different category altogether I guess.

This time I gave my vote to Serenity because it seems like more than a ship. It's a well lived and loved home.

SenseiJJ | April 25, 04:08 CET

I voted for Serenity. But if I had to rank them in my order of favourite/best:

Serenity
The TARDIS
Millenium Falcon
Moya
Galactica
The Enterprises
CowboyNeal

White Knight | April 25, 05:04 CET

Okay, it was painful, but I had to go with my heart and vote Serenity. I loved the Falcon, but it sort of seems like an old truck (or beat up ol' fishing boat, since I'm watching Deadliest Catch right now), which is cool and all, but doesn't win my heart.

The various Enterprises were all great in their own ways, but they were all way too big. They were all massive fleet ships that would require hundreds, maybe thousands of crew to man them. Of the Star Trek ships I actually kind of have a soft spot for the Voyager (the ship, not the show). But she ain't an option.

Moya was pretty cool, but I only ever got to see the first season of Farscape, so I don't think I ended up bonding with her and her crew the way many fans did. Maybe once I eventually watch the whole thing she'll move up in my estimation, but not at the moment.

And even the Galactica made a run at my vote. But she's kind of in the same category as the Enterprise -- too big for lil' me.

And I'm just not familiar enough with any of the others (don't even know what the hell the CowboyNeal is.)

So Serenity takes it for me. It's small, and clunky, and homey... and real. Of course it doesn't hurt that I've gotten my Serenity blueprints to pour over for hours on end. Gorgeous!

Haunt | April 25, 06:07 CET

Aaah, you people interfered, that explains it - i wondered why Serenity was so high.

Loved Firefly, but sorry, serenity was crap (as was the movie) so thumbs down.

Pumps | April 25, 15:35 CET

I was thinking of the poll in terms of which ship I would want to be on, and I can honestly say Serenity. All the Star Trek ships are too clean and sterile (flying office buildings, heh). Serenity looks like a home.

Sabri3l | April 25, 16:25 CET

Loved Firefly, but sorry, serenity was crap (as was the movie) so thumbs down.

-1, Troll ;-).

Saje | April 25, 16:38 CET

I had to go for the Galactica, It's a big ship, with big guns, and full of little ships, with little guns. Plus it has very few corners for me to run into, and it's very own Starbuck.

[ edited by Noclaf on 2007-04-26 01:21 ]

Noclaf | April 26, 04:19 CET

April 24 2007