This month’s genre to share, Science Fiction Comedy, what I prefer to call Sci-Fi Humor, is not a highly populated one, but may be as old as 1785. No joke. No time machine involved. (At least, as far as I know). From here on, I’ll refer to the genre as “comedy” since that is how you will mostly find it online, but for me, the difference between humor and comedy is significant.
Sharing Great Stories
One of the benefits of knowing other readers of a genre you like is sharing some of the stories and series you have loved and some you are checking out. I have not read extensively in this genre, but I can recommend a binge-worthy series and a blockbuster novel.
Sci-Fi Comedy
So, what was that early work in this genre? You might know it best from the film adaptation by humorist filmmaker, Terry Gilliam, in his 1988 feature film, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The original work was Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (1785) by Rudolf Erich Raspe.
According to Wikipedia, science fiction comedy (sci-fi comedy) or comic science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that exploits the science-fiction genre’s conventions for comedic effect. Comic science fiction often mocks or satirizes standard science fiction conventions—such as alien invasion of Earth, interstellar travel, or futuristic technology. It can also satirize and criticize present-day society. Since the genre usually focuses on humor based on sci-fi conventions and tropes, enjoyment of it may require some understanding of those tropes.
Wikipedia has a convenient list of works in this genre.
Contributors on the list who I have read and can recommend include: Robert Asprin, Jasper Fforde, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (watched the TV series), Harry Harrison, Larry Niven (though not his comedy work), John Scalzi, Kurt Vonnegut, and Connie Willis.
Let’s take a look at a few great works in the genre.
Classic Sci-Fi Comedy
Possibly the most recognized works in the genre is the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. For those familiar with the series (and probably some who aren’t) it is no surprise that the edition pictured here is a special edition for the work’s 42nd anniversary. The series began as a comedy radio series on BBC Radio 4. (I have a softbound version of the original transcripts of the radio show and the complete series.)
Another noteworthy classic author in the genre is Kurt Vonnegut with several excellent works (on many levels), including: The Sirens of Titan, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and others.
Before highlighting a current novel and series, I’ll note that I love Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, but will save it for another day. Feel free to read ahead, though.
The Bobiverse Series
The Bobiverse series by Dennis Taylor is great science fiction while it does exactly what you’d expect from science fiction comedy—toying with all the tropes. Here’s what the publisher says about the first book in the series, We are Legion (We are Bob):
Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it’s a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.
Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he’ll be switched off, and they’ll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.
The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad – very mad.
What’s to love about this series? While I enjoy the humorous aspect of this genre, I need a great science fiction story to keep interest. The Bobiverse series does both, providing interesting technologies, a death-stakes threat, characters you care about, and the humor thrown in. The audiobook series is read by Ray Porter, who I’ve mentioned before. Porter can bring to life the most dramatic fight scenes and pull off comedy lines equally.
Here are a few Links to help you find the series:
Amazon* (Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Redshirts
Here, we get our first repeat featured author, Jon Scalzi, with Redshirts*. Your enjoyment of this novel may depend on how much you have watched Star Trek, but the TV series is not a requirement to appreciate the story and humor.
Here’s what the publisher says about the book:
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, with the chance to serve on “Away Missions” alongside the starship’s famous senior officers.
Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to realize that (1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s senior officers always survive these confrontations, and (3) sadly, at least one low-ranking crew member is invariably killed. Unsurprisingly, the savvier crew members belowdecks avoid Away Missions at all costs. Then Andrew stumbles on information that transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.
What’s to love about this series? If you have watched more than a few Star Trek episodes (take your pick of the seasons), you will likely appreciate all the inside jokes. The base story is fun and exciting as well, and the ending is, well, meta on meta (breaks the fourth wall, and the fifth). The series is read by none other than Will Wheton, who portrayed Wesley on the Star Trek: Next Generation series. He reads much of Scalzi’s work and others like Ready Player One. If you like Wheton as a narrator, you’ll probably like this reading. If, like me, you don’t (or maybe even despise his readings), I can’t recommend it. Every character has the same whiny tone as Wesley Crusher and are indistinguishable from one another (except the females sound like a Monty Python version of Wesley Crusher portraying a female). Read the print or ebook!
Here are a few Links to help you find the novel:
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Sci-Fi Comedy in Tabletop Gaming
Roleplaying Games
Since the players bring their own fun and flavor to most RPGs, there are many that could be considered in the genre. But there are a couple I have played that specifically aim for it. Of these I recommend Paranoia for the classic game and Lasers & Feelings for the simplest RPG around (especially this one). Both have super simple rules and can be learned in 15 minutes and played in 30-60.
Boardgames
Finding a boardgame is a lot more difficult. I’ve played several that border the category. For the classic game, I recommend Nuclear War (1965)—yep, intended as a protest game, Nuclear War makes fun of the end of the world through stupid human self-destruction. Some close to the category that are fun are: Fearsome Floors (horror-comedy) and Tales of Arabian Nights (fantasy-comedy).
But the game we’ll look at is Primordial Soup by Z-Man Games. (It’s ranked down around 1000 on boardgamegeek.com, but still a fun experience). It’s not a game I’d buy, but would play anytime someone brought it out.
From the publisher: In Primordial Soup each player controls a species of primitive “amoeboid” organisms. Together these species form an ecosystem where each feeds on the excreta of the others. To win a player must guide the evolution of their species to increase their population and the sophistication of their genes.
Primordial soup has the notorious poop cubes that your critters eat. Definitely on the potty humor side of things, but an entertaining 90 minutes. If it has a downside, I’d say it is the 90 minutes. If the game lasted an hour or less, it would get much better ratings.
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Cover image by Aunt Spray/shutterstock.com. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
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