Just For Fun: Women of Scifi

As promised, today's delights are the Women of SciFi.

Why?

Because I'm equal opportunity. And also because strong women in science fiction had a huge impact on me not only as a child, but today, as well.

Strong women in scifi are few and far between, in my opinion.

There have been exceptions to the rule, of course.

Take, for instance, the first real woman of power: Wonder Woman.

I seriously had a love affair with Wonder Woman as a child. I couldn't get enough. The very thought of a woman that strong, wow. Just... wow. I sooo wanted to be Wonder Woman.

I mean, yeah, she looked good in a bustier, but she also kicked serious bad guy ass. I'd have killed for a pair of her wristbands. Not that I planned on getting shot at, but it pays to be prepared.

It probably didn't hurt that my babysitter was a wannabe comic book artist and entertained me for hours drawing Wonder Woman. She was his fave, too. He even let me read all about Wonder Woman's history in his snazzy graphic novel. Sigh.

Uhura might not have kicked a lot of ass, but she wasn't exactly a shrinking violet. She did her job and she did it damn well. She didn't flutter about uselessly and she wasn't just a pretty face. She was also one heck of a classy lady. A lesson a few modern scifi gals could stand to learn.

I really like that she and Spock got together in the new Star Trek. He makes a lot more sense to me than Kirk. After all, Uhura was smart and savvy and I can't see her falling for a player.

Princess Leia is a classic. No two ways about it.

Lock me in a cell? Fine. I'll blast your ass with a laser gun.

Blow up my planet? No probs. I'll blow up your whole damn Death Star and then throw a party.

I've also gotta give her props for being the only woman in the universe who can wear a pair of cinnamon rolls on the side of her head and NOT look like a total idiot.

While most aficionados blast Star Trek: Voyager for being a weak shadow of it's magnificent fore runners, I think it had one thing going for it that totally blasted the others out of the water: Captain Kathryn Janeway.

For the first time ever, a WOMAN was running the show. And it. Was. Awesome.

I swear if there'd have been a Starfleet recruiting office anywhere in the vicinity I'd have signed up then and there.

She made being a captain look GOOD. She was smart. She was tough. But she was also thoughtful, merciful, and a good person. I think I might have had a little bit of a girl crush on her. ;-)

I'm not sure she entirely falls under the realm of "scifi", but I'm putting her there. Xena: Warrior Princess took kicking ass to a whole new level.

And you've got to admire a gal who can wear a ridiculous outfit like that and actually get away with it.

She had her inner demons to fight, too. Sometimes they were even outer demons. But in the end she always did what she believed was right, even if it wasn't always easy.

And did I mention she kicked ass?

Kinda like this girl:

Buffy, in a strange way, became something of a role model for young women. She was like the Powerpuff Girls on steroids. For the first time teenage girls were seeing someone their own age who was not only physically strong, but showed her mental strength and willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good.

Yeah, she screwed up sometimes and she wasn't always happy about her path in life, but she walked it anyway, head held high. I may have been technically a little too old for Buffy, but heck if I cared. She was awesome.

Aeryn Sun is, perhaps, an odd choice at first glance. She didn't choose to join the crew of Moya and become rebels with a cause, it was forced on her.

However, as time progressed she began to grow and change and learn to think beyond the narrow minded view of the world she'd been taught. She evolved from a cold, hard, arrogant warrior into a warm, loving and compassionate woman.

And that right there is, to me, the greatest strength of all.

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