Science Fiction gives us space wars and robot uprisings, but there’s nothing as huge and awesome as a love story that spans star systems or timelines.
Science fiction is above all else the story of the human condition, what it means to be human, and nothing is more human than falling in love. It occurred to me, it being Valentine’s Day and all, I don’t remember ever seeing an article about science fiction and the great examples of love stories that come out of great science fiction. What are the greatest love stories that have been done within the framework of science fiction? What’s your favorite and which one is the best? I thought it might be interesting to take a vote and find out what the fans think.
Here are the best examples of what I am talking about that I could think of off the bat are in no particular order they appear as they occurred to me:
Han and Leia
The first and maybe the best one I could think of is also the most obvious. Han and Leia from Star Wars.
Leeloo and Korben Dallas
Following close on the heels of that one, The Fifth Element and the love story of Leeloo and Korben Dallas are of course exactly what I am talking about. leave it to the French to get it right.
Decker and Rachel
The next one that occurred to me was Decker and Rachel from Blade Runner.
Mal and Inara
Next, we have Mal and Inara from Firefly and Serenity.
Paul Muad’dib and Chani
Paul Muad’dib and Chani from Frank Herbert’s Dune is another good example of love conquering all in a universe filled with obstacles.
Fry and Leela
Fry and Leela from Futurama also seem to qualify.
Wall-E and Eve
Wall-E and Eve are a great example of robot infatuation from Wall-E.
I’m sure there are more good examples but for now, that’s all I can come up with. Please feel free to chime in with your favorite examples and opinions about the best of science fiction in love.
