1. Star Wars
In 1977 the visual spectacular that was Star Wars effectively wowed science fiction fans by bringing to life things that had until that point only been imagined. At that time, George Lucas created a visual epic that made it seem as though the viewer were watching actual footage from a space battle. Gone were the days of flying saucers suspended by visible strings and in their place was a world unlike any other. In fact, a large part of Star Wars enduring appeal has been the visual effects. Since 1977 the series has transitioned most successfully to the world of print in a series novels, but in 1981, 83 and 96 each of the original trilogy films was produced for radio by National Public Radio after George Lucas sold broadcast rights to KUSC-FM for one dollar per film. Original cast members Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams appeared in the radio broadcasts reprising their roles as Luke Skywalker, C3P0 and Lando Calrissian, respectively. The radio adaptations feature sound effects and music from the films, but the true genius of the Star Wars radio adaptations are the hours of additional material. A New Hope is 2 hours in runtime on the silver screen but clocks 13.5 hours on your radio. Similarly, The Empire Strikes Back comes in at a ten hour radio play while Return of the Jedi expands to 4 hours and 15 minutes. This kind of scripting proves that fans love the story more for than the effects and that there is literally more than meets the eye in any sci fi story. The audio medium is one that isnt necessarily the first stop for science fiction but these five entries serve as proof to fans of Firefly and hopefully to Joss Whedon that the idea of Fireflys return as a radio show isnt very far-fetched. In fact, many Browncoats, including this writer, eagerly await the news that Serenity will fly again---from our speakers. What do you think? Can science fiction in an audio format provide fantastic sci-fi? Or, are the visuals and effects a requirement? Let us know in the comments below.