A fan's version of buying a Ferrari

Last night I had the privilege to see an advance screening the film "Serenity". The evening turned out to be clearly one of the most memorable movie screenings of my life – and, trust me, I've had quite a few of them.

This was a huge deal for me as in the last few months I have become a huge fan of the all too short TV series "Firefly" and this is a big budget follow-up to that series. I have also been caught up in the fandom for this series. I have not been in the SF fandom "game" for some time and Firefly fandom has been a welcome endeavor where I have met many new friends and have enhanced long time relationships with others. Whereas after almost 30 years of Trek fandom I have become tired of some aspects of it (and Trek in itself lately), Firefly fandom has given me a renewed sense of what fandom is all about – people getting together to enjoy a common interest – nothing more, nothing less.

What at first intrigued me about these Browncoats (as they…um, we call ourselves) was just that this fandom is not unlike to how Trek fandom grew. In the early 70s, most people that liked Star Trek didn't know anybody else that shared their enjoyment of it until the first pure Trek convention in NYC expected 2,000 people and got over 20,000. From there the word spread that Trek fans were not alone. The rest, as they say, is history.

With Firefly, here was a series that only produced 13 episodes (of which only 10 made it to the air), was broadcast out of order (the pilot shown last) and left for dead. Since then more and more people are discovering this little show that could on DVD, there they have sold more than 3 million units, which is more anyone watched the show when it on FOX.

Last night's screening of the movie (and the frenzy to obtain tickets to it) was as almost as much an eye opener as the NYC convention was. With the "word" getting out on the movie (which, by the way, I will not discuss ANYTHING about until it opens…. on September 30th), you'll see more and more people jump on, especially with the end of the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises coming up this month.

My only regret is that Firefly fandom is not something I can share with my little one as the content on the Firefly 'verse is not profane or perverse, but it's not for some one her age. But we still our things that we both enjoy (Classic Trek, Anime, Star Wars).

Could it be I'm going through some kind of fannish midlife crisis?

I dunno…maybe…. um, probably.

But I am having fun.

UPDATE: We were interviewed by the Boston Herald that night and many of us (including me) were quoted .
But did they HAVE to but my age in there?