SERENITY is #1 in online sci-fi poll

I heard this news item on the “Mark & Brian” syndicated radio program this morning and was absolutely floored. Then I found it online, here and here.

Serenity, the libertarian-themed science fiction film sequel to Joss Whedon’s short-lived TV series Firefly, has been named best-ever sci-fi movie in an online poll of 3,000 science fiction fans. The poll was conducted by Britain’s SFX magazine. Serenity picked up 61% of the vote, beating out second-placed Star Wars, which grabbed 28%. Spots 3 through 10 belong to Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes (1968), The Matrix, Alien, Forbidden Planet, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator, and Back to the Future.

Wrote SFX editors: “It’s a remarkable performance from a movie that, less than two years since its original 2005 release, has already forced its way into the company of the all-time greats. Here at SFX Towers, we’re surprised but delighted — Whedon’s universe is one of the finest science fiction creations of the last decade, and it’s great to see that even five years after the original series was cancelled, Firefly lives on.”

Last year, Serenity won a Nebula award for best screenplay, plus a Hugo for best film and a special Prometheus award.