General: Star Trek (not every episode by any means, but certainly characters, races, and major events) Star Wars (definitely the original trilogy, and the prequels can't hurt (except perhaps to watch)) The Lord of the Rings (sorry, but it's true) At least passing familiarity with major superhero comics I agree about Monty Python, The Princess Bride, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Ghostbusters The Muppets Probably Babylon 5, though that may be shading into the personal category At least passing familiarity with Lovecraft
And a separate category for classic science fiction and fantasy, since I'm not sure they belong above, but they're not just personal favorites, either: The robot books and the Foundation series, by Asimov The Earthsea trilogy, by LeGuin Dune, by Herbert 2001: A Space Odyssey (movie and book) and The City and the Stars, by Clarke Some amount of Heinlein Some amount of Poe The Narnia Series, by Lewis (and maybe the Space Trilogy, too) The Once and Future King, by T. H. White 1984, by Orwell The War of the Worlds, by Wells 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Verne The Chronicles of Amber, by Zelazny At least the first part of the Childe Cycle (a.k.a. the Dorsai series), by Dickson Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Personal: The Wizard of Speed and Time The Martian Chronicles, by Bradbury Neverwhere Dark City The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Adams Red Dwarf Good Omens, by Gaiman and Pratchett The Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories, by Leiber Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse 5, by Vonnegut Everything by Barry Longyear A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness In the Sky, by Vernor Vinge Some amount of Poul Anderson, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
And, in the non-geeky personal favorites category: The Blues Brothers Help!
I'm probably forgetting a bunch of things, but that's a start...
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Star Trek (not every episode by any means, but certainly characters, races, and major events)
Star Wars (definitely the original trilogy, and the prequels can't hurt (except perhaps to watch))
The Lord of the Rings (sorry, but it's true)
At least passing familiarity with major superhero comics
I agree about Monty Python, The Princess Bride, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Ghostbusters
The Muppets
Probably Babylon 5, though that may be shading into the personal category
At least passing familiarity with Lovecraft
And a separate category for classic science fiction and fantasy, since I'm not sure they belong above, but they're not just personal favorites, either:
The robot books and the Foundation series, by Asimov
The Earthsea trilogy, by LeGuin
Dune, by Herbert
2001: A Space Odyssey (movie and book) and The City and the Stars, by Clarke
Some amount of Heinlein
Some amount of Poe
The Narnia Series, by Lewis (and maybe the Space Trilogy, too)
The Once and Future King, by T. H. White
1984, by Orwell
The War of the Worlds, by Wells
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Verne
The Chronicles of Amber, by Zelazny
At least the first part of the Childe Cycle (a.k.a. the Dorsai series), by Dickson
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Personal:
The Wizard of Speed and Time
The Martian Chronicles, by Bradbury
Neverwhere
Dark City
The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper
The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Adams
Red Dwarf
Good Omens, by Gaiman and Pratchett
The Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories, by Leiber
Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse 5, by Vonnegut
Everything by Barry Longyear
A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness In the Sky, by Vernor Vinge
Some amount of Poul Anderson, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
And, in the non-geeky personal favorites category:
The Blues Brothers
Help!
I'm probably forgetting a bunch of things, but that's a start...