Houston, we have suggestions. Though space is still a mystery in most ways, that hasn’t stopped humans from imagining a plethora of planets, creatures and adventures to occupy it. Cosmic interpretations of space-time stories have found their way into nearly every facet of our entertainment from books to movies to music and more. Below are a few quick lists for the everyday earthling looking to escape… at least for a little while.

STRANGE IN SPACE
Stunning panoramas of unknown worlds set against the dark abyss of outer space. Beautiful wonders juxtaposed with unsettling loneliness and isolation. The following list includes the often brilliant mixture of awe and apprehension invoked by the strangeness of space:
2001: Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (film & book)
Interstellar (film)
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys (music album)

FUNNY IN SPACE
Space isn’t all devastating black holes and dramatic sunscapes. Sometimes it’s dancing aliens and galactic adventure films gone awry. Here are a few hilarious, feel-good suggestions to lighten the cosmic-load of everyday life:
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (book & film)
Galaxy Quest (film)
Guardians of the Galaxy (film & soundtrack)

SMART IN SPACE
If we have learned anything through space-themed books and film, it’s that something will absolutely, without a doubt, go wrong when floating in the cosmic abyss. And when it does (because it will) it might be handy to know a thing or two about physics, biology, engineering, etc. Here are a few suggestions to show how space is all about the wonderful world of science:
Through the Wormhole (tv series)
The Martian by Andy Weir (book & film)
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (book)

WE’RE NOT ALONE IN SPACE
With more stars in the universe than grains of sand on earth, it raises the age old question; are we alone? The list below are stories that imagines the answer is “no”:
Dune by Frank Herbert (book & soon-to-be film)
Doctor Who (tv series)
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (book & film renamed Arrival)


 
Written by Emily Sexton
Public Relations Specialist