September 11th and Science Fiction

I'm one of those people who do not handle remembering September 11th well. I don't have family in New York nor do I really know anyone there. I don't think you have to have that in order to still be saddened by this event. I'm not sure why but that day I felt like this country not only lost people but something else that I can't quite put my finger on.

Every year, I always think of two science fiction pieces that will forever be associated with this event in my mind.

When I first heard about the attacks, I thought of the pilot episode of The Lone Gunmen. Having seen that episode prior to the attacks and having the real life events mirror that episode so closely doesn't sit well. When you are young, conspiracy theories are fun but to have a science fiction scenario play out before your eyes like some sort of premonition is unsettling.

The second thing I thought of was Independence Day. Remember the scenes when the aliens first started destroying the cities and the debris clouds that rounded the buildings were so powerful that it consumed everyone one in its path? When I watched the attacks on the news the destruction was almost identical to me. I was amazed and horrified at how damned good the ID4 special effects team were.

When we watch these types of stories most of us hope to never see it play out in real life. I my guess thinking about these things is a way to detach from the horror of 9/11.