A Merry Little Science Fiction Christmas Eve

OK, so it might stretch the definition of science fiction just a bit, but I contend that Episode Six of Season Six of The X-Files, "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas", is festive, fun, and certainly speculative. It is now a Christmas Eve tradition at my house to watch this episode every year, right up there with It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. I am talking about the 1994 version, with Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott, and the adorable Mara Wilson.

But before I start down the path of making yet another list, one not appropriate for this forum, let's back up a bit. Free advice: watch that X-Files episode. Do it today, with someone you love. If Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin are not enough to get you to watch it, then maybe the "X-Files Christmas Carol", Episode Five of Season Five, is for you. I won't offer any "why" you should watch these as that would involve spoilers.

If you don't have all nine seasons at your fingertips on your own Media Center (I love my MythTV), you can go out and rent it at your well-stocked video store, borrow it from the library (yes, my library does have X-Files available!), or go to your local Best Buy or Fry's or Borders or Barnes and Noble and buy all of the DVD's. You'll be helping the economy and preserving a fabulous bit of science fiction television history. If you choose to try to watch this from one of the Free On-Line sites, be a bit cautious, as many of these sites are internet landmines loaded with adware downloads and intrustive invasionware.

What does the picture have to do with science fiction? Our family tree this year was a lovely gift from Susan Watkins, another science fiction writer friend, from her tree farm in Oregon.

Whatever you do, whatever you watch or eat or unwrap, however you choose to worship or ponder or otherwise acknowledge the season, get with someone you love and have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

- D. E. Helbling