Five of the Best Absurd Sci-Fi Stories in Books, Movies, and TV
- Geoffrey Breedwell
- May 14
- 4 min read
Dudes, Dudettes, and Non-Binary Dues: Lend me your ears!
No, not your actual ears, but I appreciate the gesture.
Absurdity is a wide genre of comedy that encapsulates comedy at its finest. From the slapstick absurdity of the Three Stooges to the intellectual absurdity of Monty Python and the quick absurdity of most improv shows, comedy is absurdity at its core. It takes the premise of a serious situation and takes it "up to eleven." Every comedy writer knows how to take something bland and make it absurd.
Today, I'm taking a look at some of the FIVE MOST ABSURD SCI-FI STORIES IN BOOKS, MOVIES, AND TELEVISION/STREAMING. I'll provide the links below to where you can purchase the book, the IMDB of the movie, or the television show.
There are some clarifications to this list. I'm not looking at parodies, such as Spaceballs, and I'm looking for things that are specifically within the SCI-FI genre. If it's fantasy, such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Robin Hood: Men in Tights, you won't find them on this list. Each one of these has been successful within its category as well, whether book, movie, or television. Sadly, this eliminates the classic 1990s B-movie, Mom and Dad Save the World, which is a gem of an absurd B-movie if you ever see it. [Fun fact: Jon Lovitz kills it in this movie.]
Without further adieu, here we go...
#5 - Slaughterhouse-V by Kurt Vonnegut
One of Kurt Vonnegut's most famous books, Slaughterhouse-V, is so absurd that it's on the banned book list of most schools. Its alternate title, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, only adds to the book's absurdity.
It follows Billy Pilgrim as he becomes "unstuck in time" and travels through his life, including his captivity on a distant planet and the firebombing of Dresden. It's non-linear, disorienting, and it explores the horrors of war. Vonnegut shares this horror from personal experience as he was an American Soldier from Indiana during World War II who was captured by the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge. The dark humor that rises from the trauma in this book, from its irony and repeated phrases, earns its place at #5. It's not just because the title matches.
That'd be too obvious.
#4 - The Simpsons
Started on broadcast television in 1989, this family of yellow-skinned cartoon absurdity is the brainchild of Matt Groening. Over the thirty-six seasons they've been on the air, The Simpsons have covered every sort of comedy and cartoon known to man. They've specifically covered science fiction in their comedic voice in classic episodes such as Treehouse of Horror VI (pictured above) and subsequent Treehouse of Horror specials, as well as in the classic episode "The Springfield Files," which parodies the X-Files. They usually keep the science fiction resolved to the Treehouse of Horror specials, making each one their take on popular science fiction tropes.
It earns its spot at #4, while also making a note for future predictions in its regular episodes. There's even a conspiracy theory that Matt Groening is a time-traveler!
#3 - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
The brainchild of Roy Thomas, Stan Lee, and Arnold Drake, THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY first appeared in 1969, and then again in 1974, only to get their first solo title in June 1990. Since then, there have been more team member changes than issues, with characters like Nova, Hulkling, Wiccan, Agent Venom, Hollywood, and even Doctor Doom himself.
The MCU roster has seen its fair share of changes, as well, but it's not just the talent changes that make this particular property stand out. It's the irreverent comedy that breathes from the characters' dialogue in their situations. It's the absurd heists and battles they face that put them in the third spot on the list. Sean Gunn's movies are an excellent example of this team, and they're worth binge-watching by themselves.
#2 - Dude, Where's My Car?
The story of Jesse and Chester (played by Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, respectively) as two stoners who forget where they parked and, when retracing their steps, they discover an intergalactic mystery that could obliterate the planet. It's a classic, irreverent stoner movie of the turn of the millennium that cranks up the absurdity as the movie goes along.
From a fridge full of Snack Pack pudding to lesbian strippers, the movie ventures into sci-fi territory when it ups the stakes by the appearance of two Nordic alien twins and literally "Five Hot Chicks" aliens who race to find the "Continuum Transfuctioner," last seen with Jesse and Chester. The movie was a box office success and influenced pop culture for the bulk of the early 2000s, with references made in TV series as late as 2023. And then, it became number two on the list.
ZULTAN!
#1 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
This title spans the test of time, and it still influences pop culture and nerd culture to this day. Often cited as the "Cream of the crop" in sci-fi comedy, this book by Douglas Adams follows the last surviving Earthling, Arthur Dent, through the galaxy after Earth is destroyed for a hyperspace bypass. The story was originally a BBC Radio Sitcom between 1978 and 1980, before being adapted into six novels, comic books, a BBC TV series in 1981, video games, stage shows, and even a 2005 feature film of the same name.
It's been translated into over thirty languages, and it continues to find new readers every year. It's the top spot because it's so influential, successful, and quotable. It set the standard for absurd, silly, just to be silly, science fiction, which many writers continue to follow.
That's the list!
While I couldn't cover EVERY absurd sci-fi in this, you are welcome to list your favorites below. I'd love to hear what you think.
FUN FACT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO THE END:
The upcoming book, JUST PUT THE VHS IN THE BAG, BRO, is a combination of Dude, Where's My Car?, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's a fun, irreverent, and absurd sci-fi comedy that is coming out soon from Cloaked Press!
With All My Heart,
Geoffrey
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