One of my favorite sci-fi films of all time happens to be one of the genre’s foundational texts. Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey stokes both of my loves: genre-bending prestige and world-class science fiction. It’s a saga of the highest order, with three distinct chapters that feed into each other in poetic but logical ways. Distant past meets distant but recognizable future. And to think it came out before anyone had even landed on the moon! 

I first watched it at a late-night showing at an old-fashioned movie theater in my hometown. It’s the kind of theater where you’d imagine silent films being first shown, with intricately decorated ceilings and a haunted feeling. It’s my favorite place to watch a movie, except that the seats also seem like they haven’t been updated since the midcentury. So after the almost three-hour showing, my lower half was crying for help. But it was worth it. Enjoy these memes that celebrate the long history of sci-fi.