Top Ten Sci-Fi Moms!

Mom’s aren’t the first thing that springs to mind when considering Science Fiction.  But they’ve played a more important role than you’d think.  And so,  in honor of Mother’s Day, we offer this list of Sci-Fi’s Best Moms!  And, after you’re done reading this, call your mom!  No, we’re serious, call you mom.

10.  Jackie Tyler

Before the appearance of Jackie Tyler, the mother of a companion had never played a significant role on “Doctor Who”.  Camille Codouri’s Jackie Tyler change all that.  And we loved her for that.  We also love her for her London accent, her flirtations ways, but most of all we love her because she raised an incredible daughter:  Rose Tyler.

And enjoy the rest of the list after the jump …

9.  Lady Jessica

In both the novel, and filmed versions,  Dune‘s Lady Jessica stands out as one of sci-fi’s most complex moms.   A concubine, a member of the mystical Bene Gesserit order, and mother of the Kwisatz Haderach, no other mom on this list has as many layers.  That’s why she easily snagged the ninth spot.

8.  Jillian Guiler

When her son Barry was abducted by aliens, Jillian Guiler didn’t just accept it.  She hunted for him.  And she found him.  This, combined with Melinda Dillon’s naturalistic performance, makes this character from Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind an easy choice for eighth place on the list.

7.  Martha Kent

She’s been played by a number of actresses.  And drawn by countless artists.  But in our minds we all have our own image of the Superman’s adopted mother:  Martha Kent.  And how we see her depends very much on our own view of women and motherhood.  That’s why this enduring maternal figure easily snagged the seventh spot on our list.

6.  Amanda Grayson

When looking for an actress to play Spock’s mother on the “Journey to Babel” episode of the original “Star Trek” series, they couldn’t have chosen a better actress than “Father Knows Best” veteran Jane Wyatt.   And we just had to give her the sixth spot on this list.  Why?  It seemed the logical thing to do.

5.  Jane Jetson

Although the opening sequence may have merely labeled her as “Jane his wife”, Jane Jetson was more than just an appendage to her bumbling husband George.   That’s was all just a front.  We know she wears the real “space pants” in that family.

4.  Maureen Robinson

Before climbing aboard the Jupiter 2, June Lockhart had already become a famous small screen mom, during her stint on the “Lassie” series.  But it was via Maureen Robinson on “Lost in Space” that she truly earned her iconic mom status.   Why?  Because she could scold a robot better than anyone this side of Orbit City.   And that Robot may have known when Will Robinson faced danger, but it was Momma Robinson who knew when it was time for dinner.

3.  Sarah Connor

Did you mom teach you how to make homemade plastic explosives?  No?  Well, for mom Sarah Connor that’s what you do on a slow Tuesday.  On busier days, you defeat robots from the future, give birth to the savior of the human race,   or rewrite future history.  You know, little stuff.  And it’s this little stuff that vaults Sarah Connor to the number three spot on our list.

2.  The Alien Queen

We never said all our mothers had to be human.  Aliens’ alien queen has everything it takes to make this list:  She’s iconic, unforgettable, and a mother of countless children.  Ripley may think she’s a bitch.  We think she’s fantastic.

1.  Mary

When it came to picking the top mom on this list only one character came to mind:  The script credits her as  “Mary”.  But she’s better know as “Elliot’s mom”.  Or even “E.T.’s Mom”.  She is, of course,  Dee Wallace in Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.  She was beautiful, understanding, and a staunch supporter of her children:  Even when they came from another planet.  That’s why we had no trouble naming Dee Wallace the Number #1 Sci-Fi Mom of all time!

Okay, now, call your mom!