I’m not talking about the gritty space dramas or dystopian thrillers where a “vacation” turns into a bug-infested death match (looking at you, Total Recall). I’m talking about the space equivalent of National Lampoon’s Vacation. Or RV. Or Cheaper by the Dozen Goes to Cancun. You know the genre: well-meaning parents, back-talking teens, a series of comical disasters, and some sappy reconciliation over a burnt dinner and a broken-down Winnebago.

We’ve made hundreds of these movies on Earth. Why not in orbit?

A Galaxy of Missed Opportunities

When you think about it, sci-fi is a goldmine for vacation chaos. Think about the baggage fees alone on a Mars shuttle. The idea of trying to book a zero-gravity hotel with points. Or Dad yelling at the kids to stop poking the alien wildlife on Gliese 581g while Mom argues with the virtual concierge.

And yet… nothing.

We’ve had space thrillers, space romances, space westerns, and yes, space operas. But space vacation comedies? Almost nonexistent. The closest we’ve come is:

• Total Recall (1990/2012) – A vacation memory implant turns into a shootout on Mars. Not exactly relaxing.
• WALL-E (2008) – A future cruise ship in space! Finally! But everyone’s in hoverchairs and the focus is more on obesity and AI collapse than family fun.
• Spaceballs (1987) – A brilliant parody of Star Wars, yes, but not a vacation.
• The Fifth Element (1997) – The characters go on a trip to “Fhloston Paradise”… only to get attacked by space terrorists. Classic.

Where’s the sci-fi version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but it’s Shuttles, Wormholes, and Meteor Showers?

Even Star Trek—a franchise with literal “boldly go where no one has gone before” vibes—never gave us a solid “Picard takes a mandatory vacation with his whiny great-niece on Risa” episode. And don’t even get me started on Star Wars. You’d think with that many desert planets, at least one would be a tourist trap.

Why Don’t We Vacation in Space?

So why hasn’t anyone made the classic “family vacation in space” movie? A few possible reasons:

1. Sci-fi likes to be serious. When we go to space, it’s often to explore the unknown, fight for survival, or blow up a space station—not complain about gas station bathrooms.
2. Special effects cost money. A comedy where a dad forgets to book docking permits on Europa might not justify a $200 million VFX budget.
3. Studios think space isn’t “relatable.” As if getting crammed into a minivan with sweaty relatives for eight hours isn’t a universal human experience.
4. Writers forget space can be fun. Not every story needs to end with humanity’s downfall or a robot uprising. Sometimes you just want a malfunctioning autopilot, a kid barfing in zero-G, and a last-minute rescue by the Space Park Rangers.

And yet, space should be the perfect setting for a vacation comedy. All the tropes are there—just in a vacuum.

In Conclusion: Book the Trip Already

We’ve spent so long sending astronauts to the edge of the galaxy to solve quantum paradoxes or fight hive-mind invasions, we forgot the simplest sci-fi fantasy: relaxing in space.

Let’s face it—sci-fi doesn’t always need to be grim, epic, or philosophical. Sometimes, we just want to see a dad try to fix a space toilet with duct tape while his kids mutiny over the lack of Wi-Fi on Pluto.

So here’s to the next great sci-fi frontier: the humble family vacation. In orbit. In chaos. In matching metallic jumpsuits.

Hollywood, if you’re listening: we don’t need another dark reimagining of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We need Clark Griswold: Galactic Tourist.

And this time, let’s hope nobody forgets to pack the gravity boots.

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page