Whether you’re a Sci-Fi fan or not, it’s impossible to escape the Star Wars fever that’s spreading. The film franchise heads back to the big screen with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens set to open Dec. 18, 2015.
This will awaken not only Star Wars fans this gift giving season, as I’m quickly seeing in my Sci-Fi friends. Their Facebook pages are littered with new tech toys and gadgets they want in greater quantities than usual. While I can’t say Star Wars is to blame, I’m convinced there’s a connection! But, there’s no need to demolish the budget to satisfy them this season. Here are a number of great gifts between $50-$100 that will make any Sci-Fi lover happy.
Star Wars everything
There is a ton of new Star Wars-themed products coming out right now as you can see here. Thankfully, there are plenty of new Star Wars tech toys that fall within the budget. Maybe a Darth Vader bluetooth wireless speaker is just what your friend—or you!—need. It plays for 2.5 hours on a fully charged battery and comes with a killer lightsaber attached to Darth Vader.
Sci-Fi Reader
This Kobo Aura 6” Digital eBook with Touchscreen is a perfect companion for Sci-Fi fans who love to immerse themselves in a new world while on the road. The eReader connects wirelessly to access millions of books. Kobo’s ComfortLight ensures light is distributed evenly across the low glare screen, so it looks as if you’re actually reading off a piece of paper.
Robot Madness
For your Sci-Fi fans-to-be, the WowWee MiP 2 Balancing Robot might be the perfect way to guide them toward the light. Using a free app, your little ones can control the robot and see it maneuver around obstacles, play pre-programmed games and even bring them a snack. Shelly wrote a great review about it here, where she calls it, “one of the coolest kid’s gadgets I’ve ever come across.”
Snap on the Go
Whether there’s a UFO sighting or an upcoming ComicCon, a fun pocket-sized camera will come in handy for any Sci-Fi fan. Sure, they may have a smartphone handy, but the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 provides that old school vibe that they will appreciate. It creates instant credit-card-sized photos, has auto functions and a brightness adjustment dial that allows vibrant photos even in low lighting. And, the built-in lens cover automatically opens when the camera is turned on.
It’s Game Time
How about hand-to-hand combat in the arena known as Monopoly? But, not just any game of Monopoly—special editions that cater to nearly every Sci-Fi fan imaginable. Doctor Who Villains Edition? You bet! This game lets you travel through time and space to take down the likes of Cyberman, Daleks and The Silence. The Walking Dead Survival Edition? Naturally! Buy, sell and trade to survive in world where the undead rule. Game of Thrones Collector’s Edition? Of course! Battle in the Seven Kingdoms to win your way to the throne.