It’s hard to believe that 2004 is ending. In just two weeks, we’ll all be starting the second half of the first decade of the 21st century, and science-fiction couldn’t be any stronger right now.

Although some shows like "Star Trek: Enterprise" and "Smallville" have experienced some erosion in their ratings this year, other projects have been quite successful.

2004 saw the first fantasy film in history to win an Oscar. It saw the rebirth of three cult favorites — "Farscape," "Firefly" and "Battlestar Galactica" — and there is more comic book movies ready to go than ever before, with some popular names involved.

So, who were the top movers and shakers in the science-fiction/fantasy/horror/comic world this year? SyFy Portal shares its annual list.

1. Ronald D. Moore

His work on HBO’s series "Carnivale" kept the genre on premium cable ... but it was his work in getting a series pickup for "Battlestar Galactica" that has most kept this former "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" producer in the news.

The series, which is a remake of the 1970s television show that aired for one season on ABC, has received critical praise for its first nine episodes that have already aired in the United Kingdom. Moore’s reimagination of the series remains controversial, however, as some fans have demanded that any revival of the "Galactica" premise be a continuation of the original series.

But not everyone has stayed on opposite sides. Richard Hatch, who starred as Apollo in the original series and was one of the more vocal critics of the miniseries that aired on Sci-Fi Channel in 2003, backed off his criticism enough to take on the role of Tom Zarek in the third episode of the show’s first season. That role is expected to be a recurring role.

"Galactica" has scored strong ratings in the United Kingdom on the satellite channel Sky One, but it will be ratings on the American Sci-Fi Channel that will ultimately determine its fate. The series begins in the U.S. and Canada this coming January, while an abridged version of the miniseries will air next month on NBC.

2. Joss Whedon

Fans continue to campaign for the return of Whedon’s previous works like "Angel," which ended this past year. But it’s hard to tell if there will be anything coming from Buffyverse in the near future — it looks like comic books will be keeping Whedon busy for some time to come.

3. "Farscape"

The series has been off the air for more than a year on the Sci-Fi Channel, but the fans never gave up. The fruit of their work resulted in the miniseries "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" which received rave reviews when it was aired on the Sci-Fi Channel last October.

The future of "Farscape" remains bleak, however. The miniseries worked to tie up some loose ends left by the premature cancellation of the series. And it’s now been reported that Ben Browder, who played John Crichton in the series, is heading off to star in "Stargate: SG-1" on Sci-Fi. But fans will never let up on this project, as they now push for either another miniseries, a motion picture, and even a return of the series to television.

4. Bryan Singer

Here is a director and a writer who pretty much could’ve written his own ticket. And he did.

It was widely expected that he would direct a third installment to the X-Men franchise that he so successfully brought to the big screen from the world of Marvel Comics, but instead he jumped ship for an even bigger comic book character: Superman.

Singer basically is the man who may have ended up saving Warner Bros.’ ass on this project, which has limped on for nearly a decade. Ever since Singer took over the movie project earlier this year, a Superman has been cast (Brandon Roush), possible Lois Lanes have been bantied about, and many fans feel that we might actually see a Superman movie sometime in the near future.

Singer didn’t get to take on "Battlestar Galactica" as he wanted to a couple of years ago, but with his plate as loaded as its been, it would be hard to imagine him finding time to even think about that right now.

5. William Shatner

This actor has had more career resurrections than Madonna, but his iconic status seems to be far from waning.

When many thought the 73-year-old would be heading toward the sunset, Shatner instead took on a daring role as Denny Crane in David E. Kelley’s "The Practice," which was spun off into a series on ABC called "Boston Legal." Both Shatner and co-star James Spader won Emmys for their portrayals on "The Practice," and now Shatner has a Golden Globe nomination to his credit as well.

But even with this new fame that has most people almost forgetting about Priceline.com, Shatner remains in the news for his non-committal to appear in "Star Trek: Enterprise," possibly to reprise his character of Capt. James T. Kirk. Shatner has said that while an idea exists to bring him into the UPN show, money has been a barrier in the deal. "Enterprise" executive producer Manny Coto continues to say there is room on the show for Shatner, but if he does appear this season, it likely won’t be until the fourth season finale in May.

6. James Doohan

When former president Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease more than a decade ago, the debilitating illness made headlines everywhere. And not too long after Reagan’s death this year, another icon announced he had the disease — James "Scotty" Doohan from the original "Star Trek" series.

His Scottish accent and love for his character has always helped fuel the popularity of Doohan, who had his youngest child just a few years ago, despite the fact that he’s in his 80s.

Doohan was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, thanks to donations raised through Star Trek fans, and he was honored this past summer in what is most likely his final convention appearance.

It’s going to be tough having Star Trek without Doohan, and as he fully retires from show business, Hollywood has lost one of its endearing innovators.

7. Manny Coto

His "Odyssey 5" series really wasn’t going anywhere on Showtime, but that didn’t stop Manny Coto from trying to continue working in the genre. He got that chance first as a writer for UPN’s "Star Trek: Enterprise," and then as the showrunner, taking over in the show’s fourth — and possibly final — season.

His idea of doing mini story arcs instead of standalone episodes and full-season arcs seems to be popular with fans so far this season, as the show has experienced an uptick in ratings despite its move to Fridays at 8 p.m. on UPN.

It’s not clear whether Coto’s presence will be enough to ensure a fifth season on UPN. Only time will tell.

Other finalists for 2004’s top newsmakers included Sci-Fi Channel president Bonnie Hammer for her greenlight of the "Battlestar Galactica" series and her controversial decision to air a mock documentary on director M. Night Shyamalan; the late Christopher Reeve who touched people everywhere with his valiant struggle to walk again despite a neck injury that left him paralyzed, and his battle to legalize stem-cell research; Brent Spiner, the former Data of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," bringing a little of the old into the new with his guest appearance in "Star Trek: Enterprise’s" first three-part trilogy that brought back the superhumans of Khan Noonien Singh’s time; "Angel," which was cancelled by The WB in the dead of the night with an empty promise of telemovies on the network this season ... it seems like this show has been staked; Jeri Ryan, the former "Star Trek: Voyager" actress who almost assured a Democratic senate victory in Illinois when the divorce papers between her and Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan were released publicly, accusing him of dragging the actress to sex clubs.