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Forked Thread: What is the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy?
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 4364948" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>There are several branches of criticism that would like to have a word with you. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I agree that you can cross genres. Of course you can. You don't write to genre, you write to story. Genre comes later as a label to place your work within the larger canon.</p><p></p><p>I have a great deal of difficulty though with the idea that mystery is a genre, but SF isn't? How do you figure that?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, I'm quite cognizant of how various fantasy works can contain philosophical points. I'm generalizing, and, as such, you can always find examples where it doesn't quite work. </p><p></p><p>But, since you brought up Tolkien, let's go with that. Is the function of LotR to explore the philosophical ramifications of magic? Good vs evil? Or, is it more just a damn good story in desperate need of an editor? Sure, Lewis is writing allegory for Bible stories, but, there's little or no philosophical point in the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It's an allegory and a pretty thinly veiled one at that. </p><p></p><p>Now, the Screwtape Letters, that's another ball of wax. But, that's the exception in fantasy, not the rule. Most fantasy works are about telling good stories, plot driven, not philosophically.</p><p></p><p>And, if you think 1984 is wish fulfillment, well, I don't think we can really come to any agreement here.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And this speaks to the point I'm trying to make. Is Asimov less SF because they use slide rules because Asimov couldn't conceive of computers? Obviously not. The trappings don't really matter. It's the intent behind the text that makes it SF. The exploration of certain themes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 4364948, member: 22779"] There are several branches of criticism that would like to have a word with you. :D I agree that you can cross genres. Of course you can. You don't write to genre, you write to story. Genre comes later as a label to place your work within the larger canon. I have a great deal of difficulty though with the idea that mystery is a genre, but SF isn't? How do you figure that? Yes, I'm quite cognizant of how various fantasy works can contain philosophical points. I'm generalizing, and, as such, you can always find examples where it doesn't quite work. But, since you brought up Tolkien, let's go with that. Is the function of LotR to explore the philosophical ramifications of magic? Good vs evil? Or, is it more just a damn good story in desperate need of an editor? Sure, Lewis is writing allegory for Bible stories, but, there's little or no philosophical point in the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It's an allegory and a pretty thinly veiled one at that. Now, the Screwtape Letters, that's another ball of wax. But, that's the exception in fantasy, not the rule. Most fantasy works are about telling good stories, plot driven, not philosophically. And, if you think 1984 is wish fulfillment, well, I don't think we can really come to any agreement here. And this speaks to the point I'm trying to make. Is Asimov less SF because they use slide rules because Asimov couldn't conceive of computers? Obviously not. The trappings don't really matter. It's the intent behind the text that makes it SF. The exploration of certain themes. [/QUOTE]
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