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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 6127325" data-attributes="member: 3887">My fault -- I wasn't being clear. What I should have said that certain themes are more strongly associated w/science fiction and others w/fantasy and science fantasy, regardless of whatever tropes/conventions are in play, and this difference in themes (or approach to themes) helps differentiate the (sub)genres.For example, one classic SF theme is the societal effects of scientific/technology change. I've heard people give this as the #1 characteristic of SF literature. This is a less common theme in fantasy/science fantasy. The rapid changes in fantasy tend more towards the "oh noes, the Dark One has risen again" variety. You're right, there are plenty of interesting works that are essentially fantasy written in a SF mode (like Star Wars), or vice-versa (Book of the New Sun, the earlier Darkover novels). Out of curiosity, what do you find SF-inal about ASoIaF? They seem pretty squarely historical fantasy to me. I find the overt religiosity of nBSG places it more firmly in the "science fiction" camp. Most fantasy I've read doesn't do much more with religious concepts then state: gods are real, some are you friend, some are your enemy. I find science fiction has a more more interesting history dealing with religion (cf. Dune, Solaris), and nBSG fits right in. Yeah -- if your definition of science fiction means we have to reclassify a book every couple of years, then you probably needs a more definitive definition!</blockquote>

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