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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NoOneofConsequence" data-source="post: 596358" data-attributes="member: 5400">Is the purpose of this thread to discuss the distinction(s) between sf (speculative fiction), science fiction and fantasy? If so then my personal position is that science fiction and fantasy are in essence the same things in as much as the texts present stories which demand lesser or greater degrees of "willing suspension of disbelief" on the part of the reader. The stories assume that the reader will still enjoy the story, even though it would fail a test of historicity.Proponents of science fiction are known to argue that their genre requires a lesser degree of "willing suspension of disbelief"(wsod) since the genre is based upon "known scientific laws", as opposed to free ranging concepts such as magic. However, as has already been pointed out in this thread, magic is fully capable of working within scientific laws. Moreover, many of the "scientific laws" which science fiction runs on are in fact completely hypothetical - such as navigable wormholes in spacetime - even to the point that they are not really distinguishable from theoretical magic. So, the final issue is, does Asimov's observation - that any technology, sufficiently advanced, is essentially indistinguishable from magic - invalidate the distinction between science fiction and fantasy? *shrugs* I don't know. I don't really care. Most science fiction movies abuse the conventions of the genre so badly that they qualify as fantasy outright (Star Wars is the most well known of these, but there are others and AKAIAC, Star Trek is another). I think the distinctions exist only as marketing tools and in the minds of fans of the respective genres. Roleplaying shows the plasticity and arbitrary nature of categories like these.Far and away the best discussions on this subject were presented by Phil and Dixie in a very early issue of The Dragon. They are reproduced here for the benefit of the discussion.In science fiction the level of personal power can be far greater:In fantasy Hero: Actually all I can do is repeatedly stick this sharp piece of metal into your body.Evil shopkeeper: Ahh, crude but curiously effective!In Science FictionSF hero 1: Did you really have to destroy the whole planet?SF hero 2: It was easier than trying to find the one guy who sold me this lousy watch.However in fantasy, there is often a greater sense of romance, saga and story:In fantasyOrnamental female: Gee, where'd you get that?Wizard (holding aloft magic wand): I received it as a reward from the Demon prince Argon after I saved his bacon at the batle of Oom!In science fiction Ornamental female: Gee, where'd you get that?Space Hero (holding aloft plasma blaster): Guns and Ammo, $29.95Of course, there's one place where everyone can get along, the tavern:Drunk space hero: They're mutants!Drunk fantasy hero: Nah! They're trolls!DSH: Mutants!DFH: Trolls!DSH: Mutant trolls?!DFH: I'll buy that!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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