What is Science-Fantasy to you?

[NeuroZombie]

Is it alien races with swords and spells?
Is it (a world like) Greyhawk with lazer guns and hovercrafts?
Is it Barsoom or the Mars of John Carter?

The reason I am asking is because I am working on a setting (and possible system, if I can't tweak d20 to fit the FEEL I am striving for) and I just want to get a general consensus on what people think of in terms of Science-Fantasy, especially as it pertains to RPGs.

Thanks in advance for any comments

 

[Henry]

It is science-fiction mixed with over the top heroic action. The trappings are science-y, but the concepts are older and more basic.

The first four star wars movies come to mind. Save the Princess, defeat the dragon, rescue the captured hero, beat the evil power against all odds - it's as much Flash Gordon as Star Wars.

 

[diaglo]

sci-fi is Star Wars
fantasy is D&D

 

[Halivar]

"FLASH! Ah-aaahh... *Bwow-bwow*... He saved every one of us!"

Yeah, that's science-fantasy in a nutshell.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

The first few things that popped into my mind were Babylon 5 & Star Wars.

It's kind of hard to draw the line. I mean, B5 & SW both take place in space, a place none of us has ever been to, and therefore it is "fantasy" in that sense. But I guess that reasoning would make all sci-fi "fantasy".

So I think maybe having an ongoing story line , like an adventure, where the characters are working together against villians, like in many D&D campaigns.

 

[Henry]

Quick re-iteration... the cheesy Flash Gordon movie with the Queen soundtrack is only ONE version of Flash Gordon. I was thinking specifically of the old 1940's (1950's?) serial movies.

I still beg to differ about Star Wars being Science Fiction - it's science fiction in the same sense that D&D is "historical fantasy" to me - it shares the trappings, but that's about as far as it goes.

 

[diaglo]

I still beg to differ about Star Wars being Science Fiction - it's science fiction in the same sense that D&D is "historical fantasy" to me - it shares the trappings, but that's about as far as it goes.

you understood my post.

 

[Hand of Evil]

It is PULP!

Science Fantasy does not care about facts, devices and elements do not follow established laws of science. Science Fiction takes elements of science facts and applies them to a fictional story.

In the 1920s it was all pulp, John Carter, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, they just had things like flying ships and laser guns. They did not care to explain how or why they could do what they did.

In the 1950s it was Sci-Fi, Writers took science facts (as known) and created Sci-Fi, explaining the science and how they did things.

 

[Halivar]

It is PULP!

Pow. Hit that nail in the head. Four-color science-fiction! Like Amazing Stories, and somesuch.

Anybody remember the old EC comics "Science Fantasy" comic? What we need is a good ol' RPG setting for something like that. Big, round spaceships, laser beam handguns and ridiculously clad Big Bad Evil Intergalactic Overlords.

 

[Gallo22]

The old 1940's Flash is a perfect example of sci-fantasy. A place of high science that makes no logical sense. Sorry to those that disagree, but Star Wars is Sci-fantasy as opposed to Star Trek where technology is always explained in detail. The Thundarr cartoon might be a good example, at least in one spectrum of the genre. But then again it's all opinion based and everyone one here will post a different one.

Though many disagree (and I truly don't know why?), Gamma World (true GW, not the new version) is a "version" of high sci-fantasy.

Gallo22