New Genre: Science Fiction

BlueGrits · Post by **BlueGrits** » November 13th, 2018, 12:19 am

I'd really like to see "Science Fiction" as it's own Genre (currently listed as a sub-genre of "Fantastic Fiction").

Cori · Post by **Cori** » November 17th, 2018, 9:02 am

Can you say a bit more about your reasoning?

Post by **philchenevert** » November 17th, 2018, 10:39 am

Yes Bluegrits, I have never seen the need for a separate genre but your reasoning would be most welcome.

Post by **TriciaG** » November 17th, 2018, 10:43 am

Science fiction is a form of fantasy fiction.

(I like "fantasy" better than "fantastic", personally, since "fantastic" often takes on the meaning of "Super! Great! Wonderful!" rather than "fantasy-istic".)

Cori · Post by **Cori** » November 17th, 2018, 12:23 pm

I saw Fantasy as a genre in its own right -- if it has an elf, it's Fantasy ... unless the elf is in space, in which case it's Science Fiction again ... unless the spaceship is a giant flying coffin in which case we might be heading towards Gothic ...

Hence differentiating Fantastic (which could also have been named Fantastical, I s'pose) and Fantasy.

Post by **TriciaG** » November 17th, 2018, 12:39 pm

Yes, I suppose Fantasy could mesh more with fairy tales than sci-fi. OTOH, isn't all fiction "fantasy"?

SonOfTheExiles · Post by **SonOfTheExiles** » November 17th, 2018, 1:21 pm

Science Fiction versus Science Fantasy depends on how “hard science” the fiction is.

“The Martian” was very good in terms of this, with the exception of the strength of the wind in the opening establishing scene (despite the planet-wide dust-storms, the strongest wind Mars’ atmosphere could raise would be a faint zephyr). I’d also be a bit iffy about growing potatoes in the perchlorate-contaminated Martian soil. That aside, the author really did the hard science great in that book.

Then you have the type of “science fiction” which is like a glorified comic-book, where the spaceship “screeches to a halt off Planet Zoobar, its brake-linings scorched and squealing”. The hero is usually some sort of Flash Gordon type of guy who over-awes the Martian princess, though occasionally she’ll be the Xena type and clobber him ... guess then you could say that he’s been struck by the beauty of the place.

k5hsj · Post by **k5hsj** » November 19th, 2018, 12:48 am

SonOfTheExiles wrote: ↑November 17th, 2018, 1:21 pm The hero is usually some sort of Flash Gordon type of guy who over-awes the Martian princess, though occasionally she’ll be the Xena type and clobber him ... guess then you could say that he’s been struck by the beauty of the place.

Ouch!