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Scifi and Fantasy Forum: Writer's Discussion: Suggestions and Ideas:
Sci-Fi and Fantasy combined
Sci-Fi and Fantasy combined
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Posted By:  Trey Jul 23, 2003 - 09:16 am |       | For a wonderful example of the mixing of Sci-Fi and Fantasy I recommend:
The Caverns of Socrates
By Dennis L. McKiernan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451454677/ref=pd_sxp_f/104-8672996-0251134?v=glance&s=books
From Amazon.com
A seasoned group of virtual reality gamers participates in a simulated fantasy adventure that is controlled by an artificial intelligence known as Avery. When a freak accident severs the connections between virtual and actual worlds, the experiment's controllers realize that Avery has his own agenda for the people trapped inside his imaginary world. Veteran fantasy author McKiernan combines epic fantasy with sf adventure in a tense story that explores both the nature of perceived reality and the spark that separates human intelligence from its artificial counterparts.
| Posted By: Trey Jul 23, 2003 - 09:20 am | | Spider Robinson wrote a short story about a critic who hated anyone who mixed SciFi and Fantasy. It is in the collection "User Friendly" but I don’t remember the name of the story itself. It was a great story though and had a fitting end.
| Posted By: Maitaman Jul 24, 2003 - 05:06 am | | A good many of the Flight of the Maita books have fantasy elements. It started with book five, Now You See It/Now You Don't, which had a whole planet that seemingly disappeared. It was the work of "magic".
Any of the later books that had Tlorg in them have fantasy elements. The "demon", Kurk, becomes a regular member of the crew at Tlorg in book twenty five (if I remember correctly) and is in most after that.
Using fantasy in SciFi means you have to explain it, but that can be cursory. Kurk is simply a being from another plane. The M-82's are beings trapped in two planes. Magic is unexplained science.
This device is very good for writing a deadly dangerous scene, but one with a lot of humor.
Fairies and elves will, of course, put you into pure fantasy, unless you can explain them in a scientific-sounding way.
I like the way fantasy can add humor. It has a place in SciFi, and can additionally add a horror element to a work. Some works can combine SciFi, fantasy, and horror -- AND comedy!
What about a character's search for answers? Say she or they are transported to another reality, not so much time, but space or realm shift.
What if your story starts as a sort of involuntary quest, because it is not a conscious choice, but say a spiritual neccessity for the evolution of a planet and/or the characters? What if you reaserch and theorize reasons for these phenomenons, through a series of chalenges and outcomes to the situation, that revolve around your character?
You try to explain these things, the magic, the paranormal, the true possibilities of an advanced being. How would you classify it?
Something that no one has mentioned here is Star Trek...
Come on! Q! You might just say that what the Q do is just because they are Q and so on and so forth, that it's all science fiction, but the Q's abilities are never explained, unless you count circular logic (it is, because it is, because it is), and I don't.
As far as the differences between SF and fantasy... I think SF is something that could happen in the future if you asked a pessimistic atheist for their opinion. Magic, though, and mind-reading and all sorts of 'fantasy' stuff is easily explained as possible: the average human only uses 10% or less of its brain - what would happen if someone figured out how to increase the usable amount of brain capacity? telepaths, telekinetics, not to mention the possiblity of spontaneous miracles...
Over all, I much prefer the term 'Speculative Fiction'... all of it is what could be-if. If it was the year 5345, if magic was real, if...
you get the idea.
later!
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