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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 13:23:24
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Obviously everyone posting on here is at least a little bit interested in the fantasy genre. What i am curious about is how many of you also love science fiction? I lean more towards the classical fantasy myself and would prefer to not have any science fiction elements in my fantasy at all. What about everyone else? Are your book shelves equally crammed with books about dragons and swords as they are with books about starships and aliens? 
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Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:07:41
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I sometimes watch sci-fi films, but very rarely read sci-fi books. I used to be an eclectic reader, but I realized time is short, and so is my life. Fantasy has always been my priority. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:18:53
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
Obviously everyone posting on here is at least a little bit interested in the fantasy genre. What i am curious about is how many of you also love science fiction? I lean more towards the classical fantasy myself and would prefer to not have any science fiction elements in my fantasy at all. What about everyone else? Are your book shelves equally crammed with books about dragons and swords as they are with books about starships and aliens?
I LOVE scifi movies, but have never been interested in reading scifi books. There are just far too many great fantasy books that i have yet to read.  |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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_Jarlaxle_
Senior Scribe
Germany
584 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:23:18
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Star Wars is the biggest example of a great SciFi/Fantasy mix and I really like it.
Besides that I'm a huge SciFi fan too, like Star Trek or Stargate.
But I don't read any novels about them. Not because I don't want to but because I don't even have enough time to read all the FR novels I would like to. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:25:35
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quote:
Originally posted by _Jarlaxle_
Star Wars is the biggest example of a great SciFi/Fantasy mix and I really like it.
Besides that I'm a huge SciFi fan too, like Star Trek or Stargate.
But I don't read any novels about them. Not because I don't want to but because I don't even have enough time to read all the FR novels I would like to.
I love the Star Wars movies and think the novel line is fairly impressive, even though i have only read a few of the books. However, i would never classify Star Wars as a fantasy/scifi mix. Star Wars and Star Trek IMO are the very defintion of science fiction only. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Edited by - Artemas Entreri on 03 Nov 2011 14:26:01 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:48:45
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Star Wars...Hmm. The [toy] swords ruined it for me. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 14:58:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Star Wars...Hmm. The [toy] swords ruined it for me.
Those were pretty lame. When i worked at a bookstore 8 years ago whe sold some that actually lit up and made the sounds when you moved them. Better, but i think the were $50! |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Farrel
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
239 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 15:33:42
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I've never been interested in Sci-Fi novels, fantasy has always been my first choice.
I have played a few Sci-Fi RPG's (Spacemaster, Cyberpunk, Star Wars), and an MMO (EVE Online).
The old group that I played Spacemaster with eventually landed on a planet and the GM introduced us all to Rolemaster, via a bunch of mounted knights.
Let's just say that the plasma repeaters triumphed  |
Edited by - Farrel on 03 Nov 2011 15:34:30 |
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_Jarlaxle_
Senior Scribe
Germany
584 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 15:40:01
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
However, i would never classify Star Wars as a fantasy/scifi mix. Star Wars and Star Trek IMO are the very defintion of science fiction only.
The whole Jedi and Force part is fantasy while the space ship, laser, robots etc. part is science fiction. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 15:43:19
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quote:
Originally posted by _Jarlaxle_
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
However, i would never classify Star Wars as a fantasy/scifi mix. Star Wars and Star Trek IMO are the very defintion of science fiction only.
The whole Jedi and Force part is fantasy while the space ship, laser, robots etc. part is science fiction.
Isn't the force directly related to the medichlorians (spelling?), microscopic organisms living inside the cells of everyone. The Jedi (and Sith) have learned to "communicate" with these organisms in order to perform extraordinary things. Sounds a little like biology or meditation to me. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Edited by - Artemas Entreri on 03 Nov 2011 15:43:37 |
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_Jarlaxle_
Senior Scribe
Germany
584 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 15:47:34
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| Nevertheless its fantasy. Like magic in D&D is controlling the weave or raw energies to get the effect you want. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 15:56:20
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quote:
Originally posted by _Jarlaxle_
Nevertheless its fantasy. Like magic in D&D is controlling the weave or raw energies to get the effect you want.
There are monks on Earth who can drive nails into solid wodden boards using their foreheads. Is this fantasy too? |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 16:53:05
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| The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 16:54:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 17:07:46
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| I like when magic and (pseudo)science are mixed and can't stand fantasy where wizards wave their wands and puff. Still I have probably 5 times more fantasy than sf books (about 30 sf writers who's books are worth keeping). |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 18:09:08
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things.
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 18:09:59
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| The Dragonstar setting for D20 mixed fantasy and sci-fi, and I thought it did a good job of it. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 18:13:54
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| As for myself, I've got a lot more fantasy novels than sci-fi -- and a few that blend the two in some way. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 18:41:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things.
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story.
This type of reasoning can be used for anything:
-If you swap out pistols for plasma rays then a western becomes science fiction.
-If you strip away the vampires then Twilight would become...wait that would still be a lame series no matter what you did to alter it
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Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 18:57:00
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I can think of a number of series wherein there was little difference - most notably those far-future Earth scenarios (Jack Vance's Dying Earth being the most obvious). There comes a point where the science is so far advanced from our own, it would appear like magic to us (as our own tech appears to those more primitive). I think the best marriage of scify and fantasy was in the Well World series - it was presented logically and did not seem strange at all.
I don't differentiate at all - I consider it one genre, with multiple sub-genres. I have only recently added in the adventure novel, because many of them have magical or mythical elements, despite being set in the current time (or near-current, like Indiana Jones and The Mummy). This was a logical jump to make (in my case), because I have always loved 'alternative history' stories. Ergo, because of this new, greater awareness of my own of whats out there, novels like The DaVinci Code now fall within my preferential purview (as do movies like National Treasure... no accounting for taste).
For instance, I have recently become a fan of Clive Cussler (Dirk Pitt is Da Bomb). To me, those stories are also fantasy.
And remember that Blackmoor has been part of THREE official settings since D&D's start, and that was a highly advanced, technological civilization (which existed in the distant past). Couple that with our Vancian magic, and it would be absurd to ignore Scify and still be a D&D fan (IMHO). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 03 Nov 2011 19:01:13 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 20:56:36
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things.
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story.
This type of reasoning can be used for anything:
-If you swap out pistols for plasma rays then a western becomes science fiction.
-If you strip away the vampires then Twilight would become...wait that would still be a lame series no matter what you did to alter it
Not necessarily. In a lot of sci-fi, the higher level of technology is fairly integral to the story. In Star Wars, most of the weapons can be replaced with fantasy weapons, and even the Death Star itself could be just an insanely powerful magical device.
Giving plasma weapons to cowboys isn't going to change the fact that they're riding around on horses, trying to keep the banks/train unrobbed or the cattle unrustled. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 21:01:25
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things.
obviously
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 21:08:02
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| fantasy has more definitions than magic and goblins. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 21:19:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
The original Star Wars was a sci-fi take on the old fantasy tale of good conquers evil. Knights, a princess and a dark lord, if that's not based on fantasy then I don't know what is.
Saying something is based on fantasy and actually calling it fantasy are two entirely different things.
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story.
This type of reasoning can be used for anything:
-If you swap out pistols for plasma rays then a western becomes science fiction.
-If you strip away the vampires then Twilight would become...wait that would still be a lame series no matter what you did to alter it
Not necessarily. In a lot of sci-fi, the higher level of technology is fairly integral to the story. In Star Wars, most of the weapons can be replaced with fantasy weapons, and even the Death Star itself could be just an insanely powerful magical device.
Giving plasma weapons to cowboys isn't going to change the fact that they're riding around on horses, trying to keep the banks/train unrobbed or the cattle unrustled.
Swap the bank with a cryo-locked cyber vault, swap the horses with anti-gravity speeders....and on and on |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
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Farrel
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
239 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 21:25:43
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
Swap the bank with a cryo-locked cyber vault, swap the horses with anti-gravity speeders....and on and on
Sounds a bit like Firefly... I wish they had made more  |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 21:31:32
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If there were truly a clear, cut and dry definition of fantasy I think it would be possible to determine if stories like Star Wars were fantasy or not. My fantasy has...wait my fantasy actually includes Megan Fox but I digress...ahem.
My fantasy can have no science in it...just magic in all cases. That doesn't mean I like one any less than the other though lol. |
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Nilus Reynard
Learned Scribe
Canada
137 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 22:13:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story.
Agreed.
The "Force" could be considered as nothing more than a form of Psionics, so there is a fantasy element right there. |
Nilus Reynard
Doom Master of Beshaba, Hand of Despair.
P24 Hm CN
(2nd Edition AD&D) |
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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 22:52:07
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What about Mys-tech (Technology based on the magic of the setting or creating a similar product, ie: Crystal screens instead of video screens or TV, enchanted guns which fire elemental bolts)?
Opinions of that? |
Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 23:11:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If you strip away the spaceships, it's a fantasy story.
Agreed.
The "Force" could be considered as nothing more than a form of Psionics, so there is a fantasy element right there.
Or even magic -- which was how non-Jedi tended to treat it, in the Classic trilogy.
Admiral Motti: "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the rebels' hidden fortress..."
(Vader makes a choking motion with his hand)
Darth Vader: "I find your lack of faith disturbing." |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 23:42:09
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shadowrun is a good example of how we define sci/fi or fantasy. In the shadowrun world both magic and technology are equally important, yet the shadowrun universe is seen as sci-fi. Why is this? Well it seems to me that sci-fi and fantasy are pigeonholed according to which time period they are set in. Anything set in the future tends to be labled sci-fi. Anything set in the past is classed as fantasy.
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2011 : 00:12:40
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The problem with calling SW a fantasy is that while it's based on some old fantasy tropes, it is very obviously a sci-fi story in setting, tech, and rules. Everything in the SW universe is based on tech an science. Even the Force is basically a form of psychic ability (explained by biology rather than magic), which is a real (and measurable) phenomenon. (For those who don't believe in such things, just bear with me and "pretend".)
And no mention of McCafferey's Pern series and Rowan books, or Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality? series?! I'm shocked!! |
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Fantasy mixed with SciFi?
