Bill Pragnell wrote:
> How about things like Orwell's 1984 then? That extrapolates many 
> possible paths from its time, but doesn't really dwell on technology. Or 
> would you put this into 'speculative fiction' but separate from sf?

Good question. I'd call it more speculative, because it's mostly about 
people affecting people, rather than technology. If it was about how 
people were monitored, and about how people found ways around the 
monitoring, for example, it would be more science fiction, I think.

I recently read a book called "The Wittling" (or some such spelling), 
wherein the humans get stranded on a planet with natives who have the 
natural ability to teleport. They are at medieval technology levels, but 
it's still SF, as it's how the humans cope with people who can teleport 
you or themselves.

> Niven must be my favourite author, I think. 

I gain a new appreciation every time I go back and read his stuff again. 
The way those two hold together an entire universe of 
reasonably-interacting but very different peoples over the course of a 
dozen books is pretty amazing.

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     It's not feature creep if you put it
     at the end and adjust the release date.

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