On 12/18/2010 2:48 PM, Darren New wrote:
> http://www.staresattheworld.com/2010/12/scifi-vs-fantasy/
>
> I think this guy hits the nail on the head, expressing it better than I
> ever managed. (As I would hope.)

Best quote:

"You show me a Scifi/Fantasy mixer, and I’ll show you a liberal arts 
major who wishes their degree was useful."

As far as the setting goes, in science fiction the departures from the 
real world are the result of the inherent capacities of artifacts by 
which these departures are exhibited.  Ray guns shoot rays because 
that's what they do when you pull the trigger.  Philosophers call this 
the primacy of reality.

On the other hand, fantasy is based on magic, which is all about the 
real world responding to human will.  Magic wands spout magic because 
the person holding the wand wants it to.  Philosophers call this the 
primacy of consciousness.

Either things do what they do (they work according to the principles of 
science), or they do what we want (and work according to the principles 
of magic)[1].  If things do what they do at one moment, but do what the 
characters want at another, then the author is making stuff up as he 
goes along.

Now that's the setting of the tale, but that is not necessarily what the 
tale is *about*.

Fantasy, in view of what the story is about, is a tale of individual 
good and evil.  Science fiction is a tale about societal good and evil.

For the most part, a fantasy setting works better with a story about 
individual good and evil, and a scientific setting works better with a 
story about societal good and evil.

So it is possible to mix SF and Fantasy, but only in that you can have a 
tale about individual good and evil in a technological setting.  Star 
Wars is essentially a fantasy tale, but its magic (the Force) is tamed 
by operating in very specific ways.  Harry Potter is a fantasy setting, 
but it spends as much time exploring societal good and evil as it does 
exploring individual good and evil.

I suppose you could also have a tale that explores both individual good 
and evil as well as societal good and evil, but that takes better 
handling than most authors can manage.

Regards
John
[1]  Under this pair of definitions, Windows, which does what it does, 
and not necessarily what we want, is science, not magic.  Make of it 
what you will.

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