My angst is with some Sci-Fi fans
Ooh, just thought of something else.
It’s the very reasons the masses hate sci-fi that I (and I suspect many others) love it. It’s challenging and exciting.
But, more so than ANY other genre of entertainment, sci-fi is unlimited.
What makes a romantic comedy a romantic comedy? Meg Ryan (or equivalent) and Matthew Broderick (or equivalent) being goofy and lovelorn. What makes action action? Keanau Reeves (or equivalent) in a life or death struggle with something or someone evil, and a daring and dangerous escape. Even sci-fi’s kissing cousin, fantasy, has more limitations than sci-fi. Fantasy means swords, and horses, and mythic beasts, and magic.
Sci-Fi, however, means what? EVERYTHING ELSE!!
Does it mean there are aliens? Well, no not really. Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy is a fantastic sci-fi series without a single alien.
Does it mean the future? Nope. Harry Turttledove is a master of writing alternate histories, where something alters the outcome of major world events.
Does it mean outer space? Not at all. William Gibson is one of the premier Sci-Fi writers of our time, and he hasn’t written a single book about outer space.
So what makes Sci-Fi? It’s a story that deals with concepts beyond reality. And what is the limit to that? NOTHING!!
SCI-FI WINS!!
[ 17-12-2001: Message edited by: charmlessman ]