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Joined: 7/10/2011
Posts: 7
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More and more books and movies are blending science fiction and fantasy? From Avatar to Krull, the blending of the two genres mixes hard/soft SF characteristics, with fantasy elements, like magic.
But does it work? Are there those that want one or the other? Or do you think Science Fantasy brings the best of both worlds? When will publishers acknowledge the genre or is there a need to at this point?
What are some of your favorite Science Fantasy stories?
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Joined: 5/29/2011
Posts: 2
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I sure hope it works, since that's what I'm working on now. I've got time travel and aliens mixed with Atlantis, Greek mythology and scenes with magic. I even had an actual talking dragon in an earlier draft, but figured that was pushing it.
I think you could include King's Dark Tower series under science fantasy as well. Didn't he have a giant cyborg bear in one (Shardik?) and the so-called "wolves" of the Calla were more scientific than fantastical.
I'd also include a lot Tim Powers stuff (Declare, Anubis Gates and his other "secret histories"). Which I all loved.
So I think this has actually worked for a long time; it's just that no one's gotten around to pigeon-holing it yet. Which surprises me, since the publishing world seems to want a label on every sub-genre under the sun.
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 376
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The problem with Science Fantasy being a genre is that as a subgenre, it's useless, and as a 'supergenre', it's just a combination of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
The concept of Genre is a marketing convenience. Something to tell readers 'you'll like this'. Science Fantasy... Let's list some books and series...
Dark Tower
Dragonriders of Pern
SERRAted Edge
Just on those three, you've got Horror mixed with fantasy mixed with western mixed iwth Sci Fi; then Sci Fi with light fantasy masquerading as Fantasy, followed by Urben Fantasy with the occasional heavy tech influences Sci Fi readers read.
My point here is that Science Fantasy is *so* broad it's not useful as a genre. As a subgenre, it's become something of a catch all, falling into either 'Slipstream' or 'Weird Fiction'. They don't bother breaking those down any further because those are the 'defies categorization' categories. Most of the good Science Fantasy I've read does too.
Just my 2c. YMMV.
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