I heard an interesting definition
the other day. It had to do with the difference between fantasy and science
fiction. The speaker was postulating that while Science Fiction is set on
“Planets,” Fantasy is set on “Worlds.” Sort of the difference between the
settings of Lord of the Rings and The Martian. One you can glance up in the sky
and imagine it being there, the other you cannot.
The fantasy writer creates a
setting and does not necessarily think about the whole, the sci-fi author may
work out the how and why their location is different, or logical. If the sci-fi
writer introduced dragons into a tale there would probably be a temptation to
explain the means by which dragons can spit fire. Actually, I attempted to do
that in my novel, “Alex in Wanderland.”
I’ve always felt that what sets
sci-fi apart from fantasy, or any other classification of genre, is the “sci”
portion of the equation. If you could remove the scientific gimmick or far
future technology and setting and the story still works well, then maybe you’ve
written it in the wrong genre. Fantasy suspends reality for at least a portion
of the tale.
The same may also apply to world
building. A magical city in the desert, an evil magician, interference by the
“gods,” tend toward fantasy. A sci-fi writer might worry more about how the city’s
politics and economy can actually work. Could that city support itself?
(greenhouses, aquifers, trade?) How does the evil magician’s magic actually
work? (high tech?) What are the gods? (Advanced aliens?)
I tend to write fantasy while
downplaying the fantastical. I still like to have the how it works covered in
the back of my mind or at least be aware when I have no idea. When I write
science fiction I classify my tales as soft sci-fi. I throw in faster than light
travel and ignore long technical passages on how it all works. I don’t really
know and I don’t care. (But I’m also well aware of what I’m deliberately
doing.)
I recently sat down to write a
fantasy tale during a period of time between acceptance of a manuscript and
editing. At least it started out as a straight fantasy tale, although it has
begun sniffing around converting to sci-fi. Some days you can never tell where
the unruly characters are going to lead you.
And I like it that way.
R.J.Hore
The Dark Lady Trilogy (Volume 1,2,3)
The Queen’s Pawn (Volume 1,2,3)
The Housetrap Chronicles (Volumes 1 to 8)
Alex in Wanderland,
Knight’s Bridge
We’re Not in Kansas
Toltec Dawn (Book 1, 2, 3)
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