What makes sci-fi sci-fi?

Copperfox

Copperfox

Well-known member
Since before the births of most members of this forum, there has been plenty of crossing over between the realms of science fiction and supernatural fantasy, as with the heavy religious themes of STAR WARS and BABYLON FIVE. But for many years, the territory of science fiction was kept pretty distinct from anything supernatural. Everything had a scientific explanation; and while characters might believe in God, it was VERY seldom that God or any small-g gods were ever seen onstage.

Does anyone here have any favorite authors in "hard" science fiction, i.e. sci-fi based on technology and plausible future scientific discoveries?
 
Was Star Trek like that? There is no overt religion in Star Trek the Original Series or Star Trek The Next Generation ... Deep Space Nine did move over into a realm of prophets and prophecies ...
 
Copperfox said:
Does anyone here have any favorite authors in "hard" science fiction, i.e. sci-fi based on technology and plausible future scientific discoveries?
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Kathy Tyers....."Shivering World",and "Firebird Trilogy"(not sure the second counts)...:o
Karen Hancock..."Arena"
Kathryn Mackel.."The Hidden"
Nancy Moser.."Time Lottery","Second Time Around"
 
The only real heavy religion in star trek Voyager was the indian customs that Chakotay followed None of the star treks really had any hard core religion some of them hinted with veiled references like in Bread and Circuses about the Son of God True love and brotherhood The one guy Kirks old friend sacrificed himself so that kirk and the others could get back to The ship. DS9 i thinki had some things in it but i never followed that one that close

I like really all sci fi i don't have any real favorite authors in the sci fi Genre the whole idea of sci fi was technology and computers
 
I am mostly intersted in Fantasy and Historical fiction. Sci-fi is not a preference for me although I did read a book called "Imzadi" by Peter David about the early relationship between Will Riker and Deanna Troi from "Star Trek; The Next Generation".

Up throgh the DS9 Star Trek universe, even religious experiences were shown to have a scientific backing. The Prophets were an actual alien race who live in another dimension (or at least are non-corporeal beings). Same with the Pah' Wraiths, the evil antagonsits to the Prophets.

And really, the difference between sci-fi and fantasy are how things are described. If there is a scientific explanation for things, even if not given, it is sci-fi. If the reader is led to believe that some kind of mysticism or magic is involved, it is fantasy.

MrBob
 
MrBob said:
I am mostly intersted in Fantasy and Historical fiction. Sci-fi is not a preference for me although I did read a book called "Imzadi" by Peter David about the early relationship between Will Riker and Deanna Troi from "Star Trek; The Next Generation".

Up throgh the DS9 Star Trek universe, even religious experiences were shown to have a scientific backing. The Prophets were an actual alien race who live in another dimension (or at least are non-corporeal beings). Same with the Pah' Wraiths, the evil antagonsits to the Prophets.

And really, the difference between sci-fi and fantasy are how things are described. If there is a scientific explanation for things, even if not given, it is sci-fi. If the reader is led to believe that some kind of mysticism or magic is involved, it is fantasy.

MrBob
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I read Imzadi Mr bob it was a interesting read but your right in one of the Voyager episodes Janeway went thru a religious ritual to help Kes and I remember her saying to Chakotay "if we dig deep enough we will find a scientific backing for all these religions" Might not be a exact verbatim quote but it was the general idea

Your right about the describing fantasy or magic its classified as fantasy but sci fi some of it is based on fact or some sort of science backing its sci fi.
 
what makes sci-fi sci-fi? saussure and his structuralist friends would argue that it's a set of genre codes that have established over time. i'm not a fan of sci-fi so i don't know what the language system entails but i'm sure most of you do.
 
I know that Star Trek: voyager also touches some on evolution; and Star Wars is obviously entrenched in religious stuff, ranging from Buddhism, Christianity, and miscellaneous other religions.

personal definition of sci-fi: weird. :p
 
We can't really divide sci-fi and fantasy categories based on their being religious or non-religious -- Petra is correct in the Star Wars saga being steeped in New Age/Buddhism ideas. I think the best definition was that in sci-fi the wonders are explained scientifically, and in fantasy the wonders are explained as magic. But either one could have a spiritual element.
 
There are at least "purists" within the sci-fi subculture who would insist that a story ceases to be science fiction the instant any event happens in it which could not be explained in a laboratory. I would say that Isaac Asimov held this view. Arthur C. Clarke flirted just a teeny bit with the supernatural in a couple of his stories, but in real life he was arrogantly, sneeringly contemptuous of any and all belief in God.
 
Interestingly, I'd agree that early Asimov fit that definition very nicely. His classic Foundation Trilogy was materialist and rationalist to the core. But when he picked up his pen later in life and continued the stories, I detected a very distinct mystical element in them. It seemed that over the years, Asimov learned that rational thinking and impressive technology didn't bring meaning.
 
I think that what Asimov was trying to do was what Mr. Lewis could have told him was impossible--to extract the equivalent of spiritual meaning FROM WITHIN the materialist viewpoint. This, I think, is what some later sci-fi authors tried to do by creating worlds where there were beings LIKE fantasy creatures, and powers that WORKED LIKE magic, but still in the end claiming to have a scientific explanation.

Anne McCaffrey, for instance. Her Pernese dragons had attributes that would have fitted into a fantasy world, but they turned out to have acquired their powers through genetic modification.
 
That's a very good point, CF. I always loved the Dragon stories, but I thought it was odd the society, which clearly was supposed to have descended from human society arriving through spacecraft, had never developed any spiritual values.
 
"Halo" being originally a game, I imagine it would be hard to insert any meaningful spirituality into it.

Further about Pern: the mystique that all other inhabitants of Pern attached to the Dragonriders, and the Dragonriders' own appreciation of their telepathic rapport with the dragons, was AN EMOTIONAL SUBSTITUTE FOR a divine faith...somewhat the way the Vulcans in Star Trek shows worshipped logic itself instead of worshipping a personal God.
 
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