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Author Topic: Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?  (Read 2371 times)

S'mon

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #45 on: October 01, 2019, 04:22:03 AM »
Quote from: jhkim;1106861
In general, FTL drives are inserted because the author wants to have fast travel to other stars. I don't think there has been any significant change in the science regarding psychic powers or FTL between 1930 and today.

I think if the author is using Alcubierre Warp Drive with some explanation of how current issues have been dealt with, I'll buy it as hard SF. If copper-blood Vulcans are interbreeding with iron-blood humans but there is a 'scientific' explanation, I'll buy it as soft SF. If a magical Force permeates the Galaxy, it's probably sci-fantasy.

For 'very hard SF' I'm probably looking at a setting with no FTL, no time travel into the past, no psychic powers, and sticking to extrapolations of known technology.
Yet I know that in 50 years that super-Hard setting won't really look any more realistic than a pulp fantasy.

Itachi

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #46 on: October 01, 2019, 06:00:25 AM »
Quote
Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
It's exactly what happens in Sid Meier Alpha Centauri. The technology begins firmly on hard sci-fi territory, then crosses into the fantastic by endgame.

Omega

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #47 on: October 01, 2019, 06:25:32 AM »
Nanites = Magic

BoxCrayonTales

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #48 on: October 01, 2019, 07:14:58 AM »
Speaking as someone familiar with Starcraft...

It started out seeming like typical soft scifi with zerg bio-ships and protoss psionics as the most unrealistic aspects, but it quickly became inundated with unnecessary space magic deus ex machina. For example, the zerg leaders were immortal unless you killed them with a specific form of space magic.

The obnoxiously bad writing killed most of my interest and now all I can do is complain about how much better it would have been in some alternate universe with a better writer at the helm.

jeff37923

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #49 on: October 01, 2019, 07:30:53 AM »
Quote from: Omega;1106997
Nanites = Magic

That is a pet peeve of mine. Especially when you have assemblers creating instant tools without generating any heat while doing so.
"Meh."

Rhedyn
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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #50 on: October 01, 2019, 08:26:52 AM »
Quote from: jeff37923;1107004
That is a pet peeve of mine. Especially when you have assemblers creating instant tools without generating any heat while doing so.

I think it depends what you do with the nanites.

Grey Goo can be hard Sci-fi, same with the T-1000. Numenera nanites are in-lore Soft Sci-fi, but for all intents and purposes, magic.

Itachi

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Is It Possible for Sci-fi to Become Science Fantasy overtime?
« Reply #51 on: October 01, 2019, 02:27:37 PM »
Quote from: Omega;1106997
Nanites = Magic