# Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Or Both?



## Persephone

If you were going to write a story, your first novel, would you write a fantasy novel or a Sci-Fi novel? Which genre is easier to write/read? Is it okay to fuse them, like write a story that has both sci-fi and fantasy into it? Is it doable?


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## childoferu

Personally, I would write a Sci-Fi novel, seems easier to me and a lot less harder to be unoriginal, but I love Both the same


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## Mike

Writing a novel is writing a novel -- no genre is going to be particularily _easy_. It is certainly just as easy to write a bad science fiction novel as a bad fantasy novel, and there are plenty examples of both on bookstore shelves today. Just the same, enjoyment is reading will have little to do with the actual genre, but how well-executed it is. A _good_ fantasy novel would be just as difficult to write as a good science-fiction novel, as well.

My leanings in the writing field are more towards history and myth, so fantasy would be my natural choice, but that is based on interest, not on any inherent ease in writing a fantasy novel. 

Cross-genre work is fine, though, by their nature, science-fiction and fantasy do not, at their extremes, mix all that well. On the level of a sword-and-planet story, however, there is real fun to be had.


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## childoferu

How about this: What do you think _*might*_ be Tolkien's equal in Science Fiction?


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## Persephone

childoferu said:


> How about this: What do you think _*might*_ be Tolkien's equal in Science Fiction?



My opinion: ORSON SCOTT CARD


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## YayGollum

Which would I write? Science fiction, because it's way more fun.

Which is easier to write? Mayhaps whichever genre you're more familiar with. But then, that would be only if you plan on writing something fairly stereotypically fantastical or science fictional. Why not be original and not worry about how they're usually done? Write with confidence. 

Which is easier to read? Probably fantasy, because it's all the same and boring, for the most part. Science fiction usually has all kinds of new and interesting things to contemplate.

Is it okay to fuse them? It is entirely okay to write whatever you want. Who will stop you? Crazy people, knock them aside! Of course, I am not a large fan of combining them. It hardly ever makes sense, to myself. Too much magic, not enough technology, or mostly technology, mostly hidden magic. 

Is it doable? What isn't doable?


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## HLGStrider

I tend towards fantasy because I always want my technology to make sense but at the same time I'm not a big fan of research which would make science fiction with space ships and space travel and things a little bit difficult.


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## Illuin

I'll take Science Fiction every day of the week and twice on Sunday, even though Tolkien trumps all. Other than Tolkien's Legendarium, I agree with Yay, fantasy is pretty lame . It's usually either a Tolkien clone, or some Medieval sap fest. Need some seasoned TTF RPGers to write some books. The talent I've seen from some in here blows away most of the fantasy I've read.


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## Mike

Where the heck are you guys looking for fantasy? Boring? Lame? Unoriginal? It's true there's a lot of terrible fantasy out there, but there's plenty of terrible in any genre. I've read godawful science fiction as well, but I don't judge the whole genre by it.

My God, read some Lord Dunsany, Rober E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Jack Vance, A. Merrit, Michael Moorcock, C.L. Moore, T.H. White, Clark Ashton Smith, Fletcher Pratt, Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. LeGuin &c. , and _then_ tell me how boring and unoriginal fantasy is. It's _fantasy_; it's not supposed to be. Why judge the genre by the Terry Brooks of the world when there are so many other, better authors to choose from?

Or, y'know, you could read my short stories. Sniff.


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## Illuin

> Originally posted by *Mike*
> _My God, read some Lord Dunsany, Rober E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Jack Vance, A. Merrit, Michael Moorcock, C.L. Moore, T.H. White, Clark Ashton Smith, Fletcher Pratt, Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. LeGuin &c. , and then tell me how boring and unoriginal fantasy is._


 
Not ALL fantasy Mike; only relatively speaking - as we are comparing the two genres (and our bias ). Funny you mention Lord Dunsany:

_"For who knows of madness whether it is divine or whether it be of the pit?"_

I don't know if your school allowed you to have a quote in the yearbook, but ours did, and mine was from _The House Of The Sphinx_. Those who knew me in high school (as the big guy who was called in to break up fights - usually violently - usually siding with the little guy), will say the quote was very fitting.

Of course there is some good fantasy out there, but there is far more good science fiction out there . Also, as far as writing; the possibilities (I believe) in science fiction are far less limited, and far more fun.


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## Rainwall

F A N T A S Y.... obviously!


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## Confusticated

HLGStrider said:


> I tend towards fantasy because I always want my technology to make sense but at the same time I'm not a big fan of research which would make science fiction with space ships and space travel and things a little bit difficult.



Exact what I was thing, even though I do enjoy digging up information. Plus story ideas come to me that are more historic romance fictions with touches of fantasy, rather than futuristic ones. Since I cannot write it doesn't matter. 

Whichever you can make the most believable is going to be best I reckon. Unless the book doesn't take itself serious . Both have lots of failure potental.


Uh... uh... dunno... come to think of it


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## Astrance

Well, that's a difficult question. I wrote both sci-fi and fantasy short stories (even gave a go at a fantasy novel, but didn't get very far), and maybe sci-fi is easier. 

The thing is, I don't think I'm fond of either genre as a whole. There's authors and books I would sell myself to read, such as Tolkien, Pullman and Rowling in the fantasy section, and Bradbury in the sci-fi section.
I remember trying the Royal Assassin series, and just ending up bored. But Pratchett's books thrilled me.
Same goes with Asimov. I'm really fond of his short stories, but Foundation bored me to death, and I didn't go farther than the first book. So I'm quite difficult to please as a reader, really.

I think fantasy is more difficult to write, however, because of the amount of imagination needed to build the background of the story. In sci-fi, you can always think of something, as long as you have a minimum scientific formation, whereas in fantasy, well, sky's not even a limit. Going totally freestyle requires much more talent than abiding by (even twisted and bent) physics laws.


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## Confusticated

Scifi - a good way to point out what is wrong with humanity. Fantasy - what is right.


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## HLGStrider

Nóm said:


> Scifi - a good way to point out what is wrong with humanity. Fantasy - what is right.



True to a certain extent because Scifi tends to be darker and a lot of it is set in the not to distant future and is used to make a point, less so with Fantasy which in its best form exists for the story itself. Star Trek, however, is an exercise in optimistic humanism. In Star Trek we are due to eventually wipe out poverty and war in a couple hundred years; that's about as optimistic as it gets. Apparently all we need is warp technology and the human race becomes the golden boy of the universe. 

Star Wars is also a fairly optimistic look on the human race.

I know these are probably the most mass media science fiction, made for a wider market, but I think the optimism involved with these two series is one of the reasons they are popular as well as why I have gotten into them, where as other Sci Fi series I've tried to get into have turned me off or bored me fairly quickly. I like happy endings. Most people do too.


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## Confusticated

This may be insane but I haven't watched Star Wars. I have seen a few Star Trek edisodes through the years but never watched it regularly. I would still guess that you're probably correct about why they are so popular. 

Most of the science fiction I have seen is darker, though not necessarily without a happy ending.


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## HLGStrider

Stands gaping like a beached halibut, gasping for air because Nom hasn't seen Star Wars. . .


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## Halasían

Hey I get it. I never seen a Star Wars movie until the boxed set of VHS tapes came out in the 90's. The only one I saw in a theatre was the one with the bad acting Aniken.;*)

As for Star Trek... it was interesting a generation of 'filp-phones' were too similar to the communicators, and the computer 'zip' drives, and even maybe the 3.5" disk were akin to the little colored squares Kirk would plug into his computer interface in the arm of his captains chair. 

Of course there is the dark Sci-Fi of Solyent Green


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## Confusticated

HLGStrider said:


> Stands gaping like a beached halibut, gasping for air because Nom hasn't seen Star Wars. . .


Does this mean I better hurry and watch it before you suffocate.:*eek:

I do plan to watch them some day just to see what all the fuss is about. 

Soylent Green... unfortunately I knew the ending before I got to watch that, but here is another surprise ending that horrified me... perhaps the most frightening and depressing twist ending I've ever seen:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers '78. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones but I was wounded and angry at the end of this. Since it caused such a strong emotion it is succussful IMO.


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## HLGStrider

Well, I saw it on VHS sometime in the 90's too. . .basically because I wasn't born when any of them were originally and theaters, but for me seeing things on VHS was the only way to see movies. My parents paid for actual theater tickets very very very rarely. I can remember seeing four or five movies in theater . . .prior to me being able to go to them and pay for them myself.

I'm not a big fan of the "prequel" Star Wars. The first three or sort of a cultural phenomenon and seeing them sort of illuminates a lot of jokes and references in other films.


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## Beleg

social sci-fi, typefied by the likes of ursula le guin in the dispossessed and mary doria russell in the sparrow trumps everything else.


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## Confusticated

Beleg - love how you log in for the first time since the very beginning of 06 just to say that. :*D


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## Starflower

Fantasy all the way for me. The only sci-fi books that I have read and enjoyed are the Mars books by Kim Stanley Robinson. 
Other than that, I am on a steady diet of fantasy


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## Finny

Narya said:


> If you were going to write a story, your first novel, would you write a fantasy novel or a Sci-Fi novel? Which genre is easier to write/read? Is it okay to fuse them, like write a story that has both sci-fi and fantasy into it? Is it doable?


 
The scifi / fantasy are structurally the same (see http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html and videos at channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/clickokDOTcoDOTuk ) only the Worlds are different; scifi is in the future with advanced tech whereas fantasy (a form of scifi) is in a magical world etc.


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## Êurlond

*Fantasy * Of course, who doesn't like fantasy?


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## CirdanLinweilin

I'm actually writing a Fantasy, believe it or not. One of my short stories is here: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/FallenfromHeaven/1829318/


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## mallos

I'm planning a Science Fantasy for NaNoWriMo next month. I'll see how it goes, but it's going to have dragons and space ships in it.


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## Persephone

mallos said:


> I'm planning a Science Fantasy for NaNoWriMo next month. I'll see how it goes, but it's going to have dragons and space ships in it.


What's a NaNoWriMo?


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## mallos

This is NaNoWriMo: nanowrimo.org
It's a world wide writing event, where you try to write at least 50, 000 words in the month of November. I got 38, 000, so I didn't quite manage to win.


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## HLGStrider

Short for National Novel Writing Month ... this was my first skip year (because we spent the first two weeks of November traveling and because I was already about 30k words into a project that I didn't think had another 50k words left into it when November started ...). I credit NaNoWriMo for helping me learn to "find the time." I've always written but as an adult just assumed with kids and life it wasn't going to get done until they were a little older. Then I got an idea for a dragon themed fantasy romance series which seemed perfect ... and November was just around the corner so I dove in. 
Best choice ever. That was four years ago. I now have over a dozen works self-published and one coming out next year with a small press (I got into it knowing that I wanted to do the indie route rather than try to court the big guys. I like to write what I like to write not try and decode the market at any given time). 
Mostly I write light fantasy (more fairy tale than epic) ... closest I get to "scifi" is my Steampunk series (though people like that one a lot, so it may be my "niche.").


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## Persephone

HLGStrider said:


> Short for National Novel Writing Month ... this was my first skip year (because we spent the first two weeks of November traveling and because I was already about 30k words into a project that I didn't think had another 50k words left into it when November started ...). I credit NaNoWriMo for helping me learn to "find the time." I've always written but as an adult just assumed with kids and life it wasn't going to get done until they were a little older. Then I got an idea for a dragon themed fantasy romance series which seemed perfect ... and November was just around the corner so I dove in.
> Best choice ever. That was four years ago. I now have over a dozen works self-published and one coming out next year with a small press (I got into it knowing that I wanted to do the indie route rather than try to court the big guys. I like to write what I like to write not try and decode the market at any given time).
> Mostly I write light fantasy (more fairy tale than epic) ... closest I get to "scifi" is my Steampunk series (though people like that one a lot, so it may be my "niche.").




WOW~! Hey! You guys are still here! I thought I was the only one who came back... actually, I was quite surprised to log in - I forgot my password and email... Anyway, good to know you guys went into writing. I love SteamPunk. I went into song writing and was able to release an album. Mostly rock songs. I want to get back to writing stories again. Just don't have time, plus I got sick. 

Anyway... NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN!


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## Halasían

Narya said:


> WOW~! Hey! You guys are still here! I thought I was the only one who came back... actually, I was quite surprised to log in - I forgot my password and email... Anyway, good to know you guys went into writing. I love SteamPunk. I went into song writing and was able to release an album. Mostly rock songs. I want to get back to writing stories again. Just don't have time, plus I got sick.
> 
> Anyway... NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN!



Good to see you and 'Elgee' again too!

As for me, been writing bits and pieces of a fantasy tale for years now. It may one day be finished.

I got started on Sci Fi (Asimov) well before I discovered Tolkien. Haven't really progressed deeper into fantasy except for The Black Company, and I read the Farseer trilogy but found it lacking depth. Anyway.... Happy New Year!


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## Persephone

Halasían said:


> Good to see you and 'Elgee' again too!
> 
> As for me, been writing bits and pieces of a fantasy tale for years now. It may one day be finished.
> 
> I got started on Sci Fi (Asimov) well before I discovered Tolkien. Haven't really progressed deeper into fantasy except for The Black Company, and I read the Farseer trilogy but found it lacking depth. Anyway.... Happy New Year!




I went the other way. I started with Fantasy and now I'm into Sci-Fi. The story I have (on-hold) is off-planet. I do have a finished plot line, with setting and character, but how to start it... I'm waiting for inspiration to hit me.


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## basti255

Fantasy. For some reason endings of Sci-Fi books are always all over the place.


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## Azrubêl

I personally am more inclined to write Fantasy. However, I also like Sci-Fi, but I haven't read a ton of it. I think there are rare books like Dune and The Incal that are interesting because they use elements of both genres throughout.


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## CirdanLinweilin

Azrubêl said:


> I personally am more inclined to write Fantasy. However, I also like Sci-Fi, but I haven't read a ton of it. I think there are rare books like Dune and The Incal that are interesting because they use elements of both genres throughout.



Speaking of which, I am using Steampunk, believe it or not, in my own way, in my fantasy. My apologetics for this is one person is using it and developing it, and it's not very widespread. The weaponry and airships are actually powered _by _magic.

My inspiration was the video game series _Fable _which uses both modern weaponry (firearms) and magic.

What can I say, I dare to be different. 

*patiently waits for various fans of fantasy, steampunk, and or otherwise to pelt me and tell me how many literary rules I am breaking while they brandish torches and pitchforks.* 

CL


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## HLGStrider

CirdanLinweilin said:


> Speaking of which, I am using Steampunk, believe it or not, in my own way, in my fantasy. My apologetics for this is one person is using it and developing it, and it's not very widespread. The weaponry and airships are actually powered _by _magic.
> 
> My inspiration was the video game series _Fable _which uses both modern weaponry (firearms) and magic.
> 
> What can I say, I dare to be different.
> 
> *patiently waits for various fans of fantasy, steampunk, and or otherwise to pelt me and tell me how many literary rules I am breaking while they brandish torches and pitchforks.*
> 
> CL


Steampunk+Magic is actually common enough to have it's own subgenre now, called Gaslamp. 

I actually am writing that subgenre right now. My Spellsmith & Carver series is about magicians but there are also engineers with steampunky technology and a clockwork fox and the characters use revolvers on occasion.



CirdanLinweilin said:


> Speaking of which, I am using Steampunk, believe it or not, in my own way, in my fantasy. My apologetics for this is one person is using it and developing it, and it's not very widespread. The weaponry and airships are actually powered _by _magic.
> 
> My inspiration was the video game series _Fable _which uses both modern weaponry (firearms) and magic.
> 
> What can I say, I dare to be different.
> 
> *patiently waits for various fans of fantasy, steampunk, and or otherwise to pelt me and tell me how many literary rules I am breaking while they brandish torches and pitchforks.*
> 
> CL


it's got its own searchable category on Amazon now (see, my book is #17) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1692692001/?tag=r-r-20


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## CirdanLinweilin

HLGStrider said:


> it's got its own searchable category on Amazon now (see, my book is #17) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1692692001/?tag=r-r-20


THAT is SO COOL. Plus, your number #16 right now. So cheers!!

Here is a description of my Gaslamp heroine's firearm:

_Azren_: A a long, wide rifle pulsating with azure and green magic, the rifle gives off a warm, golden, almost fatherly glow. It’s wood is light brown with a gold inlaid. It has a 36 inch long and 4-inch wide barrel. It’s a 7.56 cal. rifle. It shoots pulsating energy blasts, which come from a enchanted metal called _Güldblasr (_the end is pronounced -ear). The translated term meaning: Golden Blazer.

It's still a WIP, but I like it.

If you have any awesome advice, don't hesitate to give me a holler.

My Gaslamp series is set in my original fantasy world, but has it's own separate but connecting story, it's called: _"Martyrs, Myths, Mortals". _It's about a lone inventor, sentient dragons, evil mage dynasty, and time-traveling.

Frankly, though, that's all I got. If you want to learn more about my fantasy world, feel free to contact me.

CL


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## Azrubêl

CirdanLinweilin said:


> Speaking of which, I am using Steampunk, believe it or not, in my own way, in my fantasy. My apologetics for this is one person is using it and developing it, and it's not very widespread. The weaponry and airships are actually powered _by _magic.
> 
> My inspiration was the video game series _Fable _which uses both modern weaponry (firearms) and magic.
> 
> What can I say, I dare to be different.
> 
> *patiently waits for various fans of fantasy, steampunk, and or otherwise to pelt me and tell me how many literary rules I am breaking while they brandish torches and pitchforks.*
> 
> CL



Nice, I am interested by steampunk, although I have not explored it much. Castle In the Sky is one of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies, probably that and Princess Mononoke. Castle in the Sky is kinda fantasy and steampunk imo. I haven't really read much of it. Maybe Artemis Fowl? I read those years ago, they were good.


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## Ingolmin

I would prefer to write fantasy but still to keep it a bit scientifically equipped so I would also use sci-fi.


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