NationStates Jolt Archive

what do you prefer?

would have been nice if there was a "both" option... but I voted sci fi since I enjoy it a little more

I suspect a political forum would attract an overwhelming majority of sci-fi fans over fantasy. Fantasy almost always romanticizes a fictitious past. Science-fiction almost always imagines a possible future.
Science-fiction presents more practical possibilities to improve mankind, whereas fantasy usually provides an escape. I prefer sci-fi.

Sci-fantasy!

Sci-fantasy!

Totally.

A difficult question. I would have to go with fantasy. I like both written stories and those on film. Although Sci-Fi has traditionally had a distinct advantage in film, the LotR and Harry Potter films have narrowed the gap. And I find Fantasy writing (LotR, HP, tWoT, and the various D&D realms) far superior to SCi-Fi writing. Apart from Heinlien, I find it lacking.

I would say a board such as this will get both kinds of votes. sci-fi and fantasy have many of the similar concepts to them. One shows what the future holds for us, reflecting upon current events, and showing how they could effect the future outcome, where as fantasy shows different ideas from the past that have lead to us, and how changes could have been different, showing once again a different take on how our actions reflect so greatly on the world around us.

both provide a break from the world, and so are great relaxing tools.

though I would suspect that dramas would be the least popular, because it seems in many ways that the people of these forums are the kind to debate, but seem to get tired of the drawn out dramaizations of day to day events.

Science Fiction.

It used to be fantasy, by quite a large margin, but I find scifi much more interesting nowadays, as it tends to (IMHO) confront socio-political issues more frequently.

Sadly, most of the stuff I see coming out the past 5-10 years has been crappier and crappier, in both genres. There have been exceptions, obviously.

My 2 cents

If there was a "both" option, I would have picked that one because there are some authors that stick their feet in both worlds at the same time, most notably Anne McCaffrey and Piers Anthony.

If there was a "both" option, I would have picked that one because there are some authors that stick their feet in both worlds at the same time, most notably Anne McCaffrey and Piers Anthony.

Piers Anthony is one of my favorite authors!!!

With that aside, I voted for fantasy because there wasn't a both option and I like dragons just a wee bit more than robots.

i prefer a well written hard science fiction

but i like good fantasy now and then.

I tend to prefer Sci-fi to fantasy. I hang out with a bunch of authors, and there seems to be a collective idea that fantasy is a bit overplayed right now.

The thing I'm really coming to hate more and more, however, are those lame attempts to blend the genres, i.e. elf motorcycle gangs, and laser weilding faeries, yadda yadda yah. That shit really gets on my nerves.

For me, the only fantasy story worthy of serious consideration is Lord of the Rings. Apart from Rings, about all that is left in the fantasy genre are Juvenile stories (some of which, like the Narnia series, are admittedly excellent) and crap. (Pratchet's Discworld is also worth mentioning, but since it is a humor series I think it is in a different league than other sci-fi and fantasy). After reading Lord of the Rings when I was younger I tried for years to find another fantasy of similar caliber, but failed. As far as I can tell, Lord of the Rings is the first and last great fantasy work.

On the other hand, sci-fi has many great stories. 1984, Brave New World, Frankenstein, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, C.S Lewis's Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet et al.) and many of the works of Robert A. Heinlein are but a few sci-fi stories that I have read, enjoyed and would readily re-read. I can't say the same for any serious fantasy series aside from Lord of the Rings, so, in spite of my love for Rings, I am going to have to vote sci-fi on this one.

I like good science fiction and fantasy both about equally, but probably read a smidgin more science fiction.

And there should have an option for the third sub-genre of "speculative fiction" - alternate history.

I suspect a political forum would attract an overwhelming majority of sci-fi fans over fantasy. Fantasy almost always romanticizes a fictitious past. Science-fiction almost always imagines a possible future.
Science-fiction presents more practical possibilities to improve mankind, whereas fantasy usually provides an escape. I prefer sci-fi.

One of my favorite fantasy series is the Black Company by Glen Cook, a gritty and dirty realistic military fantasy with a large dose of color provided by the author's experience with Force Recon during the Vietnam war. I don't know if you'd like it, but it's certainly not a romanticised ficticious past. ;)


Unabashed Greed, I tend to agree about the fantasy market at the moment. The whole "never ending series" exemplified by Robert Jordan is a bit out of hand.

I like Cyberpunk(ish) stuff so I guess that plants me firmly in the Science-Fiction camp! Although I also enjoy stories that involve fantasy elements in a modern setting. (American Gods, Neverwhere, and to some extent 100 Years in Solitude)

I like fantasy, things like Lord of the Rings, A Song of Fire and Ice & the Earthsea series.

I like fantasy, things like Lord of the Rings, A Song of Fire and Ice & the Earthsea series.

Please tell me you're joking. How could anyone tolerate that god awful miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel is beeyond me.

Definately with Spartiala for the most part here. Quality fantasy is impossible to come by. However, King Arthur, although not a single defined story, is a classic.

As for sci-fi, don't forget Frank Herbert's Dune and Issac Assimov's (one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time) books, including the Foundation trilogy. Star Wars (another great) is essentially and very obviously a combination of the two.

Another indication of sci-fi's superiority may be the dominance of sci-fi over fantasy in both the movie and tv world. There are countless great sci-fi movies, and many great sci-fi tv shows, like the Stargate, Farscape, the various Star Trek shows, etc.

Just my 3 cents

Please tell me you're joking. How could anyone tolerate that god awful miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel is beeyond me.

Earthsea was originally a series of books by Ursula K Le Guin, no? I read part of the first one and it seemed pretty good, although it was also kind of juvenile.

Earthsea was originally a series of books by Ursula K Le Guin, no? I read part of the first one and it seemed pretty good, although it was also kind of juvenile.

Never read the books so I cant comment on that but the television series on the Sci-Fi channel was really really bad.

Please tell me you're joking. How could anyone tolerate that god awful miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel is beeyond me.

I'm talking about the books, I didn't even know they'd been made into a TV series.

Earthsea was originally a series of books by Ursula K Le Guin, no? I read part of the first one and it seemed pretty good, although it was also kind of juvenile.

Yep, Ursula Le Guin. The first one is called A Wizard of Earthsea. They are more juvenile than adult books, but I really liked them when I was around 12-14.

I've personally always preferred Sci-fi, if only by a bit. I've always found fantasy an exploration of what could have been, but obviously didn't. Sci-fi is an exploration of what could be, and seems to capture our technologically oriented imaginations more. Like Assimov's writing, few other writers have written such an implausible future that seems like the way Earth will really end up like.

I like them both, especially those authors like Anthony and McCaffrey who can do both.
I havn't RPd much fantasy here, Sci-fi seems to be easier to find good RPers, even with my sometimes bizzare combination of Foundation, Known Space, and Last Starfighter.
(imagine if Solarians had built the ringworld, or Gaia/Galaxia.)

Both. I can't decide between the two, I like Fantasy for its broad and colourful ways, for the way the authors play with myths, legends, language, history and cultures and create something completely new out of all of them.
And I like Science Fiction for the analytical way of thinking, for the strict logic, the thought-through way in which a completely different world based on our own is presented...

Mua'dib! Mua'dib! Mua'dib!

both.....
try "Shadowrun"
a brilliant mix between cyberspace and magic...gunpower and ancient swords

Mua'dib! Mua'dib! Mua'dib!

That's Dune, yes?

Id probably say Both but i said Fantasy if only for Willow.:)

I voted for Fantasy.

I do like science fiction occasionally, but I find the only kind I can really enjoy is the dystopian style, but I get enough rampant cynicism in everyday life, so if I read too much of it, I begin to resent the authors for being such jaded, cynical pricks. Utopian (Star Trek-esque) soft sci-fi I find to be good for nothing more than a little cheap entertainment (which is not a bad thing), but I don't usually get really involved in the stories. Star Wars-esque sci-fantasy ususally just irritates me, so I avoid it.

I like good fantasy writing where the stories are focused on the characters more than the setting (I find Tolkein's writing irritating at time because he makes it all about the world and not about the characters), and like to really get to the know the various players and try to understand their motives. That and laser guns piss me off. I suppose my favourite sub-genre genre would be Steampunk-and-Fantasy, because it allows grit in sensible amounts as well as enjoyable characters (as opposed to the "everyone is an assole" idea that's become a worse stereotype than "whitehats v.s. blackhats".)

That's Dune, yes?

Yes

That's Dune, yes?
*gimps way over to bandwagon, lifts self into it*
JA!

What is Shihad?

What is Shihad?

Isn't that a (crappy) band?

Isn't that a (crappy) band?
NO (this coming from someone from WA:rolleyes: )!
They got there name from Dune....

NO (this coming from someone from WA:rolleyes: )!
They got there name from Dune....

Pacifier are worse! ;)

Pacifier are worse! ;)
Pacifier suck dick.

NO (this coming from someone from WA:rolleyes: )!
They got there name from Dune....

Frank Herbert must be turning over in his grave.

And what does it matter that I'm from WA? I recognise that this state produces lots of crappy music.

Edit: Errr, sorry about the hijack, guys.

A both option would have been nice

What is Shihad?
Probably the blue blood of a Sandworm, after you drown it in water. You drink it to "see visions," more commonly called "getting stoned."*





*This is a total guess, I don't think that the term "Shihad" exists in the DUNE universe, or I forgot*

I'm talking about the books, I didn't even know they'd been made into a TV series.

Count your blessings :)


Personally, I much prefere SF. Fantasy has never really grabbed me or interested me, though that is probably an adverse reaction to David Gemall, Robert Jordan, David Eddings, et. al. who were fairly popular at school when I was younger. I always found them unreadable crap, for the most part, and never understod why anyone liked them. (Small, white lie, I read the whole Belgariad, and it took me till the second book of the Mallorian to realise that about Eddings).

Also, I'm not a huge fan of fantasy sci-fi (or "fantasy with laserguns"), just seems too silly to me and my attention quickly wonders.


(Oh yeah, for all you fantasy fans, here's a treat for you. (http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Misc/Eye_Of_The_Argon) :p, unofficially dubbed the worst fantasy story, ever.)

Probably the blue blood of a Sandworm, after you drown it in water. You drink it to "see visions," more commonly called "getting stoned."*





*This is a total guess, I don't think that the term "Shihad" exists in the DUNE universe, or I forgot*

According to Wikipedia

The name "Shihad" was chosen after members of the band misheard "jihad" as "Shihad" in the 1984 David Lynch movie, Dune

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shihad

The thing I'm really coming to hate more and more, however, are those lame attempts to blend the genres, i.e. elf motorcycle gangs, and laser weilding faeries, yadda yadda yah. That shit really gets on my nerves.
One of those "lame" attempts would be the Shadowrun RPG, now in its fourth edition, with countless background material and a series of 40+ novels, some good, some bad. Honestly, it rocks, i have been playing it since 1. ed in 1989 and it still is a fascinating world with inner logic.

Yep, Ursula Le Guin. The first one is called A Wizard of Earthsea. They are more juvenile than adult books, but I really liked them when I was around 12-14.
The last three (Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea and the Other Wind) are very adult compared to the first three.

i would say fantasy, mainly because both of my fave genres come under that distinction, Historical fantasy, and Supernatural Mysteries.....

Tough, tough call. I went with sci-fi in the end, though I'm an avid reader of both genres.

C J Cherryh has written some great books in both genres. Her Foreigner series is most definitely worth a look if you've not come across it yet. I'm also a big fan of L E Modesitt Jr, who also writes both fantasy and sci-fi books. I'm currently reading his third book in the Corean Chronicles (which is fantasy).

I grew up with Asimov, Heinlein and Clarke, as well as C S Lewis and Tolkein. I've always found it hard to read 'normal' fiction - it just doesn't grab the imagination the way a good fantasy or sci-fi book can.

what do you prefer?
It's hard to choose. I much prefer sci-fi which actually adheres to the laws of physics, but those are few and far between. Fantasy is ok as long as it's internally consistent, but those are kinda few and far between too, so ... meh!

I much prefer sci-fi which actually adheres to the laws of physics...

I'm definitely with you on that one. I much prefer 'hard' science fiction. Space operas tend to leave me cold (well, with the exception of Star Wars).

I prefer science fiction because it does indeed tend to present a more realistic and progressive social vision than fantasy. Fantasy tends to have a very unrealistic and whitewashed portrayal of aristocrats (actually, this is what annoys me about Disney as well). Science fiction, by contrast, tends to be much less wishywashy.

I also find that fantasy is very full of conventions. The same races are found throughout fantasy, every fantasy book seems to have a characteristic title ("Stone of Destiny", "The Elvenwar" or something cheesy like that), and they all have rather similar settings.

Sci-Fi with Fantasy elements. Like Transformers.

I say fantasy, but i havent read much sci-fi. But fantasy i such a wide genre, just try comparing some Conan-stuff with discworld books (if that is fantasy, i dont know). Also, Neil Gaiman is real good, read some of his stuff if you are tired of Eddings- & K Leguinnish fantasy.

Lately I prefer sci-fi to fantasy. I've come to enjoy explorations of possible worlds. Most fantasy worlds are flatly impossible.

That being said, really good hard SF, such as Vernor Vinge or Sean McMullen, is extremely hard to find. Most so-called "science fiction" authors are really "science fantasy" authors - they freely incorporate fantastic elements into their work, freely violating known physical laws and making up new ones as they go along.

And having written a bit of both, I do find that fantasy is much easier to write - you are free to make up your own rules for how the world works, and don't really have to justify them. Sci-fi takes a lot more discipline. Fantasy tends to sell better too, which is an important consideration for any aspiring author to consider.

:p

The Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini is pretty good with Eragon and Eldest.

I prefer fantasy but I like alot of sci-fi as well. I'm actually working on a fantasy setting, it's a good deal more 'realistic' then alot of fantasy, but that does make it seem less... magical.

Sci-fi.

Say it with me, everyone: "Elves suck!" :p

Some sci-fi can be a bit too crunchy for me...but some fantasy can be too damn flakey. I take it on a case by case basis really.

Most "sci-fi" is just fantasy with a futuristic setting. Science gets used as magic in the sense that if they want something to happen, they just make up a pseudo-scientific explanation.

Neuromancer:)

Neuromancer:)
Ummm, some kind of sci-fantasy dude? :confused:

Ummm, some kind of sci-fantasy dude? :confused:

No the seminal Cyber-punk book:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Neuromancer_%28Book%29.jpg

Personally, Gibson's stories leave me cold.

Sometimes, you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. After all, what do you call it where science fiction becomes so unimaginable, it has to be expressed in terms of fantasy to be understood? It's like being asked a question that requires a very long, technical answer, giving up, and just saying "magic".

Old line fantasy writers, like Moore and Bradbury, seem to have great love affairs with words...beautiful love affairs. For sheer "Damn the torpedoes" full power action, no one can hold a candle to writers like Burroughs and Howard.

I like hard Sci-Fi. (heck, I write it whenever I get a chance) but most of my leisure reading involves authors who can weave wonderous tapestries with the word. So, for me... Fantasy wins out.

I'd choose Sci-Fi but I chose Fantasy.

Should've added a Both option :rolleyes:

Say it with me, everyone: "Elves suck!" :p
*imagines giant bugs tearing through armies elves and sparying some sort of horribly acidic spit all over them, cutting their "immortal" lives much shorter, who then fly through the air, according to the laws of physics*
*elves magic does nothing to giant bugs, as their carpaces are far too thick and hairy*
*the survivors then become the unwilling hosts of "chest-busters," the alien's chitlens*

:D

I voted Science Fiction. I have been a Star Trek fan as long as I can remember and I'm a Huge Star Wars fan. I would say I have pretty good knowledge of Star Wars Trivia.

read some of his stuff if you are tired of Eddings[ish]...fantasy.

Ah, you mean if you are more than twelve years old?:p

Oh, and I voted fantasy. Sci-fi is still good, but I don't read anything like as much of it.

According to Wikipedia

The name "Shihad" was chosen after members of the band misheard "jihad" as "Shihad" in the 1984 David Lynch movie, Dune

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shihad
Which would explain why American DJ's got so uppity.....