Back here I got some comments on my diatribe which I didn't notice or comment on - Hi Jon & Paul.
Thing is, for me, the reasons stated in the comments as to why these things might not be regarded as SF are exactly the point.
To me SF and Fantasy are vehicles for highlighting the important issues because otherwise they are nothing. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a commentary on Cold War paranoia without the creators being attacked for being anti-American; the kids film Explorers covers similar themes ("We don't kill aliens because we haven't met any yet"); Torchwood: Children of Earth is a direct criticism of government, and blindly following orders. Bladerunner is about the consequences of Man playing god.
Social comment and Character.
The pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction was created, all those years ago, specifically to get away from SF being about robots and space battles, to make it about character.
SF, like Fantasy, is a setting not a genre.
What's on the turntable? "Can you hear me?" by Renaissance from "Novella"
1 comment:
This is a whole cat amongst the pigeons rant topic for me...
I don't understand why some people feel the need to distance themselves from Science Fiction or from Fantasy.
As you say, it's just the setting, and okay it allows non-real life, non-fact elements to creep in, but heck if you don't understand metaphor and suchlike you shouldn't be reading/watching anything but documentary type stuff.
I had a sociology teacher like that once (Science Fiction wasn't just lies, it was pointless lies as far as he was concerned) - his world was very black and white.
*shudder*
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