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personally, I've always seen SF as a sub genre of Fantasy imlad Send a noteboard - 03/08/2011 07:02:02 AM
Fantasy is the umbrella genre that includes sword and sorcery type stuff (classic fantasy concept), horror (the kind that involves the supernatural) and science fiction. As well as all the other little off shoot sub genres (space opera, urban fantasy, etc).

Science is not technology. Science is not test tubes and a lab coat.

Science is a methodical testing of a hypothesis, designed to withstand analysis, scrutiny, prevent bias, and eventually come to a conclusion regarding said hypothesis. Science is experimentation, trial and error, and investigation.

While this is not usually directly investigated in fantasy novels, that doesn't mean it's absent. In the Harry Potter-verse, there are entire sections of the Ministries that are devoted to investigating and experimenting with new ways to use magic. That's science. Mr. Weasly's experiments with combining Muggle technology and Magic. That is science.

Now, if what you mean is "why is fantasy so anti-technology?", that's an entirely different cup of tea. I think that stems from a certain degree of escapism (we have to wrestle with computers in our daily lives, why do we want to read about a character struggling with a BSOD?), misplaced nostalgia for days of yore where people had honor! chivalry! and people worked by the sweat of their brow with the dirt on their hands!! And the reference time periods where that sort of technology and mindset is present ALSO have kind of a problem with new things, technology, etc...etc... And a lot of people don't want to cloud their dragons, knights in shining armor, wizards and magic with technology. That could be really cool, but it may ruin some of their plot points. After all, it does defeat the purpose of a gallant charge at a mighty giant if you can just mow it down with a machine gun. I mean, how boring would Lord of the Rings be if Frodo could hop in a plane to Mordor? ONE DOES NOT JUST SPACESHIP INTO MORDOR!!!

I must also point out, that most of the time when something starts to include technology...It's suddenly classified as Science Fiction!!! You're creating the problem you mention via labeling. It's not that fantasy is technophobic...it's just that if it involves technology, it's re-classified!

Think about it. Thematically, is Star Wars a fantasy, or a science fiction? It's really closer to fantasy. You have your Naive Farm Boy, your Wily Rogue, your Damsel in Distress, all trying to kill the Big Bad Evil Empire. He achieves this by training with the Old Wise "Wizard", who tells him he is going to fast and needs to slow down and focus on his training! I mean, come on, need I go on? But because it involves spaceships, aliens and lasers, it's classed as science fiction. I think if you broke it down, you'd find a lot of technophilic fantasy novels. You'd just find them under the "science fiction" heading. You just need to change the way you look at the genres. Contrast Star Wars with, say, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and I think you'll understand what I'm trying to say.
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anti science mindset in fantasy? - 31/07/2011 07:32:16 PM 1005 Views
I disagree.. - 31/07/2011 10:34:29 PM 1026 Views
Just wanna say - 31/07/2011 10:52:17 PM 884 Views
Uhh... - 31/07/2011 11:31:29 PM 904 Views
Re: Uhh... - 01/08/2011 02:00:56 AM 1023 Views
Shields stop physical things.. - 01/08/2011 05:16:28 AM 924 Views
if the books mention that specifically, fine then - 02/08/2011 12:14:47 AM 851 Views
Oh I forgot to mention - 02/08/2011 12:34:45 AM 771 Views
well that's cool as hell!! - 02/08/2011 01:27:24 PM 773 Views
Again, read the books... - 02/08/2011 07:15:27 AM 935 Views
Anti-science - 02/08/2011 01:36:04 PM 955 Views
That doesn't make it anti-science... - 02/08/2011 02:56:58 PM 914 Views
Re: That doesn't make it anti-science... - 02/08/2011 09:56:41 PM 926 Views
Because... - 03/08/2011 04:21:43 AM 1058 Views
a note on the "Anti-Muggle Technlogy"attitude... - 03/08/2011 05:44:05 AM 769 Views
I can actually imagine that... - 03/08/2011 07:41:24 AM 984 Views
Thanks for proving again that books are better than movies... *NM* - 01/08/2011 12:17:26 AM 307 Views
LOL, I'll get to the books eventually *NM* - 01/08/2011 01:52:10 AM 348 Views
I should apologize - 02/08/2011 01:39:03 PM 822 Views
Well it sounds to me like you're not thinking about the term "science" correctly. - 03/08/2011 05:29:42 AM 710 Views
personally, I've always seen SF as a sub genre of Fantasy - 03/08/2011 07:02:02 AM 902 Views
Other way around, actually - 03/08/2011 05:29:07 PM 820 Views
the librarians Know Nothing - 04/08/2011 01:24:33 AM 962 Views
Agreed. WoT is anoher example... - 03/08/2011 07:45:25 AM 1029 Views

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