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Originally Posted by jallenw  I believe the most fantasy, unless otherwise stated, takes place in a universe with altogether different laws of existence than our own. It asks the question, "What if the laws of the universe were different?" |
Like the "zones of thought" in Vernor Vinge's
A Fire Upon the Deep? Oh, wait - that's science fiction... Then how about
Raft by Stephen Baxter? Damn, that's science fiction too...
Quote:
Originally Posted by jallenw I believe that most Sci-Fi, unless otherwise stated, takes place in our own universe some time in the future. It asks the question, "What if our understanding and control of the laws of the universe was different?" |
Beauty by Sheri S Tepper is partly set in the future. Oh, wait - it's No 14 in the Fantasy Masterworks series...
So, is a high fantasy set in an invented world that has no magic or dragons or elves, is that fantasy or science fiction? How about an alternate history set in the past? or an alternate present?
Many, many people have tried defining science fiction. No one has yet come up with one that successfully meets all challenges (except, perhaps, Damon Knight's).