Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 11:19:05 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Who said: SF is fantasy with nuts and bolts painted on?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 11:10 AM 4/1/05 -0500, Michael Walsh wrote:

>When I was working at Walden Books in the late 70s there was an attempt
>to have an SF section and a Fantasy section.
>
>Down that path madness.

If you try to make it either/or, yes.  If you set it up with definite SF on
one side, definite Fantasy on the other, and things that are in between
in-between, that might work and be useful.

>Anne McCaffrey's Dragon stories are....?  Well, certainly the ones
>published by JWC in Analog are SF.

Yep, they vary.  By my definition they are more fantasy, but they are edged
into the gray area a fair bit in some cases.

>China Mieville's Perdido Street Station is....? Well, sort of Jack
>Vancevia William Gibson or somesuch.

Haven't read that so I can't say.  Jack Vance and William Gibson I've read
some of...but didn't see much in common in the ones I've read.

>I don't worry about SF vs F (certainly the Hugos don't).

I do sometimes...when I'm more in the mood for one or the other.  Sometimes
I don't care, sometimes I do.

>If it's well written ... fine.  Poorly written SF/F is poorly written
>SF/F.

A tautology is a tautology.

-- Mike B.
--
This happens all the time and there is nothing anyone can do about it.