Poll: Fantasy, Science Fiction, or both?

[santaandy]

What type of speculative fiction do you like better? I'm asking as these are big genres for gaming, especially RPGs. There is even a category of "Science Fantasy" where the magic of Fantasy and the technology of Science Fiction combine (ala Star Wars, or Steampunk stuff).

Without getting off-topic, the subject came up in a recent thread about Final Fantasy (which has always been both) and I was just wondering what people preferred more. Does the medium make a difference in what you like (i.e. Sci-Fi film vs Fantasy novel)?

I don't really have a preference for either genre or the medium conveyed thereof. I do feel that for gaming Fantasy tends to be overused in RPGs (particularly MMOs) and I would like to see more Science Fiction RPGs.

 

[Labyrinth]

Discworld. (Science Of...)

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

Steam Punk

 

[Altorin]

scifi has been nicer to me over the years... it has Star Trek and Star Wars

Fantasy has LotR and.... Willow

 

[MistAlchemist]

I voted Fantasy, cause just like a dream
you can do whatever ya want.
Woot! Dont want some wetdreams! Oppsss!
haha

 

[Milford Cubicle]

I'm not into fantasy. My girlfriend loves it; won't have a bad word said about it. I tried to read the Hobbit on her insistence and I just couldn't get away with it.

I'm not particularly into sci-fi either really, but if I was forced to, I'd edge towards sci-fi.

 

[Pigeon_Grenade]

depends how you mash em togther

 

[rossatdi]

I like both a lot but I find that fantasy is rarely done in a manner I like. I normally find too flowery (Lord of the Rings), to childish (Harry Potter) or too forcefully dark (Warhammer).

I find it very rare when the balance is gotten right. I loved the Once and Future King which kind of counts as fantasy.

 

[Zac_Dai]

I prefer Sci-fi, I think there is a lot more good sci-fi than there is good Fantasy.

 

[xitel]

I like a sort of combination between the two. Like, a sort of magical science. Or a scientific study of magic.

 

[Ultrajoe]

I love fantasy, because it tends to incorporate a greater level of depth into it's universes. That said, magic is it's own technology. Anywhere that magic has been turned into an industry makes for great storytelling.

 

[RhinoTuna]

I like both, but if i had to choose i'd go with Sci-Fi (Starcraft > Warcraft!).

 

[latenightapplepie]

Starcraft > Warcraft!.

What have you done?! You've opened the gates to the realm of the Flaming Trolls!

....But seriously, a mix is probably best.

 

[ZenMonkey47]

Other than Star Wars are there any other notable mixes of Science Fiction and Fantasy?

 

[curlycrouton]

Steam Punk

Me too, I love steam-punk.

 

[pigeon_of_doom]

Other than Star Wars are there any other notable mixes of Science Fiction and Fantasy?

Final fantasy? The longest journey?
Perhaps Nauisicaa outside of gaming. Can't think of any others immedietly.

 

[Zemalac]

I love sci-fi, fantasy, and science-fantasy. I read, watch, and play them all.

 

[santaandy]

For those wanting more on Science Fantasy, look up on Wikipedia:

the Science Fantasy page (has more info at the bottom, a section on SF Otherworlds)
Sword and Planet
Planetary Romance
Dying Earth
Space Opera
Fantastique (Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror)
Technomancy
Steampunk

Wikipedia may not be entirely factually correct, but it has great external links, and more importantly for this discussion, lists of works. Check it out.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Sci-Fi, because it always tends to be the more inhumanly violent of the two. However, I do like fantasy, though I have a problem:

Many Fantasy Authors will construct incredibly ferocious, murderous armies that slaughter allin their wake. However, I tend to read these armies and laugh, because:

They all wear leather armour. Dear god, anyone wearing anything less than chain and partial plate into a battle is going to die horribly. Leather armour can't stop a knife blow, let alone a well-placed sabre. So here I am, reading Goodkind, and the little tactician in the back of my brain keeps going 'No, just hit them with crossbows' or 'bring me my arbequs and halbaerdiers' or 'And then a hundred knights came over the hill and wiped them out with lance and maces.'

They bear so little resemblace to real warfare it frightens me. D'Harans are apparently fierce, savage warriors. That's nice. I also know that all they wear is light chain and leather armour. BRING ME MY ZWEIHANDER-WEILDING SOCIOPATHS AND HEAVILY ARMOURED KNGHTS! Oh, they formed a pike formation. BRING ME MY CROSSBOWMEN AND ARBEQUSIERS! Oh look, they're pulling a cavalry charge. Right into a line of Pikemen.

What I want, is a fantasy novel set around the 1500s- Knights, Pikes, Guns and voodoo.

 

[Graustein]

Fantasy. I love it.

Sci-Fi, because it always tends to be the more inhumanly violent of the two. However, I do like fantasy, though I have a problem:

Many Fantasy Authors will construct incredibly ferocious, murderous armies that slaughter allin their wake. However, I tend to read these armies and laugh, because:

They all wear leather armour. Dear god, anyone wearing anything less than chain and partial plate into a battle is going to die horribly. Leather armour can't stop a knife blow, let alone a well-placed sabre. So here I am, reading Goodkind, and the little tactician in the back of my brain keeps going 'No, just hit them with crossbows' or 'bring me my arbequs and halbaerdiers' or 'And then a hundred knights came over the hill and wiped them out with lance and maces.'

They bear so little resemblace to real warfare it frightens me. D'Harans are apparently fierce, savage warriors. That's nice. I also know that all they wear is light chain and leather armour. BRING ME MY ZWEIHANDER-WEILDING SOCIOPATHS AND HEAVILY ARMOURED KNGHTS! Oh, they formed a pike formation. BRING ME MY CROSSBOWMEN AND ARBEQUSIERS! Oh look, they're pulling a cavalry charge. Right into a line of Pikemen.

What I want, is a fantasy novel set around the 1500s- Knights, Pikes, Guns and voodoo.

Most fantasy authors aren't tacticians.
Neither am I, so I don't know how good he is, but I might recommend the Serpentwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. It's got a lot of focus on military and nothing glares my ignorant mind in the face as wrong, so...

Yeah, I love fantasy. I'm reading through Terry Pratchett's Nation (just picked it up today, a thoroughly enjoyable read so far)