tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post1488303771844956607..comments2024-03-27T19:02:58.368-04:00Comments on BARKING ALIEN: Fantasy Versus Science Fiction - Unfair Fight?Adam Dicksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-79862110509720739882011-11-15T08:57:43.956-05:002011-11-15T08:57:43.956-05:00Well put Dan. Very honest assesment. I appreciate ...Well put Dan. Very honest assesment. I appreciate your commenting. I do tend to base these things on what I have experienced myself and it may well be that I just haven't been exposed to enough good Fantasy.Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-34234300731639167422011-11-15T07:27:04.850-05:002011-11-15T07:27:04.850-05:00While you make some accurate observations you do s...While you make some accurate observations you do seem to be comparing the worst of fantasy to the best of sci-fi. The magic thing for instance - I totally agree with you about the laziness that is often attributed to magic, but there are works out there that tackle it in a fascinating and well-thought out way without turning it into "superscience" (LeGuin's Earthsea is the first to come to mind).<br /><br />Similarly with locations. In my D&D campaign at deliberately modelled the structure on Star Trek style planet hopping, except I used an archipelago world with enchanted islands in place of the planets (seeing as most sci-fi treats space as an ocean anyway...)<br /><br />Characters.. well I think fantasy actually has the edge here, as the choice of gritty to superheroic is much more justifiable and you can usually take your pick. I prefer more fallible every-day protagonists in my fantasy as well as in my sci-fi.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06011974487836242987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-83803135024107126102011-11-14T22:49:07.548-05:002011-11-14T22:49:07.548-05:00I don't think it was bashing - much of what yo...I don't think it was bashing - much of what you said was true - but I think it can be applied to Science Fiction about as easily as you applied it to Fantasy. I think it's your preference for SF that makes it seem different to you more than any inherent quality of the genre itself. <br /><br />Much like an earlier discussion on how understanding magic is not required to play a fantasy character - despite that being a defining quality of "fantasy" - an understanding of science is not really required to play a science fiction character. Unless you're runing for a group of engineering students, making a solid background in physics a requirement for solving the problem in an RPG advenyure is probably a bad idea. If science and magic are similarly vague then how much difference is there based purely on genre?<br /><br />Conclusion: Supers is best so you don't have to get tangled up in these which-is-best type arguments. All are welcome in the Hall of Justice...Blacksteelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16289298640828309072noreply@blogger.com