Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

Idk, I mostly read them for fun so I'd like them to be well written (imo) and entertaining & preferably offer some interesting ideas or perspectives.

Entertainment. Most non-genre fiction seems to be about dull people leading dull lives, or to focus on dull sex lives.

To me, reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy (and horror for that matter) is an escape from the real world. These types of fiction are filled with new worlds and creatures, fantastic machinery and magical items and events or horrific, menacing evils that one is not exposed to in everyday life. I'm just not as big of a fan of reading about things and experiences that I myself can see and do in my own life.

Fantasy is definantly escapist. For me it hold a little deeper meaning though, just as the environments and situations the characters are put into are usually 'larger than life', their actions can show us equal depth into the human condition. Evil can be cristalized for the reader and a single persons actions can make a difference.

You don't find that often in our real world lives.

I am a dreamer; and I am an extreme optimist! In real life this has led me from Idaho to Alaska to Oregon and back to Idaho. In the world of science fiction and/or fantasy this has led me from Earth to "where no man has gone before"! To travel in ones mind to all the places and worlds created, to all the people and situations thought up by our awesome writers; this is the extreme escape! I am not escaping from a boring life. I have had, because I dream, a wonderful life with wonderful people and places. This is simply one of the wonderful fun things I do in my life. Thanks to all those writers who do so well!

Whenever I read a book, it's like watching a movie...in my head. That's how visual it is, and part of the main reason why I love reading fantasy and science fiction, and dislike most crime/thriller/urban novels that have a basis in real life and are about generally boring people. I want an escape from the stresses of life and entertainment.

I don't want to stress out about some random douchebag who thinks he's all that and can almost supernaturally solve any and all problems in "real life situations"...and always gets the girl. Those modern tropes don't interest me.

I read fantasy and science fiction for the perspectives and out of this world situations that don't exist in real life. Fantasy/Sci-fi generally has fewer creative limitations and that opens up a wealth of possibilities and makes the overall read far entertaining because anything can happen.

As a kid, I was always drawn to fantasy and sci-fi because of the wonderful inventive settings and unusual landscapes I encountered in them. Being a dreamer naturally made me long to live in such worlds. But as an adult, I find the ideas presented in sci-fi and fantasy to be a refreshing escape from the doldrums of the typical crime drama or romance novel. Not that there is anything wrong with those genres. But you can have all of those traditional story elements wrapped up in a compelling sci-fi or fantasy tale and still challenge the minds of readers with creative tales about other worlds, peoples, and technology. As far as I'm concerned, you get more bang for your buck with Sci-fi and fantasy. At least, when a book is well-told.

i read Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943 and although its an amazing account of what happened i found it distressing at the brutality of the generals on both sides.

Compare this with sci-fi/fantasy where some world with nice wee aliens world is blown up... i dont feel distressed and it doesnt bother me.

I also prefer the crazy worlds that some authors build which you wouldnt normally get outwith sci-fi/fantasy.

Fantasy and Science Fiction is way for me to escape the world. Both of the genres soar my imagination and I forget about all the problems that are happening to me in the real world. This why I enjoying reading Science Fiction and Fantasy Books.

It reminds me of this China Mieville quote. I may not completely agree with his politics, but do find this somewhat relevant.

I love the escape & wild adventures of all these genres, but I'll often look for 'what if' SF. How does one technological breakthrough or societal trend play out? Time travel is probably the most obvious example.

I`m like James in that sci-fi & fantasy is a way for me to escape the world. I also love reading about imaginary worlds & learning all about them.

Good question. It is totally an escape for me, I do not want the real world seeping into my stories at all. While traveling with my niece recently, she turned on an audiobook of a popular murder mystery series. I was blown away by how graphically real life it was. It reminded me within a few minutes, of the reason I very rarely read anything but Fantasy. Urban Fantasy even gets too close to real life for me.

Same old wonderful thing. Escape. I want to be plunged into a vibrant dream where nothing jars me out of that world except for the last word ending. At the same time, though, I love being able to ride along with a main character who I can empathize with, has some humanity. Some of the same fears and longings and weaknesses and courage that we all deal with and strive for.

Those are rare stories.

Escape. Preferably a somewhat plausible what-if that manages to still have the human character to root for.

Much of the time, I read science fiction and fantasy for pure escapist entertainment, but the best of both fantasy and science fiction reminds me of who and what and how I want to be in the here and now. There's nothing like the lens of the fantastic to bring the essential elements of humanity into sharp focus.

For me sci fi and fantasy engage in a kind of myth making that is contextual to modern times. The successful ones mirror concerns that are deeply felt unconsciously which strike a chord within us. of course the story needs to have adventure as well as logical consistency to sustain itself.

Escape would be it for me as well. I like to slip into another world where my own world can't intrude. I like a book that invests you into the characters, immerses you into the landscape, and allows new perceptions of concepts not encountered in the real world or my personal life. Sci-Fi/Fantasy allows all of this and opens the mind to new possibilities, thoughts, and ideas, which hopefully we can bring the good parts of back to our real lives and make them just a tiny bit better.

Stefan wrote: "I'm just not as big of a fan of reading about things and experiences that I myself can see and do in my own life."i>

Yep, what you said. I find books about real life quite dull. I like to get swept away to places that I can't go and see in real life. I want to meet people and creatures that I couldn't in real life.

Sci/fi fantasy lets my imagination run wild...as a young lad destined to save the world..a war torn dwarf who has lost family and friends and is now out for revenge...the stories are as endless as the universe...to read a good fantasy to your child and see the wonder in their eyes light up is one of life's pleasures that you can pass on

In my view, it's best when fantasy elements are used to accentuate some important aspect of reality or to make clear a concept or idea in reality that is not easily understood or appreciated by real world observation alone. Of course, sometimes it's nice just to read an interesting story of imagined worlds, lands, etc.

I know I have said this a thousand times over before but I will also probably die saying it: Sci-Fi has no rules which is what makes it so awesome. I feel like people who fan-kid other genres are scared of the endless possibilities science fiction brings to the table.

As we see, Twilight (gag) as a good example, novels that step outside of the rules can have their fan base but will piss off true fans. Vampires that sparkle? Give me a break.

But I don't think anyone in their right mind can question the workings of a science fiction novel unless it starts to overstep into fantasy which happens to mesh well when also done right.

Science fiction, for me, takes me to a place I want to be but can never get to. It's scary and intimidating but brilliant and chaotic in all the right ways. It's my home and everything else is the fiction.

The idea of escaping the world has made numerous appearances in this thread. I definitely agree. Since Fantasy and Science Fiction stories do not take place in the real world, they allow us to explore Ideals and types in a way that the physical world does not permit. Speculative Fiction is a 'place' where ideas can roam free from the limits of our experience.

BACK IN MY DAY (the old timer sez), we called what we got out of SF and Fantasy "Sense of Wonder", that "goshwowboyohboy" feeling, also known as senseawonda....NOW YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN (the old timer slips into a nap)

I heartily agree with Spooky,it's all about the "Sense of Wonder".

Yes, it's definitely along the same lines as Spookey. You just never know what type of world you will discover in a SF/F. Imagination is the only limitation.

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to the concept of the "sense of wonder." I do find it in some "realistic" works as well, like certain Joseph Conrad novels. But the most imaginative of these works often incorporate ideas from religion, myth, legend, and so on, so again I'm drawn to the idea that fantasy as such is better at creating that "sense of wonder."

It is true I read fantasy more than sci-fi and to me fantasy has more of a "sense of wonder".

True, Charlton. I also think that fantasy allows us to explore different issues that are solidly based in reality. I believe it was Margaret Weiss who said something along the lines that magic is comparable to technology, that dragons are nuclear bombs, and so forth. So at its root, fantasy deals with very real issues, but allows us to take a step back and explore from a distance.

Angelica wrote: "I know I have said this a thousand times over before but I will also probably die saying it: Sci-Fi has no rules which is what makes it so awesome. I feel like people who fan-kid other genres are s..."

Um, yeah. What she said. Angelica, you should write.

WOW. Seriously, what a question. There's another question somewhere in this group about the first science fiction/fantasy book you ever read and I'm pretty sure I said The Martian Chronicles. And I can't help thinking, in regards to this question, about the first story, "Ylla". What was it that got me so intensely? A sense of wonder, a sense of romance, there was something that I understood, experienced, recognized, remembered even though I was only a boy and couldn't have experienced anything quite like that yet. That one story and Ray Bradbury has been a favorite ever since (it didn't hurt that Bradbury could hit that same note again and again and again). Many people have talked about the sense of wonder (check), escapism (check) and Jake talked about the ability to explore ideas in a way that our physical world doesn't allow us to(check, check, check). There are times when I can see the human condition clearer through a science fiction or fantasy lens. I'm a classic "not religious but spiritual" type and what I take that to mean is that I'm searching. I was raised a Christian but I'm not any more but there is a hole there where I'm looking for something to fill that space. Science fiction and fantasy come the closest to giving me a sense of what it is I'm looking for.

Something like that. I don't know.

Hell of a question.

For me, it is all about the realm of what if. I like to see what people can create in their imaginations and how they could draw on what we know to go someplace boundless.

Possibilities are infinite. More than any other genre, SF & F tickles the inner child satisfying that sense of wonder others have mentioned.

Have you ever sort of felt like you were with the character when your reading?You think this should be made into a movie,but then you realise there is no way it could be this good.

Entertainment and escapism. Books play out in my head like films, so it's almost like going to the movies.

NYKen wrote: "Hi everyone. I am just curious, as a reader, what do you get out of reading a Sci-Fi and Heroic Fantasy book?

I am asking this because I am curious what different things we get from reading these ..."

The advantage of both types of story, especially sci fi, is it gives authors an almost infinite number of "what ifs" and the ability to create the universe they want.
After that, however, it all comes down to the diamond, the story, which must feature the same things as any good story: characters we care about in situations we care about, reacting and interacting in human ways to which we can relate.

Yes,good character development.

It varies wildly by novel. I generally try to approach the book from the "right" perspective, i.e. that which the author intended.

But it really just depends. I get something completely different out of Dan Simmons' Hyperion than Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, for instance.

Definitely a kind of immersive escapism thing, I guess, that I don't find quite the same in many other kinds of fiction.

It's fun.

For some works I read -- I have weird ideas of fun. 0:)

For me I need a story that explains enough of the universe it is set, allowing the reader to discover more through each chapter. Nice pace, good characters, rich locations that develop into a good plot. Something that does not give me a bad headache.

As an author, I get to see what's out there for good or bad. As a reader, well, I get to dive into a world that's not my own and make it mine: from the first page till when I forget enough of it that I must re-read it. :)

I get to stretch my imagination a bit and escape from daily life for an hour or two at a time. Not that my life sucks but it feels good to get outside my own world and go exploring in another.

Fantasy allows me to unplug completely from the civilized world. Instead of: Wakeup, Work, Come Home, Repeat. I can imagine if you go outside to get a couple sticks for the fire for ye olde kettle of gruel, the creature rustling unseen in the woods may not be just the neighbor's dog...

Sci-Fi puts me in a different frame of mind, I imagine how the world might be and that even with all the crazy technology blowing your mind and the passing of the ages, human beings are still...well...human beings and that we never really learn from our mistakes.

I think sf was very good for my critical thinking skills, and also open-mindedness, as a youth. I read it for enjoyment and escape, yes, but still, I think that (for example) reading about the implications of time travel -- butterfly effects and so on -- gets one's brain working in a way that might not happen as often, otherwise.

By open-mindedness, I mean (in part) sf's tolerance of all sorts of people and life forms. As Heinlein said (Actually, as the emperor of twenty universes said): 'Thou Shalt Not Blow Up Thy Neighbor's Planet. (Blow up your own if you wish.)' Also, there's no sense making permanent enemies of the Skinnies, because they may help you against the Bugs one day.

The benefits of sf mind-expansion are always evident to me whenever I hear non-sf-readers marvel about a supposedly complex plot of a movie, like say "Terminator;" and I find myself thinking, "What was complex about that? A guy sends his dad-to-be back in time -- no problem." And I don't mean that I get it because I'm sharper than they are; it's just that I've read sf.

nothing beats the endorphin rush of having your mind completely blown...mundane fiction simply can't do that, only SF&F

I would like to display my originality with an answer that is different from anyone else's. My true answer links to my personal selfishness and delight in the continuing adventures and distraction science fiction provides. Every once in awhile I find myself educated, too.

Gosh, Fantasy for me is escapism, excitement and adventure. I love good world-building and strong characters. I don't read as much sci-fi but again a great plot and decent worldbuilding.

I also read a lot of historical fiction and that, for me the weaving of a tale within an already established time period is good.

I get to "leave" my world for a bit and go "visit" someplace else.

They say the Golden Age of Science Fiction is 12. I know I was reading SF & Fantasy well before that age, but I do think it's an important point to remember. That's the age where you really have that sense of wonder on tap.

For modern myths, I look to the comics. Characters like Superman and Batman have been in continuous publication for 75 years and show layers of multifaceted storytelling that reflects the way society's changed over the years.

To me, they are the "Matter of America," the way King Arthur is the "Matter of Britain."

Plus, comics are fun.

As for SF and Fantasy books, I read them for two reason. First, for entertainment, and second, because they stretch my mind. By their very nature most books in the genre require that the writer extend the world in a direction the one around us does not go. It helps me expand my thoughts by posing and answering questions that can't be framed in the context of normal human experience.

That's more SF than Fantasy, but I sometimes find it in fantasy, too.

Fiction is about realising in imagination certain possibilities that are not realised in the actual world. In mainstream fiction, these possibilities are limited by the question, 'could this happen in our world as it actually was or is?' In sci-fi, this is replaced by the more open question, 'could this happen if we extrapolate from the way our world is to some way it could be in future or could have been in the past?' And in fantasy, it's replaced by the even more open questions 'is this imaginable? does it make sense on its own terms?'

Mainstream fiction can obviously be very good, but it restricts itself to the way our world actually is or has been. Both sci-fi and fantasy escape this restriction, and as a result, the possibilities in sci-fi and fantasy are on a bigger scale, and stranger, than in mainstream fiction. In the hands of a writer with a powerful imagination, sci-fi and fantasy can conjure up wide and strange vistas that are exhilarating to a degree that is beyond the reach of other genres and mainstream fiction. That's why, although I read mainstream fiction as well, I prefer sci-fi and fantasy.