True. You could use the example between a classic romance novel such as anything by Jane Austin or Charlotte Bronte, and today's paperback historical romance novels where the plots are nearly always the same, only the names, clothes and cities change.
Contemplative verses "brain candy". :) I've read and liked both.
Sci-fi is more thematic. Good verse evil. That stuff. "Space operas." Science fiction is more...for lack of a better word...about the human element: human intervention, expression.
Sci-fi, to me, is less about seeing the story through the eyes of the characters, and is more about the story as a whole. Science fiction gives different perspectives by each character on the story as it surrounds them. The story/plot is important, but how each character perceives it and his/her emotional development within the story, is more how science fiction is. You get into the characters' fears, desires, secrets, dreams, etc. For me, a perfect example of this are the Dune books by Frank Herbert.
There is room for both. I mean, if there wasn't, SW and ST wouldn't be as huge as they are. I've heard Harlan Ellison arrogantly rant about what he calls "talking animal" books where animals are anthropomorphized in SF/fantasy novels, but it's ridiculous to say that one writing style must be better than the other.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 05:16 am (UTC)Contemplative verses "brain candy". :) I've read and liked both.
Sci-fi is more thematic. Good verse evil. That stuff. "Space operas." Science fiction is more...for lack of a better word...about the human element: human intervention, expression.
Sci-fi, to me, is less about seeing the story through the eyes of the characters, and is more about the story as a whole. Science fiction gives different perspectives by each character on the story as it surrounds them. The story/plot is important, but how each character perceives it and his/her emotional development within the story, is more how science fiction is. You get into the characters' fears, desires, secrets, dreams, etc. For me, a perfect example of this are the Dune books by Frank Herbert.
There is room for both. I mean, if there wasn't, SW and ST wouldn't be as huge as they are. I've heard Harlan Ellison arrogantly rant about what he calls "talking animal" books where animals are anthropomorphized in SF/fantasy novels, but it's ridiculous to say that one writing style must be better than the other.