What is it?
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| |
| |
| |
| SPECULATIVE FICTION |
| ( fiction set in a reality |
| / that does not exist ) |
| / \ |
| / \ |
| FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION |
| ( fiction which ( Fiction based on a |
| cannot occur ) projection of current |
| | \___________ knowledge which is |
| | | legitimately defensible ) |
| CLASSIC FANTASY | / \ |
| ( elves, magic, wizards, | / \ |
| "Social Security" ) | SOFT SF HARD SF |
| Emphasis on mythic | ( one or more ( Based on |
| archetypes and quests | presumptions; stuff we know |
| ________| ESP, FTL, we'll be able |
| | or one major to build ) |
| SCI-FI departure Emphasis on |
| ---- ( Fantasy from known checkable math, |
| / with reality. ) logic, and info; |
| SKIFFY SF props Emphasis on characters think |
| ( largely substituted human reaction. and solve. |
| excrement ) for "magic.") and action. | |
| | | | | |
| +--------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | SPACE OPERA --- can be SkiFfy to Sci-Fi to Hard SF | |
| +--------------------------------------------------------+ |
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--
Tim Weaver
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea - massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-
boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."
- Gene Spafford, 1992
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