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Posted by Richard Risch 2009-01-04 08:51:34

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Science Fiction vs Science Fantasy

Most often, people are generally confused between what is Science Fiction, and what is Science Fantasy. Although both may involve seemingly futuristic technology and events, a Science Fiction story is completely dependant on real developing trends in technology as well as scientific processes, whereas Science Fantasy simply does not. As a matter of fact, take the logic and technology out of a Science Fiction tale, and the story literally falls apart. With Fantasy, however, this is not the case. It is the flow of the story and the excitement of mythical concepts that are center piece, not the technology involved. Therefore, it can be translated to any time frame using devices and powers of just pure make-believe. This is not bad, but the reader must, however, accept what flies in the face of common sense. Two prime examples of this contrast would be my book, Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet, a Science Fiction thriller, verses George Lucas’ tale, Star Wars, a Fantasy yarn.

Now don’t get me wrong, Stars Wars was a great movie. (I do believe, however, the Star Wars books leave much to be desired.) What made Stars Wars popular, was the special effects associated with the movie. This is what people always remember. But if one takes the time and looks honestly at both Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet and Star Wars, the differences of Science Fiction verse ScienceFantasy stand out like day and night.

Let’s start with my favorite subject, fighter space craft. In Stars Wars, the fighters act similarly to those of the Vietnam War era. Other than ion engines, laser cannons, and a droid as the rear-seater, there is no technological difference. None of the technological trends towards stealth and other defense countermeasures were taken into consideration when this was first produced. Sadly though and even more important, authentic fighter tactics were lacking, and at times, … purely ignored. This was made quite evident by the attack on the exhaust port via the death trench. Using your fighter to block an enemy fighter (on your six o’clock), is suicidal in real warfare. That is in reality how most fighters get shot-down. A logical tactic would have been to keep a circling flight of fighters above, waiting to engage any bandits making a run for your dive-bombers. But then, that would have not lent well to the story, would it?

Added to this, was the attack on the exhaust port (which was purportedly ray-shielded) with photon torpedoes (borrowed from Star Trek). Funny thing, a mass of photons is considered ray. (Photon energy is produced by an electron dropping from a higher orbit to a lower orbit as it travels around in an atom.) Therefore, how could photon torpedoes be realistically considered the weapon of choice for this attack?

There was then the photon torpedoes themselves. Their straight trajectory changed as they came upon the port, whereas they then dove into it. By all the known laws of physics that’s flatly impossible! To bend an energy force similar to those of the photon torpedoes would have taken the gravitational well created by either a massive star or a black hole. Doesn’t make sense now, does it?

In Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet, space fighters have their strengths and limitations. They can see in all directions using sensors and cameras. (This I came up with 5 years before it became a known feature of the F-22 Raptor.) They, therefore, can detect any enemy fighter movement within their limited operating area. Because of this, my space fighters must use random high speed course changes and patterns (computer matrix controlled) to mask their flight objectives … and targets. This is dangerous, but necessary. (And high speed collisions will occur!) This will be a reality of future warfare. Although my fighters are armed only with the standard laser cannons, some defense countermeasures, and programmable missiles, they are controlled evenly by their human pilots and flight computers. (This is another advanced feature that materialized in my writings prior to its unveiling some years later in the F-22 Raptor. This was brought about by the instability of the craft’saerodynamics design that requires moment-by-moment corrections.) A space fighter craft simply can not travel at high speed under purely human control, particularly when there is a great deal of debris floating randomly about.

Characters are the next issue between the Fantasy of Stars Wars and the Science Fiction of Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet. Apparently, Lucas borrowed the concept of Jedi Knights from Japanese history of samurais and ninjas. All well and to the good except for one minor problem, it took the samurais and ninjas many years to develop their bodies and skills through training, discipline, and actual combat. I ought to know, I trained at and taught Karate for over twenty-five years. For Luke Skywalker to become an accomplished Jedi Knight (under several weeks of Yoda’s tutorage and training) is laughable and cannot possibly happen even with most gifted human beings. Again, you are expected to accept this with blind faith.

This is not the case for Captain Richard Wakinyan, Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet, who was trained as a martial artist over a period of many years to become a competent warrior. His struggle is part the story and is something that people can relate to in their own personal terms.

Also, some of Star Wars characters have problems with concepts found in astronomy and physics. Take Han Solo for example, who boasted that the Millennium Falcon “made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs” or “can make 0.5 past light speed.” Well, a parsec is an astronomic unit of distance, not time. (A parsec is the distance equal to light traveling for 3.26 light years.) As for “making 0.5 past light speed”, any matter traveling at the speed of light would have infinite mass and cannot travel any faster. This is part of Einstein’s law, not mine. In other words, Han Solo lives in another universe (not just another galaxy far, far away), which can routinely violate Einstein Theory of Relativity at a moment’s notice. Again, this is pure fantasy.

Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet, however, takes place in our galaxy, approximately 150 years from now. All of its hyperspace travel is based on the Heim theories, which is a marriage of Einstein Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Hyperspace travel into another dimension for Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet is created by complex rotating magnetic fields, which has been proven out in actual computer models and is currently being considered for development by NASA in the construction of an actual working prototype. This brings us into the realm of devices between the worlds of Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet and Star Wars.

Light Sabers are mighty fancy weapons, but hardly practical in future warfare. True, they would be nice cut wood or start a fire with for survival purposes, but I would rather stake my life on a simple laser blaster, which could kill at greater speed (light speed) and distance. And as for Darth Vader absorbing the energy of a laser blast (Empire Strikes Back), he wouldn’t need a Light Saber since heapparently pocesses thepowers of God. (I don’t think so!)

Weapons in Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet range from shotguns firing massive steel darts used to disable a laser cannon (vs blowing it up with a rocket launcher at close quarters and creating a good deal of shrapnel) to a “watcher”, an implant device that uses wifi to monitor a person’s brain and health responses. These devices, although first written years ago by me in Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet, are just now making their debut in reality. (It interesting to know that the shotguns firing massive steel darts, have just appeared on the battlefield. They are currently used at this time for knocking down secured doors for entry into buildings requiring quick hostage raids, displacing the older and more dangerous method of explosives use. A “Watcher” type device has also just appeared months ago in Dallas, Texas in monitoring heart patients.) But this is what Science Fiction does; it becomes reality.

The differences between Star Wars reality escape and Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet future shock is endless, but it is the difference between Science Fantasy and Science Fiction. Again, I am not mocking Star Wars. A great movie for its time, it opened the pathway of awareness to tomorrow’s possibilities. This is something that can never be taken away from it. However, Star Wars was areality escape film, is not the future.

Beyond Mars – Crimson Fleet is now finally coming of age in published print. Its Science Fictional account of a hostile universe that just might be, carries with it not only the weight and challenges of tomorrow, but also the real thrill of living your own adventure to be. That is the difference between Science Fiction and Science Fantasy. May we all understand the differences and enjoy them both.

Posted by Richard Risch 2008-09-04 13:47:36