Would this be considered fantasy or sci fi?

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creatorofPreten

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Heyla!

I was wondering how my WIP would be classified since I consider it fantasy, but it contains a lot of sci fi elements.

I have space ships and star systems. I have magic, but just on one world. I also have gods and goddesses. Naturally occurring extra-sensory abilities such as telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to weave dream worlds, and the ability to connect with the universe.

I have created something I call the Labryinth, (no it's not misspelled), which is kind of like a wormhole, except that you travel through it bodily, not in a ship, and only certain people who are born connected to it can call them and use them to travel, but they will take one (or however many people the Labryinthian has with her/him) from any point in space or time to any other point.

it is controlled orally through a special language used between the Labryinth, which is a living entity, and the Labryinthian.

I do not intend on even trying to use real science (but everything I have created in my universe can be explained through my fantasy science, except for magic and the gods/goddesses) because I do not understand science, and this is a completely created fantasy universe. Very little action actually takes place in space, but there is much planet hopping.

I have aliens only in the sense of other people from other planets, and there are planetary invasions and a war for extinction, but everyone evolved on the same planet, and they are all humanoid.

Also the main thread which holds the entire story together, which is likely at least a trilogy, is the love which two women have for each other. Insert lesbians. *giggles* The story is really their story and how they manage to overcome every obstacle (excluding death) No one ressurects from the dead in my story, though one does wake up to become a goddess, but it's not like she can just return to her normal life, and she basically lives in another realm of existence.

Add in the actual bodily ability to enter into dreamworlds which also occur in other dimensions.
 
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L in Space?
:cool:

I think this is why they came up with Speculative Fiction. ;)
 
I've considered titling it "The L Word in Space". *giggles*

But it's actual title for now is the 12th Planet.

What exactly is speculative fiction?
 
It sounds like a good blend of both. I'm sure you've already realized this. I'd call it sci-fi/fantasy, which is a concept I'm always pushing.
 
Sci-Fi or Fantasy

One of my favorite fantasy novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

One of my favorite science fiction novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

Hmmm.
 
Window Bar said:
One of my favorite fantasy novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

One of my favorite science fiction novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

Hmmm.
Click to expand...

^ That.

I'd say if there's magic or anything that looks like magic, it's a (science) fantasy. Yes Star Wars, that includes you :D
 
Window Bar said:
One of my favorite fantasy novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

One of my favorite science fiction novels of all time is Dune (the original, not the second-rate sequels).

Hmmm.
Click to expand...

Poop on you, man. I like the sequels, especially Dune Messiah.
 
It's futuristic fantasy, but if you want to use the older term science fantasy, people will usually know what you mean -- fantasy in a SF type setting, although the term science fantasy is also used for SF stories that seem fantasy like without having any fantastical elements, such as Dune. You might want to check out Andre Norton's Witchworld, which is a futuristic, cross-dimensional fantasy series of legend and might be helpful to you. Also, recently, Kameron Hurley's futuristic fantasy God's War has been making a splash. She called it bugpunk, which her publishers ran with, as everything goes with punk. :)
 
Science fantasy it is then! Coolios :)

I was not sure if there was an actual genre for that or not. I'm glad to know that there is one because I love elements from both sides.

Thanks everybody for your contributions.
 
KatG said:
It's futuristic fantasy, but if you want to use the older term science fantasy, people will usually know what you mean -- fantasy in a SF type setting, although the term science fantasy is also used for SF stories that seem fantasy like without having any fantastical elements, such as Dune. You might want to check out Andre Norton's Witchworld, which is a futuristic, cross-dimensional fantasy series of legend and might be helpful to you. Also, recently, Kameron Hurley's futuristic fantasy God's War has been making a splash. She called it bugpunk, which her publishers ran with, as everything goes with punk. :)
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Ooh! Futuristic fantasy I like that the sound of that!

I will definitely check out Witchworld. Thanks :)
 
Do you call it "magic" or something else? Star Wars has magic, for instance, and nobody bats an eye about calling it scifi--because they don't call it magic.

If you wanted to avoid the "fantasy" tag it'd be easy enough to jump on that bandwagon. I don't see that it matters, though.

Fantasy and science fiction have distinct feels in my experience, though I'd be damn hard pressed to elaborate on that :P
 
I do call it magic. Magic is an important part of one world, though it likely won't be included in every book. Perhaps just one or two. I actually prefer the fantasy label to the sci fi one. And I love the idea of it being futuristic fantasy. That term just sounds right to my ears. :)
 
Besides Witch World and God's War, you might want to take a look at Ariel and Elegy Beach by Steven Boyett -- post-apocalypse fantasy; and Raymond Feist's Riftwar novels, which aren't mixing in that much SF hardware but have cross-dimensional traffic between planets. And there's more I know I'm probably forgetting. Also, Patricia Kennealy's Keltiad series -- Druids in space.
 
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Just two cents, but I try not to worry about specifics of genre pigeonholing. What do you call Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Why bother calling it anything but goofy and good for passing time in the doctor's waiting room? I think the better thing is to just make sure it all seems to fit together. Putting magic in a hard science-fiction setting out of nowhere without integrated mentions of the existence of magic all the way through would be usually bad. Although, Maldus in Farscape came right out of nowhere and worked for those episodes his character showed up. It depends on how and when you integrate. Other than that, cross genres and have it.
 
Yes, let the critics debate the genre if they wish. The writer should concentrate on creating the very best story possible. Nothing else. :)
 
Wojciehowicz said:
Just two cents, but I try not to worry about specifics of genre pigeonholing. What do you call Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Why bother calling it anything but goofy and good for passing time in the doctor's waiting room? I think the better thing is to just make sure it all seems to fit together. Putting magic in a hard science-fiction setting out of nowhere without integrated mentions of the existence of magic all the way through would be usually bad. Although, Maldus in Farscape came right out of nowhere and worked for those episodes his character showed up. It depends on how and when you integrate. Other than that, cross genres and have it.
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It's called a literary mash-up, it's fantasy, and it's sold in both the humor section and the SFF section. That doesn't pigeonhole it; it's just where they put it to try and help readers find it. Since Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was also a bestseller and inspired other mash-ups and historical mash-ups, it also is in front table and special bestseller display areas -- which its publisher paid for -- and mash-up displays, usually put next to the SFF sections.

It doesn't hurt an author to understand where his book is going to get sold in the bookstore. Especially since, as an author, you will decide which publishers you will approach, whether you will try to license the work to a category SFF house or a general fiction house -- which effects where it is sold. And you the author will also be deciding what you're going to call the book to communicate to the publisher what sort of story you explored. It doesn't therefore hurt either to be aware of other authors who are doing stories in your general neighborhood, which then help illuminate what you are doing.
 
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