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If you've stumbled upon this page by accident, and desperately seeking
the 'back' arrow, you may think that Science Fiction is just about spaceships
and men dressed as silly aliens, and Fantasy is about wizards and fire-breathing
dragons - nothing to be taken seriously, right? If so, allow me to disagree.
SF & F is more about a style of writing than of the environment
the action takes place. Consider say, lovestories or crime stories. Both
of these could take place in a space station - would that make them science
fiction?
If yes, that would make SF just like any other literature (so why call
it silly?)
If no, then what makes an SF story? (I'm not giving any answer
to that, though.)
The same goes for fantasy, of course.
Well, as SF/F has such a small following, how did I get interested in
this genre? What made me start reading such literature? Simply put, I've
always enjoyed fantastic literature, from childhood till now. And it is
accepted that you can write fantasy stories for children, if not for grown-ups
(says people who may watch X-Files...). Trolls and princesses (fairy tales),
magic and dragons (fantasy) and space-adventures (science fiction) all
have one thing in common: They make me wonder. Things may not alway be
possible to explain (from this worlds point of view) - you must use your
imagination in a different way than if you read 'realistic' or 'serious'
literature. The writers often take me on an enjoyable ride to another
world, or maybe just another version of this? Or maybe...
So, that should explain at least some of why I like SF/F; I like to be
taken to new worlds, explore new ideas, theories, what-if-questions, anything
that can make me use my sense of wonder, and leave me with a new experience.
Some people may lack the ability of enjoying something unusual? Don't have the 'sense of wonder'? I don't know. Perhaps they're just 'allergic' to or afraid of anything that doesn't follow their strict set of rules?
Looking for that 'back' arrow? Don't. Take a look at my favourite authors instead, and try reading something of them. Or maybe you want to try reading some short stories online? Follow the links, there is much to enjoy for those with an open mind.