Subject:
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Star Wars is both sci-fi and fantasy (was: Re: Science fiction)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.fun, lugnet.starwars
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Date:
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Tue, 2 Nov 1999 21:51:51 GMT
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Viewed:
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351 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.fun, Sproaticus <jsproat@io.com> writes:
> [...]
> > Besides, since SW is taking place in another galaxy with lots of different
> > races, it´s Sci-fi.
>
> Alien races, starships, intelligent robots, exotic stellar backgrounds... Do
> these factors categorize Star Wars as a science fiction story?
>
> I'm more inclined to consider SW as fantasy.
> [...]
> It's damn good fantasy, and fun to watch. But it's almost certainly not
> science fiction.
Arghh, pet peeve alert! Star Wars is BOTH fantasy AND sci-fi.
Depending on how you look at it, perhaps it's more fantasy than sci-fi --
and a "fantasy film" is indeed what Lucas himself called Star Wars -- but to
imply that it's not sci-fi is super wrong. (Not that you did, exactly.)
Jeremy, any particular reason you used fuzzy phrases like "more inclined"
and "almost certainly not"? Right -- because it's not 100% one or the
other. :-)
IMHO, parts of Star Wars that set foot in the "fantasy" category include
things like:
- The Force and Jedi fading/ghosting
- Yoda (ears) & Dagobah (setting)
- Giant beasts that eat people or other giant beasts
- Exotic creatures in Jabba's palace and Mos Eisley cantina
- Luke's journey to many faraway lands
- Gungan "sacred place" out in the woods
- Underwater Gungan city
- Theed palace (Naboo)
IMHO, parts of Star Wars that set foot in the "sci-fi" category include
things like:
- Hyperspace/hyperdrive
- Self-aware droids/robots
- Roboticized prosthetic hands/limbs
- Repulsorlift vehicles
- Shield generators
- Lightsaber technology
- Holographic games
- Carbon freeze/thaw
- Blowing up an entire planet with a mega-laser
- Military space station the size of a moon
- Floating city in the clouds (Bespin)
- Planetary-scale city (Coruscant)
Take away all the sci-fi elements and you have mostly a fantasy film. Take
away all the fantasy elements and you have mostly a sci-fi/action film.
The IMDB (www.imdb.com) does even better -- it classifies Star Wars in four
genres:
1. Sci-Fi
2. Fantasy
3. Action
4. Adventure
Wouldn't you agree that's much more accurate than arguing over whether or
not SW is fantasy or sci-fi? :-)
(Pet peeve mode off. :)
--Todd
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Science fiction (Was: News on the 2000 space line!)
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| (...) Then off to .off-topic.fun with ya! :-, (...) Alien races, starships, intelligent robots, exotic stellar backgrounds... Do these factors categorize Star Wars as a science fiction story? I'm more inclined to consider SW as fantasy. Many factors (...) (25 years ago, 1-Nov-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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