Thread: SciFi history?
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Old 07-14-2010, 11:56 AM   #37
queentess
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
By definition, there is no such thing as "hard SciFi" -- if it's hard, it's SF or Science Fiction, not SciFi.
Maybe this distinction is necessary while at a Con to thoroughly describe what you're talking about, but berating someone for their word choice in this forum is completely inappropriate.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
It has nothing to do with being a pretentious snob. "SciFi" was the term used by outsiders for years to belittle the literature we enjoyed. "SciFi" means "that Buck Rogers stuff", space opera, corny 50's monster movies, and anything else where there's not even a nod to science, and little more than that to fiction.
Buck Rogers??? The hell is Buck Rogers? In today's world (I was born in the 80s) sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. If it was ever considered derogatory, it no longer is, and no amount of blustering on your part will make it reality.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
It's the "N-word" of science fiction. It is a word that has been used as an insult to science fiction readers for decades, and even though a lousy, clueless cable TV channel chose to apply the word to itself, it is not, and never will be, free of its pejorative meaning.
It's already free of its pejorative meaning. And if you truly believed it was the "N-word" of science fiction, you'd follow the "N-word" path: embrace the word and make it your own.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
If "scifi" had stayed within the SF community, it would be merely corny. But it was picked up by those outside the community and used to deride its members, our literature, and our enthusiasm.
Did you live in a world where "nerds" were called "four-eyes" and shoved into lockers and given swirlies? Because today, being a nerd/geek is acceptable (even cool in some circles), and wearing glasses and reading sci-fi are just a way of life for many people. There's only an imaginary derision here. Even playing D&D or WOW is socially accepted in today's digital world. Get with the times.
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