Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
That's not the definition I've heard and used over decades of being involved in the field.
The distinction lies in sources. "Hard SF", as I and those I know think of it, is SF based on the "hard" sciences, with Physics far out in front as a starting point. It assumes underlying discoveries we haven't made yet, that permit us to do things we cannot currently do, like travel FTL. Soft SF has less quantifiable grounds, and may include things based on linguistics, psychology, or sociology. The basic distinction probably comes down to "Can the underlying science be treated mathematically?" If it can, it's arguably hard SF. If it can't, it's soft SF. (You will find folks who make a justifiable claim that if it can't be treated mathematically, whatever it is, it's not science.)
If we use your definition, an awful lot of what is commonly considered hard SF suddenly isn't, and I don't think that's what you intend.
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Dennis
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Well, I think yours is probably a little cleaner definition of what I was trying to say. ^_^;; Just because I'm a writer doesn't always mean I can explain myself properly on the first draft.
