Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Surely, all fiction, by definition, is something that "never happened" - that's what the word "fiction" means.
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I think Cassidym's point is that fantasy
can't happen - it's by definition impossible.
One way you can look at different genres is applying the possibility test:
Historical fiction: It didn't happen in the past, but could have.
Mainstream fiction: It hasn't happened in the present, but could.
Alternative history: It didn't happen, but could have happened had historical events taken a different turn.
Science fiction: It hasn't happened, but might happen given specified scientific advances.
Fantasy: It
can't happen, because it presumes different natural laws than the ones that govern our existence.
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Dennis