(urth) S&S vs. SF in BotNS

Jerry Friedman jerry_friedman at yahoo.com
Thu Dec 22 11:19:10 PST 2011


> From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes danldo at gmail.com
> Lee Berman wrote:
> 
>> Thus I think the debates about the "real science" behind alzabo 
> and inhumi memory/personality
>> sharing are moot. What we are supposed to pick up on is the 
> cannibalism/eucharistic aspects;
>> the magic/spirituality of it.
> 
> Bingbingbingbingbing! That is _exactly_ what I am getting at. Thank you.
...

Certainly we're supposed to pick up those aspects.  This would all be fine, if it weren't for Wolfe's article in /Thrust/ as quoted in LU:

"There are /no/ fantasy elements involved -- no "magic" in the fantasy sense. There is time-travel, but that belongs to sf, not fantasy. There are hypnotism, sleight of hand, and a few other things, but those belong to the world of reality, if not the world of science." (/Thrust/ no. 19, winter-spring 1983)

So my problem isn't with the books but with this quotation.  Of course I could just ignore it.

Jerry Friedman



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