Official definition of sci-fi?

F

Filmosity

Member
Have we figured out what the official definition (at least according to this contest) is for 'sci-fi'? I'm not sure if the script I'm working on fits into this category or more fantasy...or both.

Anyone?
 
I doubt that there is an accepted "official definition" as far as this contest is concerned. Look at how loosely the Zombie genre was interrupted by many (including myself) in their submissions. If it is even close to Sci-Fi, I don't think you'll have any problems; so don't worry about that, just worry about making a great film.
 
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals.
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I think that's pretty good.
 
I knew someone was gonna make a thread defining what Sci-fi was sooner or later....same thing happened with the recent contest.
It started off as something about things being dead.....no specifics....but then people started saying...OO OO OO..ZOMBBIIEZZZ!!....then it turned into Zombiefest....hopefully everyone wont do just aliens for this contest...then we'll have to call it AlienFest...which kinda sounds..weird..
 
"Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. "

David, What he said.
 
if i made a film about an angel coming to show the way to jesus would that be considered a sci-fi? or fantasy
 
avery said:
if i made a film about an angel coming to show the way to jesus would that be considered a sci-fi? or fantasy
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That would depend on where Jesus was. If he was on a UFO, it would be sci-fi. If he was in perfect place where there was total peace and harmony, that would be fantasy. If he was in Detroit, that would be an urban drama. If he was in 1870's Dodge City, that would be a western... you get the picture.
 
jesus on a ufo sounds awesome. what if i were to do something likeeee everyone was a robot except one person, or does everything have to do with an alien or like roger cormans gay ass dinocroc
 
Sci -Fi can be the unexplained ..look at the classic show .."the Twilight Zone "
Robots and aliens do not always make a Sci-Fi .

Ian
 
avery said:
if i made a film about an angel coming to show the way to jesus would that be considered a sci-fi? or fantasy
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Better yet, someone should make a film about the freaks in this article:

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1100/science.html

They gotta be from another planet, or at least mixing LSD and X!
Just read-on about Satan's Cotton Fingers...

OK, it's funny and extreme, but I've actually met a few people like this.


But seriously, I saw a great little film about 18 years ago that involved an alien in human form that ultimately tried to explain the existence of Jesus and his powers and how he was going to come back (actually the same alien, I think). Very interesting, and it required no special effects at all (if I remember correctly). It was all done through story and dialogue. I can't remember the name, but it involved the humanoid alien stranger, a boy, and his mother.
 
I thought this may help keep the genre on track...

Science Fiction
redefines physical laws within an extrapolation of current reality while downplaying spiritual laws. Think of it as saying "This is what might happen". It is essentially a humanistic literature.

Fantasy
redefines spiritual laws within an other-worldly reality while downplaying physical laws. Think of it as saying "This is what might happen elsewhere". It is essentially a theistic literature.

Mythopoeic
redefines spiritual and, perhaps, physical laws within a current or historical reality. Think of it as saying "This is what should have happened". This is perhaps best thought of as theistic science fiction.
 
I'm more of a fantasy guy myself, but I still like robots. I don't however, like guys that wear forehead appliances and call themselves aliens.
 
Using the definitions above...a lot of stuff we like wouldn't qualify. Firefly, for instance, or just barely. Star Wars, Star Trek, Buckaroo Bonzai...

George Scithers split the genre a while back: SciFi and SF. SciF is "space opera" (adjusting for whether it actually occurs in Space, of course), SF being things that fall under the more restrictive definition.
 
I never considered Star Wars to be Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) anyway. I know there are those who do; and there are also those who created the label of "science-fantasy" just for it. As for myself, Star Wars shall always be pure-grain Fantasy.

However, even using the criteria stated above, Star Trek absolutely would be classified as Science Fiction.

For what it's worth my personal simplistic definition would be "A fantasy that is centered around, based in, or at least acknowledges our particular version of earth".

IMHO of course.

One other thing that confuses me, and others I'm sure...
With respect to Mr. Scithers - "Sci-Fi" is, more often than not, merely an abbreviated form of science fiction. :beer:
 
Peter Murphy said:
I'm more of a fantasy guy myself, but I still like robots. I don't however, like guys that wear forehead appliances and call themselves aliens.
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Even thought I always liked Star Trek TNG this is something I have to just accept and trick my brain into turning off. Pop a purple scab on some chick's forehead and she's from a thousand lightyears away. Isn't it great that all those girls have bizzare foreheads and yet the rest of their bodies resembles human super-models? Wouldn't it be nuts if it was the other way around? I'll bet then #1 wouldn't brag about getting to 3-rd base with some Klingon chick. Picard would be like, (laughing) "no-ho-hoooo WAAAAYYY... REALLY?"

Dialog from Klingon chick: "WE... HAVE NO USE... for your HUMAN braziere!"
 
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