L. Marie asked the following question on my Ask an Author page:
Do you see yourself writing a science fiction series someday?
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An interesting question that I’m sure can lead to a debate because I’ve noticed that not everyone has the same definition of fantasy and science fiction. That’s where my decision will lie, so let me explain that first.
Fantasy is a story that takes place in a non-reality setting where magic exists or technology is not at our current level. There is more flexibility of natural laws and species walking around are not designated as aliens. Science Fiction has a foot in reality with a focus on science and technology. Magic is not involved or is explained in a more scientific method to make sure the laws of nature are upheld. There’s more to this, but those are the basics to get me going.
I had a few science fiction stories on my plate, but I’ve dropped them into Windemere because I failed on the science part. The outlines never happened because I was always scared that I’d explain something poorly and that would get everyone declaring that I’m a ‘science idiot’. To be fair, I am and I tend to ignore laws of nature by using magic to get the scene I want. I like that fantasy gives me more freedom of action and there’s no worry that I missed something that would unravel the entire world. I know people hate the explanation of ‘a wizard did it’, but I do think it works if you establish magical rules and stick with them. In science fiction, you can’t really do that without factoring in reality.
That being said, I have the gnomes who create technology that bring an occasional ‘sci-fi’ feel to the world. So I can’t say I avoid the genre completely. I guess I simply feel safer in a world where I make the rules and have, what I see as, ultimate flexibility.
