What is SF?

Before I started to write this article, I had a look around the internet and some books I have, trying to find out how other people define Science Fiction/Sci-Fi/SF. And you know what? I don’t think people can agree. There seems to be so many definitions - even ‘official’ ones seem to differ with each other. There doesn’t seem to be any definitive definitions.

Science Fiction, apparently, is in the majority of cases: A literary or cinematic genre in which fantasy, typically based on speculative scientific discoveries or developments, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets, forms part of the plot or background.

Sci-Fi is an abbreviated version which is mostly frowned upon by Science Fiction fans, as an almost derisory term.

Another abbreviation is SF, which is more accepted by hardcore fans. Also, SF can mean Speculative Fiction.

To me, Science Fiction is not anything to do with space ships, lasers or technology as a whole, it is to do with ideas. It is the exploration of the human mind in an arena which quite possibly will include androids or rockets or alien planets. Because it contains androids or rockets or alien planets does not make it Science Fiction, it is the idea, the strangeness, the environment in which the author does his or her ‘What if…?’.

Philip K Dick once said that you could make a story appear to be Science Fiction by chucking in one word in one sentence (”Darling, where are the anti-grav boots?”. “In the cupboard where they always are.”). This on the face of it will make it Science Fiction because of the unknown science aspect, but doesn’t alter the story at all, it makes it obviously Science Fiction. So therefore it still would be Science Fiction without the anti-grav sentence.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that because the realms of Science Fiction is so fluid, the rules are being rewritten all the time, so that is probably why the definition of Science Fiction is so elusive. The market and readers (and the publishers/editors to some extent) dictate (albeit possibly unconsciously) what Science Fiction is.

Personally, I prefer the term SF (meaning Speculative Fiction), although I do let slip with Sci-Fi or Science Fiction during conversations sometimes.

Whatever the boundaries of Science Fiction are, one thing is for sure, it is always interesting, and you just know when it’s an SF story.