: Re: How to distinguish if a novel is science fiction or fantasy? Through the process of writing my novel, I've found that I really don't know where it fits in the written realm. I believe I should

To me, the difference is not whether the story has a logical explanation, but whether it could have an explanation in this universe. Another way to say it: Fantasy may violate what we know to be true of the universe. Science fiction may not.

A monster, an alien planet, or "magic" could be either fantastical or science fictional, depending on whether it violates the known laws of the universe.

Now, even that line is fuzzy, because "known" is fuzzy and to some extent changeable. And different readers know different things. A quirk of physics that most readers would accept might violate the knowledge of a scientist who specializes in that aspect of physics.

And sometimes an explanation will make the difference. A given monster, planet, or magic might, with sufficient explanation, shift from fantasy to science fiction. What seems like magic may be "merely" technology sufficiently advanced.

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: What software can handle both revision control and layout? I'm desperately looking for a book publishing solution that can handle revision control and layouts. My issues/requirements are as follows:

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: Should I care if my short story has the same title as someone else's book? It appears to be a pretty obscure book. It's on Amazon, but there are no descriptions or reviews. From the

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: How to get over writer's block related to revising? I'm a PhD Student in the social sciences. When I do focused free-writing on a topic, my thoughts just fly out and I can easily generate

@Kevin153

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: I would advise you to get hold of a number of non-fiction naval books and start reading! Ideally look for biographic works, rather than factual books, as these will contain more insights into

: Re: How to distinguish if a novel is science fiction or fantasy? Through the process of writing my novel, I've found that I really don't know where it fits in the written realm. I believe I should

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: What software can handle both revision control and layout? I'm desperately looking for a book publishing solution that can handle revision control and layouts. My issues/requirements are as follows:

: Should I care if my short story has the same title as someone else's book? It appears to be a pretty obscure book. It's on Amazon, but there are no descriptions or reviews. From the

: How to get over writer's block related to revising? I'm a PhD Student in the social sciences. When I do focused free-writing on a topic, my thoughts just fly out and I can easily generate

: I would advise you to get hold of a number of non-fiction naval books and start reading! Ideally look for biographic works, rather than factual books, as these will contain more insights into

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