Fantasy and Science Fiction: A Short Fiction Question

[J-Sun]

I was looking at the Fantasy vs Science Fiction: A Poll thread and this popped into my head (not that I haven't thought about it before). This isn't asking whether you're strongly or exclusively a fantasy or SF reader or if you love or hate short fiction and certainly not whether you prefer short fiction to novels or anything. It's just asking, "If you had to give the edge to one genre or the other in terms of your own interest, would you give it to SF or F and, then, do you read and like short fiction in any significant way or do you not have much to do with it?"

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I'm going with SF and short fiction, since I've got many years' worth of Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, and F&SF in my collection.

 

[Joe Loomis]

Really I like both fantasy and sci did. I write mostly short stories so I hope in the end people like them more then the 200k Beasts that are out there now a days.

 

[Alex The G and T]

The poll doesn't address a couple of options:

I'm equally interested in Fantasy and Science Fiction adding "Speculative Fiction.

I'm still subscribing to the so-called "Big three" magazines. Analog 30 + years, Asimov's 20 + years, S &SF for about 10 years.

I like a short that has a punch line that either makes me laugh or rocks me with surprise.

Not that I don't enjoy a good novel; but some months the Mag backlog doesn't leave much time for novels.

As for epic bazillogies... Three novels is about right. I lose interest in never ending sagas, with too many sneaky characters to bear in mind..

 

[psikeyhackr]

SF novels! Audiobooks the last few years.

I find it really curious that Robert Heinlein introduced the term "speculative fiction" but he stated that he did not mean fantasy.

psik

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I tend to lean toward science fiction and shorter stories. Of course, quality is more important than anything else, but if everything else is about equal, that's my choice. I am usually allergic to endless series and gigantic novels.

 

[nixie]

No surprise here, I'm a big fantasy fan, especially long drawn out tales but I also like short gritty fantasy.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I am usually allergic to endless series and gigantic novels.

You mean you have not finished the Honor Harrington series? LOL

Not as good as Bujold's Vorkosigan series of course.

 

[Parson]

S.F. and novels for me. I love a good series and I am not averse to some rather "light" reading.

 

[J-Sun]

The poll doesn't address a couple of options:

I'm equally interested in Fantasy and Science Fiction adding "Speculative Fiction.

True, and I probably should have included that as I didn't mean to exclude anyone but was thinking more of those who could pick one or the other, even if by just a hair.

Of course, quality is more important than anything else, but if everything else is about equal, that's my choice.

Yep, definitely wasn't meaning to ask if you liked one or the other exclusively or saying anything about quality. Also wasn't really intending to ask about preferences between the two although I'm certainly finding all the comments interesting. I was just curious if short fiction was a significant part of SF and F readers' diet, so to speak.

Keep 'em coming folks - votes and any comments on the subject. (I know we're missing some fantasy folks, proportionally, because SF and F are basically tied on the SF vs. F thread but a bigger percentage of SF people have voted in this poll.

 

[Talysia]

I'm more of a fantasy reader, and I prefer big books that take their time in developing the story and characters. I like short fantasy, but it doesn't have the same sense of growth to me.

 

[The Big Peat]

I'm more of a fantasy reader with an ambivalent stance on short stories, in that I'm not sure if I'm for them or against them, in no small part because they're rarely that talked about.

 

[Vertigo]

I used to be about 50:50 but I somehow became very tired of fantasy whereas (good) SF can and does still excite me. I now read almost no fantasy.

I do sometimes read short stories but I prefer full length novels and I'm not really worried about how long the novel is so long as it's good and holds my interest. When I have a really good book I simply don't want it to end so if, for example, it is a 1000 pages long, well great! I like to be deeply immersed in plot, characters and world in a way that short stories cannot manage. That said I do love a short story that can put forward an idea and then leave you to think about it. The classic, for me, being Asimov's The Last Question.

 

[tinkerdan]

I started on science fiction and took a long time to even begin to appreciate fantasy; however, now days, by some definitions, all my science fiction tends to look more like fantasy. So I really just read.

But my favorite reads are ones that are long so they have to be at least 60 K Words or more, preferably more and usually above 150 K words.

Heinlein wrote a large book full fantasy--sometimes under other names. So I'm not sure where he was going with Speculative Fiction.

 

[BAYLOR]

I tend to read more fantasy then I do science fiction.

 

[mosaix]

I'm going with SF and short fiction, since I've got many years' worth of Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, and F&SF in my collection.

Ditto.

 

[Caliban]

I don’t really make a distinction between SF, Fantasy and Horror. I understand the difference but in my head I don’t care because I enjoy them all. I am very interested in Short Fiction and probably read more nowadays than novels.

 

[dask]

Well, if we don't squabble about definitions I'd say S.F. and if the author bends a few rules along the way he or she won't get no sass from me. In fact if I were forced to pick one or the other or be shot I'd have to say science fantasy, where the imagination can really roam wild. And while my preference does tend towards shorter work it is not shackled to it.