Comments on: You Say “Sci-Fi,” I Say SF: Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off…

By: David de Beer

David de Beer — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:56:56 +0000

Sometimes I use SF to mean all speculative fiction, from skiffy to fantasy to horror and whatnot, and other times I’ll say spec fic, but in the latter case is when I want to be specific that I’m referring to the entirety of weird thingies.

othertimes I use SF to refer to science fiction, but I also happily use sci-fi, cause that’s the way I grew up learning it and it feels ridiculous to get huffy about the terminology.

if I really want to be specific about which branch I’m referring to, I’ll call it fantasy or science fiction (or sci-fi), or horror.
Otherwise I just call it SF.
I seldomly call it skiffy.

no matter what phrase you use, people pretty much most of the time know what you mean.
if people want to get huffy about something stupid and irrelevant, I’ll likely deliberatly keep using the “wrong” phrase just to see if/ when their head explodes or what variances of red and purple their faces can get:)

it’s all the same to me; sides, as Tyson said, SF is faster to type in tags..

By: Jackie Kessler

Jackie Kessler — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:25:23 +0000

I’m taking notes, to make sure I don’t commit a faux pas at the next convention I attend.

By: Karen Wester Newton

Karen Wester Newton — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:09:08 +0000

I like the term spec fic as being all inclusive of science fiction and fantasy as well as being easily understandable. I don’t think most people (as in the population of the U.S.) use sci-fi as a pejorative. They just mean science fiction. If they don’t like science fiction, it won’t matter what word they use.

And I have no patience with writers who act visibly insulted when a fan calls their work sci-fi and then in the next breath complain that they don’t have enough fans. Call it SF if you want to, but don’t treat people badly when they don’t know the insider terminology.

By: Blue Tyson

Blue Tyson — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:53:34 +0000

SF is much quicker to type. Important for tags, etc.

By: Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:11:29 +0000

I use “speculative fiction” and “spec fic” to refer to science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror, and all their interstitial slipstreamy neither-fish-nor-fowl cousins. (In fact, my class next spring is called “Writing Speculative Fiction.”) To my way of thinking, it’s a good umbrella term for non-mimetic fiction.

I tend to say SF more than sci-fi, and when I say sci-fi I do tend to mean media and/or stuff I think is kind of hacky. But mostly I’m a fantasy person anyway.

By: Satima Flavell

Satima Flavell — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:37:16 +0000

I’ve stopped using SF because it can stand for both Sci Fi (which I pronounce Sigh Fi, BTW) and Speculative Fiction, a more inclusive term which I prefer to abbreviate to SpecFic.

By: Kristine Smith

Kristine Smith — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:13:34 +0000

But then, I’ve also used the term “skiffy.” Because I like the way it sounds.

By: Kristine Smith

Kristine Smith — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:12:43 +0000

I also use the term “speculative fiction,” just because it covers an entire realm of work that some might argue doesn’t fall under the more strict header of ’science fiction.’ I tend to use it to cover SF, F, horror, and all the variations in between. Anything that isn’t strictly realistic.

Kris

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:43:42 +0000

Yep, potato, potahto, whatever. To me they’re synonymous and always have been. If I’m going to refer to ‘B’-type sci-fi movies, then I’ll call them that - ‘B’-type sci-fi movies.

On a related note, does any besides me actively use the phrase ’speculative fiction’?

By: SarahP

SarahP — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:30:05 +0000

Skiffy, definitely.