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Sci-Fi

Gerry Quinn · 16 Dec 2010, 17:44 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:44:18 -0000
Subject: (urth) Sci-Fi
References: <B7D2542A-8A0E-4F19-BF81-F80EAFB9F571 at butcherbaker.org><590010.75633.qm at web84108.mail.mud.yahoo.com><AANLkTimcMTGQ5HM3o2b9_SyqzFD-T-gPdHk8bENwBaQx at mail.gmail.com><2824B484-6B51-46ED-80B8-28C3F2DC2D2A at butcherbaker.org>
	<AANLkTi=hhFz-_OeZeizNMNzFk+20F7G8n8Bzu5a50G3c at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <C579C543C4614FB3AF08CE312CECDEFD@jill>


From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" <danldo at gmail.com>

> "Sci-Fi" is the sound of two crickets screwing.
>
> More seriously: "Sci-Fi" is a term made up by a publicity hack, in
> analogy with the then-popular "Hi-Fi" for "high fidelity" stereo
> equipment. It referred, and in many SF fans' minds still refers, to
> movies about giant insects devouring Cleveland and suchlike. "Sci-fi"
> is, in short, _bad_ science fiction.

Or, more precisely, sciemce fiction as described by those with no idea of 
what is good or bad science fiction.  I think I would have subscribed to 
that concept in the past, but I feel that the term 'sci-fi' has lost a good 
deal of its pejorative force over the past couple of decades.  So while I 
would use 'SF', 'Sci-Fi' no longer bothers me much.

- Gerry Quinn


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