Reader Question: English, the Ultimate Tongue

Bowie from Young Writers Online recently asked the following: Why do all aliens speak some form of English? Well, the truth is that aliens exist within a strange temporal distortion in which they are exposed to English before human beings even exist, so when they come knocking, they are not only fluent in the language, […]

Reader Question: The Adams Contention

Library Dad asks: What is the funniest fantasy/sci-fi book you’ve ever read? The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams hands down. I technically didn’t read it, but listened to the audiobook. That still counts in my book. A question like this deserves a little more than just naming a book though. What is […]

Reader Question: Adaptations and Respecting the Original

Dave B. recently asked this question: How separate should we consider an adaptation from its source material? Before broaching this topic, I think fronting this discussion with a brief sidestep into issues of purity is in order. What matters most in regards to adaptations? The quality of the film as a film, rather than as […]

Reader Question: Unexpected Expansions and Expectations

My dear friend Carraka recently asked me the following question: Are fantasy series more likely to expand, unplanned, than science fiction? Actually, you’d be surprised to know that science fiction is the more likely genre to have unplanned expansions. Unlike fantasy, science fiction is not as readily susceptible to series-itis. This has quite a lot […]

Reader Question: Vampires and Elves and Dwarves, Oh My!

(Yet again I have forgotten to write down who asked this question. If the person who asked sees this, let us know who you are in the comments.) Cliches in fantasy (and science fiction) seem to be a hot topic these days, what with urban fantasy paving the way towards over-saturation of the market, and […]

Reader Question: Science Fiction Definition (and Other Rhyming Goodness)(Part Two)

(Read Part One) The more I study and understand science fiction, the more I realize that the genre is simultaneously limitless and limited. While most consumers of popular fiction and films are quick to say “science fiction is spaceships and aliens,” I find such gross determinations to be overly simplistic and impossible to equate with […]