Poll

should humans be able to produce ofspring with alien and/or magical beings?

Yes
2 (8%)
yes but only certain ones
20 (80%)
No
1 (4%)
no because its overused
2 (8%)

Total Members Voted: 24

Author Topic: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi  (Read 23065 times)

Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #45 on: August 04, 2010, 01:38:10 PM »
Combind with other post for coherence. ;D
« Last Edit: August 04, 2010, 02:16:10 PM by MoSeS_ »

Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #46 on: August 04, 2010, 01:44:31 PM »
why is saying that alien technology provides infinite free energy unbelievable . you are assuming that these races evolved technologically along the same lines as humans. there is a very interesting documentary done by this physicist and his theory is that advanced races may have technology so vastly different from ours that what we think of as advanced science could be a infants toy to them. free infinite energy is not outside the realm of possibility.

Infinite energy may not even be that far from reality currently. Take the Super Colliders and the photons/anti-matter or whatever those whacky scientist are working on. Anyways I am no physicists, but it seems that even in reality infinite energy is not that implausible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Large_Hadron_Collider

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_accelerator

The movie The Saint and Chain Reaction, both came out in the 90's i think, and both were about limitless energy.

I don't want to debate that the energy isn't infinite as there is a finite amount of hydrogen on earth, blah blah blah

I'm just saying, it's not too ridiculous to make a movie about it.

I think in most Sci-Fi the aliens have some source of energy that is practical infinite anyways.

I doubt all the Star Wars ship were Diesels.

What about all those alien energy weapons you see in most sci-fi, they have to get energy from something.

What powers a Transformer.

I think these questions all defeat the purpose of Science Fiction media and Author Craft, it's for entertainment.

If it's explained well and plausible, let it ride. (once again, I am not arguing what is plausible, just using this term loosely here)

Moreover, nothing is perfect, personally I could find some way to pick apart any fiction.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2010, 02:14:55 PM by MoSeS_ »

Offline the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #47 on: August 04, 2010, 03:46:11 PM »
why is saying that alien technology provides infinite free energy unbelievable . you are assuming that these races evolved technologically along the same lines as humans.

No, I am working on the basis that there are certain fundamental things we know about how the universe works, and if you want to overturn them plausibly, it needs an explanation, not just an assertion.

The law of conservation of energy is not a feature of the technology we have to hand at the moment.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2010, 03:49:40 PM by neurovore »
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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #48 on: August 04, 2010, 03:48:37 PM »
I think you are thinking more realistically of actual aliens and the improbability of them being able to mate.
I am thinking of fiction. I am thinking totally make-believe beings, having totally make-believe sex, and having make-believe babies. Just for fictions sake.

I think you are missing my point a little.

If you want me to believe your fiction enough to enjoy it rather than hurl the book across the room with great prejudice, you will apply a reasonable degree of coherent thought to your premise and make it make internal sense.
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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #49 on: August 04, 2010, 03:55:21 PM »
Infinite energy may not even be that far from reality currently. Take the Super Colliders and the photons/anti-matter or whatever those whacky scientist are working on. Anyways I am no physicists, but it seems that even in reality infinite energy is not that implausible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Large_Hadron_Collider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_accelerator

I am familiar with how these work, and converting matter to energy is neither generating energy from nothing nor infinite; large, yes, infinite no.

Quote
The movie The Saint and Chain Reaction, both came out in the 90's i think, and both were about limitless energy.

One could argue that this was part of why they sucked potato soup through a straw..

Quote
I think in most Sci-Fi the aliens have some source of energy that is practical infinite anyways.

I think you are again reading very different SF from what I'm reading. (Come to think of it, calling it "SciFi" is kind of a clue, there.)

Quote
I doubt all the Star Wars ship were Diesels.
What about all those alien energy weapons you see in most sci-fi, they have to get energy from something.
What powers a Transformer.

All these examples are fantasy. Star Wars has the Force.  Transformers have that mystical meteorite thing.

Quote
If it's explained well and plausible, let it ride. (once again, I am not arguing what is plausible, just using this term loosely here)

Of course; this is why I am stalling on things that are neither explained well nor plausible.  (Reasonable recent examples of things I think of as being well explained and plausible, if you're interested in a point of comparison; Greg Egan's Diaspora.  Peter Watts' Blindsight, which you can get for free at the authors' website here: http://www.rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm - fair warning, this is not the happiest book in the world.)
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Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #50 on: August 04, 2010, 04:24:39 PM »
I am familiar with how these work, and converting matter to energy is neither generating energy from nothing nor infinite; large, yes, infinite no.

Deja Vu, I had a similar discussion about the laws of thermodynamics a few years ago when I was trying out an HHO Generator on my car. The argument was that you can't create energy from nothing, but in that argument they failed to understand that energy wasn't being created, but rather being used more efficiently by using excess energy leaked from the alternator to generate a gas supplement. Anyhow, that's off topic.

All these examples are fantasy. Star Wars has the Force.  Transformers have that mystical meteorite thing.

Ah! Exactly! This is what I was trying to clarify earlier, I was still operating under the assumption Sci Fi was pretty much anything that involves outerspace, aliens, or advance tech.

See that is where I am having trouble drawing the line between the two, because for example, almost everything on SyFy channel is actually fantasy. Is that why they changed their name?

Ok, I think I get I get it now, Sicence Fiction is basically like other fiction like Harlequin Romance, where it is realistic, but the characters and story fictional vs. fantasy where anything goes.

However I think there is a really really fine line there, or blurry line, or whatever.

Do you believe the saying "nothing is impossible"?

Now we have gone from Science Fiction to Philosophy, YAY!
« Last Edit: August 04, 2010, 04:47:53 PM by MoSeS_ »

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #51 on: August 04, 2010, 05:28:48 PM »
Ah! Exactly! This is what I was trying to clarify earlier, I was still operating under the assumption Sci Fi was pretty much anything that involves outerspace, aliens, or advance tech.

I am working with the notion that SF is defined by inhernetly making logical sense based on its premises, and by being set in universes meant to be understood. 

Quote
See that is where I am having trouble drawing the line between the two, because for example, almost everything on SyFy channel is actually fantasy. Is that why they changed their name?

I have no clue. I've not watched broadcast TV in fourteen years.

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Do you believe the saying "nothing is impossible"?

Not at all.
Mildly OCD. Please do not troll.

"What do you mean, Lawful Silly isn't a valid alignment?"

kittensgame, Sandcastle Builder, Homestuck, Welcome to Night Vale, Civ III, lots of print genre SF, and old-school SATT gaming if I had the time.  Also Pandemic Legacy is the best game ever.

Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #52 on: August 04, 2010, 08:07:10 PM »
I have no clue. I've not watched broadcast TV in fourteen years.

Really? Does that include shows via like Hulu too? Did you watch DF TV show? I guess it's not that surprising. I went about eight years without really watching "TV", tho i still watched movies.

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #53 on: August 05, 2010, 01:37:02 AM »
Really? Does that include shows via like Hulu too?

I'm in Canada, which Hulu does not service.

I occasionally catch things on DVD, but as timing goes I have just about caught up with I, Claudius.

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Did you watch DF TV show?

Not yet, though it's on the list.
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Offline Nickeris86

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #54 on: August 05, 2010, 04:33:03 AM »
I'm in Canada, which Hulu does not service.

I occasionally catch things on DVD, but as timing goes I have just about caught up with I, Claudius.

Not yet, though it's on the list.


netflix
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Offline Shecky

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #55 on: August 05, 2010, 10:35:45 AM »
netflix

Last I checked, lack of time was an issue, so no subscription to Netflix can fix that.
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Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #56 on: August 05, 2010, 02:11:59 PM »
You can also watch a lot of shows via the networks site. I don't know about Canada, but I watched It's Always Sunny via FX website, I watched the Pilot of The Gates via ABC website. Those are free.

But yeah I get the time issue. For me I waste way too much time with Video Games when I should be catching up on movies and TV shows, and maybe some good books.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2010, 02:13:55 PM by MoSeS_ »

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #57 on: August 05, 2010, 02:32:44 PM »

Ok, I think I get I get it now, Sicence Fiction is basically like other fiction like Harlequin Romance, where it is realistic, but the characters and story fictional vs. fantasy where anything goes.


Science fiction has to have universe rules that allow the existence of a science.   It doesn't have to be our  science.

Offline MoSeS

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #58 on: August 05, 2010, 03:16:27 PM »
Well if it a made-up science, doesn't that kind of loop back to Fantasy then?

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Re: Cross Species Breeding in fantasy sifi
« Reply #59 on: August 05, 2010, 03:25:57 PM »
Well if it a made-up science, doesn't that kind of loop back to Fantasy then?

It can, if you don't use the science you've made up as a science within the work you're writing.  

(Merely using technological products such as pulling the trigger on a blaster isn't using a science, it's using a technology.   I would call it tech-fantasy.)

Of course, then you've also just wasted the ton of work and imagination that it takes to actually make up a logical rules science.