| dc.description.abstract | The differentiation which has occurred between science fiction/fantasy and what I have called the mainstream, and between science fiction and fantasy, is also present in important form within the two fields. This distinction may be most effectively noted through the study of some of the key literary elements involved in each genre. By examining the construction, use, and relative importance of characterization, world-creation (setting), plot, and style, one may see the presence of two groups within both fantasy and science fiction. Parallels between these divisions in each field may also be noted.
To define most effectively both the elements and the divisions, I have chosen four modern authors who, in my opinion, are representative of the best in each of the areas I am examining. These authors have won both critical and popular acclaim within the field, although they are recent enough that they have not attracted the widespread notice outside of the field given to older, well-known authors (Tolkien and Asimov, for example). I will first work to define the elements from a general, theoretical perspective, and then to illuminate the details using examples from my four authors in particular, as well as from the genres in general. | en |
