^{"Magicians and scientists are, on the face of it, poles apart. Certainly, a group of people who often dress strangely, live in a world of their own, speak a specialized language and frequently make statements that appear to be in flagrant breach of common sense have nothing in common with a group of people who often dress strangely, speak a specialized language, live in ... er ... "
~Terry Pratchett, in 'The Science of Discworld'}

Science-Fantasy is a group dedicated to the sub-genre of fantasy art and fiction of the same name. Since there seems to be some confusion as to what this group is about, I made this journal as a dumping ground for explanations and examples.

So What Exactly IS Science-Fantasy?
Science-Fiction and Fantasy are grouped together under the broad head 'Speculative Fiction'. Science-Fantasy is an amalgamation of both science-fiction and fantasy genres, and combines elements from each - think science and magic in the same setting.

Since it blends elements of both of these genres, not to mention crossovers with other sci-fi and fantasy sub-genres, there is a huge scope for what can be included. Typical high fantasy archetypes can be blended with typical elements of sci-fi while typical sci-fi archetypes can have elements of fantasy included. This allows you to make elves, vampires, ghosts and more magical creatures turn up where-ever you want them, whilst still having healthy doses of gadgetry, cyborgs and mega-tech.

This group is dedicated to this mixed genre, Science-Fantasy, not the seperate genres science-fiction, and fantasy.

Read more in this Wiki entry:
- "A definition, offered by Rod Serling, is that "science fiction makes the implausible possible, while science fantasy makes the impossible plausible." The meaning is that science fiction describes unlikely things that could possibly take place in the real world under certain conditions, while science fantasy gives a veneer of realism to things that simply could not happen in the real world under any circumstances."
- "a writer can write a fantasy using magic of various sorts, and yet turn the story into science fiction by positing some highly advanced technology, or as-yet-unknown but ultimately thoroughly provable science, as an explanation for how the magic can occur. Another writer can describe a future world where technologies are so advanced to be invisible, and the effects produced would be classified as magical if they were only described as such. A world might include magic which only some people (or only the reader) know to be in fact technological effects."

How Do I Know What Is and Is Not Science-Fantasy?
Really very simply! Here are some basic examples which will be expanded upon below:
In a hyper-futuristic setting, a fantasy race such as elves takes the place of humans or aliens as the crew of a spaceship.
Magic as a fuel for advanced technology such as spacecraft, weapons, and other vehicles etc.
Modern-day urban fantasy (or urban fantasy set in the near future) is by nature a type of science fantasy, since a traditional fantasy setting is foregone for a modern, urban one - along with all the modern technology that goes with it. HOWEVER, simply setting a completely fantasy story in a modern setting doesn't really make it Science-Fantasy; there still needs to be sci-fi elements.
As above, fantasy creatures in sci-fi universes, with a heavily scientific basis. This is one of my favourites and something I personally play with a lot.

Remember science-fantasy at its basis is science and magic, though as the quotes above imply, it is sometimes more complicated than that. If you're unsure about something, ask yourself these two questions:
1) Does it have science-fiction elements or a scientific basis?
^{Eg: Advanced gadgetry, hyper-technology, hyper-modern setting, spaceships, space travel, time travel, cyborgs and so on.}
2) Does it have fantasy elements or fantastic creatures?
^{Eg: magical powers and/or psychic powers derived from a none-scientific source or which, magic as an energy source, mystical artifacts, magical creatures such as elves, fairies, demons, angels etc, paranormal creatures such as vampires, werewolves etc; traditional fantasy settings such as the medieval era, the mystic forest etc; fantasy style weaponry or 'archaic' weaponry in comparison to the time period - eg. using swords and bows in an otherwise technologically advanced, gun-wielding universe.}

If the answer to both questions is yes, then it's Science-Fantasy. If the answer to one or both of these is no, it's probably not applicable for this group

What's Accepted In This Group
Our primary focus is obviously science-fantasy on the whole. However we accept work from other subgenres as long as it has sci-fan elements - for example, urban fantasy, steampunk, dark fantasy and 'traditional' sci-fi settings mixed with fantasy elements such as magic, fantastical beings etc.
Please note: simply being set on a different planet to Earth does NOT make a science-fantasy piece; other planets can be purely fantasy, but likewise they can be purely sci-fi.

We also accept creatures which are considered to be purely fantasy (ie. vampires, werewolves, elves) but which have been given a scientific basis or a sci-fi twist (nanotechnology being the cause of vampirism for example, as in Lynsay Sands' Argeneau Vampires books). The same goes for concepts which can appear purely fantastical but are grounded in science ('magic' or psychic abilities with scientific, biological basis).

Character and Creature concepts and designs from sci-fan universes are extremely welcome, but if it is not at first perfectly obvious they are, please do make it known to us or we may decline your submission.

Illustrations and lit excerpts from novels are accepted, as are paintings, drawings and other artwork which could conceivably be from a science-fantasy universe. We are being as lenient as possible these days - creature designs, character concepts and so on are generally accepted unless it's very, very obvious that they are not from a science-fantasy setting. Illustrations are more difficult; if they can conceivably be from a sci-fan universe then they will be accepted. If they are not, then they will be denied. ALL literature submissions are read through thoroughly. If it is not obvious in the submissions we receive, they will be denied.

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Specific Examples
Note: Please bare in mind that pieces will have to fit the other criteria of the group before they are accepted.

Books
Patricia Briggs - Mercedes Thompson Series
Examples: Moon Called, Blood Bounds, Bone Crossed, Iron Kissed
Modern setting with werewolves, vampires, ghosts and fairies. Mercedes Thompson herself is a shapeshifter.

Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl series
Examples: Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, The Eternity Code, The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony, The Time Paradox
Modern Earth setting with bits of advanced tech and highly technologically advanced fairy species.

Gail Carriger - Parasol Protectorate series
Examples: Soulless, Changeless, Blameless
Neo-victorian setting with advanced steampunk type tech, along with paranormal creatures such as vampires, werewolves and ghosts.

Mercedes Lackey - Elves On The Road Universe
Examples: SERRAted Edge series (Chrome Born, Born to Run, Wheels of Fire etc), also including Bedlam's Bard (Knights of Ghosts and Shadows etc) and the Diana Tregarde trilogy (Burning Water, Children of the Knight, Jinx High) since all these are the same universe.
Very fantasy style elves and elvish otherworlds based within a modern earth setting. SERRA (the South East Road Racing Association) was set up by the elves in order to fit in with their modern setting - elves racing magic-powered cars.
Diana Tregarde and Bedlam's Bard are mostly fantasy based in and of themselves but since they are the same universe I would accept them both.

Holly Lisle - the Secret Texts
Examples: Diplomacy of Wolves, Courage of Falcons, Vengeance of Dragons, Vincalis the Agitator

George Mann - Newbury & Hobbes series; Adventures of the Ghost series
Examples: The Affinity Bridge, The Osiris Ritual, The Immortality Engine (Newbury & Hobbes), The Ghosts of Manhattan (Adventures of the Ghost)
Neo-historical universe with many fantasy elements and steampunky technology. Airships, clockwork automata, vampires in the fog, coal-powered engines, monsters from the other side and holographic 'telephones' abound. Also worth buying simply for their gorgeous cover art.

Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials
Examples: Northern Lights (also published as The Golden Compass in America), The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass; also Lyra's Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North, and The Book of Dust
This series is a great example, primarily because it has those wonderful fantasy elements (the daemons, the witches, the Materials themselves etc) and the sci-fi element (the science behind the Dust, and other things). If you've never read this series, you seriously should.

Matthew Reilley - Jack West Jr books
Examples: Seven Ancient Wonder, Six Sacred Stones, Five Greatest Warriors
Initially appear to be the usual action thrillers this guy is known for, quickly become a little more sci-fan with the introduction of the definite 'magic' element of the Seven Wonders and especially the Stones. It's all grounded in pseudo-science, but that doesn't make it any less fantastical.

Lynsay Sands - Argeneau Vampires and Rogue Hunter series
Examples: A Quick Bite, Vampires are Forever, The Accidental Vampire, The Rogue Hunter, Immortal Hunter etc
As mentioned above, her 'vampires' are the bioproduct of nanotechnology. This is an example of a fantasy creature given science-fiction basis and is included here for this reason. The stories themselves aren't particularly this genre though.

Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
Hellsing manga
Modern setting, guns - including ridiculous, over-sized sci-fi manga weaponry - tanks, the lot; and paranormal creatures such as werewolves and vampires. Lobo says: Don't forget the zombies.

Trinity Blood
From what I have read of the manga, this falls into this genre quite nicely, what with vampires everywhere and more than a little high-technology (Tres-kun, not to mention Crusnik).

Witchblade Universe (Top Cow Publication)
Modern 21st century urban setting with magical weaponry and powers
Also includes other things from this universe such as the Darkness, Angellus, and the Magdalena; despite them being mostly sci-fi based, this also includes Hunter-Killer and, since the comics link strongly with the Witchblade storyline in places, the Tomb Raider comics.
Includes both Witchblade: Takeru manga and the Witchblade anime with Masane Amaha. All of the comics based on any of the thirteen artifacts are included in this universe (ie Witchblade, Darkness, Angellus, Glacier Stone, Ember Stone, Kesuma no Katana/Blood Sword, Spear of Destiny [Magdalena], Pandora's Box, the Rapture, Wheel of Shadows, Heart Stone, Coin of Solomon, The Thirteenth).
Not the same universe, but also by Top Cow is Madame Mirage, which uses mega-technology as a root cause for super-hero-like powers, much the same way Cyberforce and Hunter-Killer do. Also, it's illustrated by Kenneth Rocafort so it's visually stunning!

Films & TV
James Cameron's Avatar
This one is somewhat debatable; the combination of the humans' hyper-advanced technology with the psychic link of all the Pandoran creatures (as well as between Avatar and driver), along with the undeniably fantastical setting of Pandora itself make it science fantasy in my opinion.

Indiana Jones series
Particularly with the first two films, Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. The setting is fairly 'modern', with cars, guns etc, but the effects of the Ark and the Shankara stones are quite magical. Some of the locations are fantastical too. Crystal Skulls could well have been, except for, ya know, aliens.

SuckerPunch
Guns, swords, robots, and a dragon. Plus most of the story takes place in a dreamlike interpretation of reality. I think this belongs here.

Disney's Gargoyles
Animated show of the 90s and a perfect example of Science-Fantasy despite it's age. Storylines contain both uber future technology and magic.

Games
Assassin's Creed
Based on the second quote above, I have decided to include this here due to the Pieces of Eden really being alien technology whilst most of the characters (apart from the modern assassins) believe them to be mystic artifacts. Also, the historical settings and the magic-like effects of the Pieces mixed with the modern setting and advanced tech of the real time parts of the game puts it tentatively in this category - making the impossible plausible indeed.

Fable
Particularly the second and especially the third in the series, thanks to the advancement of technology over the first game - clockwork rifles and pistols, the Spire, and so on.

Final Fantasy series
Guns, spaceships, and other hyper-modern things mixed with fantastical settings and metaphysics/magic.

Tomb Raider
I'm mostly thinking in terms of the most recent two, Legend and Underworld; thralls (read as Zombies), Yetis, and both Excalibur and Mjolnir's magic-like abilities. Also, some of the earlier games' creatures are included. Some of it is science-masquerading-as-magic too.

Warhammer and Warhammer 40K [novels included]
I have never played this myself, but at Lobo's suggestion I've put this in as it is mostly sci-fi, but it has many fantasy styled worlds, demons, space-elves etc which give it fantasy elements.

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Example suggestions? Drop a note or a comment here!