From: alfie@mail.invalid   
      
   On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:48:13 +0100, "StainlessSteelRat"   
    wrote:   
      
   >What supports that though? I can see elements in both stories that are   
   >uniquely SF.   
   >   
   I always consider Space Opera to be more 'speculative/melodramatic'   
   fiction, more concerned with the heroic character interplay than a   
   realistic setting and willing to bend the rules as and when required   
   for .   
      
   Space Opera the Role Play Game, and Traveller (not so much   
   MegaTraveller/Traveller2300) would be key illustrations of the genre   
   in gaming. E.E. Doc Smiths Lensman series is considered Space Opera   
   fiction in writing terms. The Culture series by Iain M Banks is also   
   considered Space Opera for it's wide-ranging super-future universe.   
      
   Hard Sci Fi tends to have it's background more rooted in popular or   
   current academical understanding and limits of   
   physics/electronics/biology/etc. Arthur C. Clarke particularly   
   epitomises the genre, as he used his research on current tech to   
   design new fictional tech. Some of my fave Sci Fi authors also have   
   academic backgrounds in Physics/Astronomy/etc such as Gregory Benford.   
      
   Actually, wikipedia has a pretty good contrast definition;   
   Space opera can also be contrasted with "hard science fiction", in   
   which the emphasis is on the effects of technological progress and   
   inventions, and where the settings are carefully worked out to obey   
   the laws of physics, cosmology, mathematics, and biology. There is,   
   however (according to some), no sharp division between hard science   
   fiction and true space opera.   
      
   I would agree, it is not a hard line between them, but if you find   
   yourself thinking 'wtf, how did he get out of that?', or 'how do small   
   furry critters *cough*ewoks*cough* take down supposedly elite armoured   
   troopers with a pointy stick and a small rock?' it's most likely Space   
   Opera.   
      
   If Ridley had not created such a believeable setting behind BR, his   
   focus that everything must look real and work, then it could be   
   either, (although I'd still feel more SF than SO) but I think that   
   because of what he did with it it is not Space Opera, even though the   
   focus of the story is the characters and the meta question of what is   
   it to be human?.   
   --   
   Alfie [UK]   
      
   If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)