Most loved Science Fantasy settings?

[Cyclone231]

Which is your favorite science fantasy setting?

Personally, I really like the 40k setting. There are some parts that bother me (Space Marines spit acid? Orks have genetic knowledge of technology that runs on Nonsensoleum? Tyranids, an already ridiculously wanked out race, are running from something?!?), but overall I find it a nice mesh of science fiction tropes (the Tyranids, the Tau) and fantasy tropes (the Eldar, the Orks, the Necrontyr) as well as an awesome cosmology which manages to fit polytheistic and monotheistic religious beliefs simultaneously.

[ArlEammon]

Star Trek...

Q are fascinating.

[Poison_Fish]

The first iteration of the Star drive campaign for Alternity. That was golden space opera awesomeness that would rival if not defeat most space opera shows.

[LordVader]

40k, as quite literal Science Fantasy, is near and dear to my heart.

I also love Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Starship Troopers universe. (Book and minis game, not movie.)

[LordVader]

40k, as quite literal Science Fantasy, is near and dear to my heart.

I also love Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Starship Troopers universe. (Book and minis game, not movie.)

[Pronounceable]

Geneforge (http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge/index.html) one of the (if not the) greatest setting ever invented.

Followed by 40k, Planescape, beginning seasons of Simpsons (which is actually a little fantastic what with the ToHs), Steven Brust's Drageara setting, Ravenloft.

EDIT: DOH! How could I forget Amber?

[Semidi]

I like reading about 40K it's an interesting concept. I'd probably do the miniature thing if the markup for one unpainting, unassembled, piece of two-cent plastic wasn't so huge. But yeah, I think the setting is cool enough that it almost sold me into biting the bullet and pay hundreds of dollars for plastic and make myself a Chaos army.

Other then that, in terms of pure setting, I liked Starship Troopers (the book, not the abortion of a movie) and the Dark City in the film, Dark City.

[puppyavenger]

Warhammer 40k or Roger Zelazny's Amber

[Shademan]

stargate aint that bad.

[Cyclone231]

I just want to clarify...

When I said "most loved Science Fantasy" I meant "Science Fantasy." If I'd meant Science Fiction or Fantasy, I'd say "Speculative Fiction" or some other, equally pretentious, way of saying "Science Fiction or Fantasy." Or I'd just say "Science Fiction or Fantasy."

[Athaniar]

Then what do you mean with Science Fantasy? That's an oxymoron. You mean something more unbelievable, like Star Wars, rather than something more theoretically possible, like Alien (sort of)?

If that's what you mean, is Stargate Science Fantasy? If it is, I'll choose that.

EDIT: Here it is:
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fantasy]]

[Irenaeus]

It depends on what you consider Science Fantasy. If Frank Herbert's Dune fits the bill, then I pick Dune (excluding the horrible, horrible prequels).

[Cyclone231]

Then what do you mean with Science Fantasy? Science Fantasy is a blending of Science Fiction elements (space travel, lasers, robots, the Bug Aliens, the Warrior Philosophers, et cetera) and Fantasy elements (magic, real gods, elves, orcs, et cetera).


That's an oxymoron.And science fiction is a misnomer. Your point?


You mean something more unbelievable, like Star Wars, rather than something more theoretically possible, like Alien (sort of)?Yes. Star Wars is Science Fantasy. Alien is not.


If that's what you mean, is Stargate Science Fantasy? If it is, I'll choose that.I dunno, I've never watched Stargate.

[Eldan]

I know only the stargate movie, but ît's pretty much Science Fantasy. The egyptian gods are aliens. And there's a magical portal that teleports you across the galaxy. Nice movie, but not that great.

I'd also say the Dune universe. The first one was pretty good sci fi but those with the god emperor are really beyond realistic.

[Serpentine]

I'm quite certain McCaffrey's Pern series would count...
It's dragons in space! :smallbiggrin:

[Rare Pink Leech]

Most definitely Star Wars. Especially if you ignore the prequel trilogy and anything from New Jedi Order onwards in the Expanded Universe.

[SilentNight]

I kind of liked China Mieville's World even if it's not the most high-tech. Would Firefly count? If so then that's my favorite.

[GolemsVoice]

I have to support Warhammer 40000. It may have it's flaws, and, yes, the products are often too expensive, but the fluff is what counts.

[Athaniar]

Well, since all Stargate things are explained by scientific terms... well, maybe except for the magic-slinging energy deus ex machina beings (ancients), I'm not sure if it is Sci-Fan.

If it's not, I'm going to say Star Wars.

[CharlieSmiles]

Star Wars
(am I the only one out there who enjoyed the prequals and still enjoys the EU?)

[Pronounceable]

Probably yes.

[SMEE]

No questions here.
Dune is THE science fantasy setting.

[mikeloop86]

Would have to go with StarCraft.

[Muz]

I just want to clarify...

When I said "most loved Science Fantasy" I meant "Science Fantasy." If I'd meant Science Fiction or Fantasy, I'd say "Speculative Fiction" or some other, equally pretentious, way of saying "Science Fiction or Fantasy." Or I'd just say "Science Fiction or Fantasy."

"Speculative fiction" isn't pretentious, it's just a very broad category that's pretty much anything that isn't mainstream. It doesn't just mean sci-fi and fantasy, it's also alternate history, horror/supernatural, some mystery (depending on whom you ask), and hard to define stuff (well, for me anyway) like magical realism.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress.

...Gnooomessss innnnn....spaaaaaaace!

[Closet_Skeleton]

...Gnooomessss innnnn....spaaaaaaace!

No... Spelljammer just sounds awful every time I hear about it.

[Muz]

No... Spelljammer just sounds awful every time I hear about it.

Yes, but it's in its awfulocity that I find my amusement. :smallwink:

[Tengu]

The worlds of FF6&7 - the first one is more like Science Steampunk, the second is Science Fantasy to the boot, just without space travel.

Also, I am very, very tempted to quote all the people who didn't post Science Fantasy examples here.

[Smeik]

I have to support the warhammer 40k universe also, because of the fluff.

And i also like the Shadowrun setting very, very much, don't know why. could be because in Germany, there are actually good books about it.

I mean, there is a Dragon just next door running the biggest company in the world? Yes please.:smallbiggrin:

[Lord of the Helms]

I have to support the warhammer 40k universe also, because of the fluff.

And i also like the Shadowrun setting very, very much, don't know why. could be because in Germany, there are actually good books about it.

I mean, there is a Dragon just next door running the biggest company in the world? Yes please.:smallbiggrin:

Even better is the dragon running for president of the US :smallbiggrin:

Yeah, I agree that Shadowrun is a very, very cool setting as far as the fantasy/scifi mixture goes, and unlike Warhammer 40K can actually be enjoyed in a non-tongue-in-cheek way.

[sun_tzu]

Star Wars
(am I the only one out there who enjoyed the prequals and still enjoys the EU?)

I did enjoy the prequels. Just not nearly as much as the original trilogy.

[Metal Head]

I'd go with Starcraft. I know it may not seem very "science fantasty", but when you read the history of the protoss it does seem more fantasy than you might think. I like the three races (which seem to be pretty similar to the Halo races), the history, the characters, and the mood.

[Piedmon_Sama]

As a setting that mixes the tropes of science fiction and high fantasy, I'd go with 40k for the number one spot. It's such a huge universe, you could incorporate just about anything you wanted into it. It's all possibilities, even outside the stuff immediately relating to the tabletop game. I can't say Dune because honestly I could just never get through the book, even though it's a cool idea (and obviously Warhammer 40k owes Dune a MASSIVE inspirational debt). StarCraft, though some might argue it's derivative (of a derivative?) has established its own character pretty well, so I'd put that on the list.

Otherwise, Full Metal Alchemist is an excellent blend of late-period Steampunk with semi-spiritual elements. And Neon Genesis Evangelion's post apocalyptic earth menaced by angels opens up a huge number of possibilities that are sadly never explored.

[loopy]

Firefly/Serenity setting, gotta love the 'Verse.

Star Wars is another favorite, though I generally ignore everything to do with Jedi and focus on smugglers. I also wonder what Nerf Medallions taste like.

[Tengu]

*explodes from Posters' Lack Of Comprehension Overload*

What about Star Trek, Starship Troopers, Dark City, Stargate, Starcraft or Firefly is Science Fantasy?

[mikeejimbo]

Would Arcanum count?

[Tengu]

Yes. Steampunk is a part of science fiction, therefore steampunk with fantasy elements is science fantasy.

Speaking of which, I totally forgot about FMA when I made my initial post. And FMA deserves to be mentioned here. Good that Piedmon_Sama did that.