MaxFlorschutzAMA OP t1_iy5yd8p wrote on November 29, 2022 at 12:08 AM

Reply to comment by Bootsix in I am Max Florschutz, author of Science-Fiction and Fantasy, back again to celebrate the launch of my latest book, Starforge! by MaxFlorschutzAMA

I had to think about it for a moment, but I'd say no. Both require a lot of research and careful work/planning, and may require that in different areas, but overall I'd say that at least for what I write, neither is easier than the other. Each genre requires its own amount of work, research, study, and careful thought in their own way, but I wouldn't say one is easier or harder than the other. Axtara still had tons of research and study, just like Colony or Jungle did.

Good question.

Bootsix t1_iy5yths wrote on November 29, 2022 at 12:12 AM

Haha I agree, my brother and I had a small argument about being able to simply "magic" a problem away vs having to base the solution in science. So you seemed the perfect person to ask, thank you for taking the time.

MaxFlorschutzAMA OP t1_iy5z9xx wrote on November 29, 2022 at 12:15 AM

No worries. Thanks for the question.

"Hand-waving" exists in both genres, to be fair. Plenty of stories have devices magical or scientific that work via "Who knows, we just know that it works" logic.

But even if there is a magic solution to a problem, what sort of ramifications does that have for the setting? Can magicians create food? What's the cost, and would anyone ever starve? At the root, be it magic or science, the same questions about society and the world will be asked, and an author will need to have (or find) those answers.