Terry Pratchett: Science Fiction or Fantasy? - Mark Lawson Talks ToTerry Pratchett - BBC

Terry Pratchett talks about his books being consigned into the eluisve Science Fiction section of bookshops. Great clip form BBC show Mark Lawson Talks To: Terry Pratchett. Watch more high quality videos on the new BBC Worldwide YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/bbcworldwide

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[UltimateTrollShow]

LOVE ALL DISCWORLD NOVELS!!! Sam Vimes of the Ankh Morpork City Watch is awesome!

[direweasal]

Yes they do, they both involve imaginary worlds with a heavy speculative element. I accept that 1984 and I, Robot are set on Earth, but they are "imaginary" Earths.

[TheOriginalBoman]

If it wasn't established so early on about the nature of the unseen university's library and its books, I would've guessed that the quote "we don't let them out of the science-fiction department" was the inspiration for that

[makeiteasyable]

for me its brilliant

[Simpsonsfreak1134]

I love how when he said near the end,"I started to realize around book 4", I automatically thought "Mort".

[KapStuf]

@CheDonJohn I once gave a 20 min lecture on how SF isn't a genre in itself, but any other genre with unreal or speculative elements added which allow for a internally plausible plot that couldn't occur in the real world - but still remain romance, quest, heist etc.

Every example turned up counter-examples. Which led to 25 extra minutes and lots of confusion.

[CheDonJohn]

@GoblinXXX I totally agree. Sciene Fiction is about taking an idea or concept and placing it in a fictional setting in order to understand or interpret it differently; good examples being Planet of the Apes, Children of Men, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine, Outer Limits, etc.

Star Wars doesn't really do any of this. It is simply a classic fable of good vs evil, with a dose of romance and redemption thrown in. I love Star Wars (the originals), but it is fantasy, not sci-fi.

[volvoxmusix]

@Crunchy68 o, i evny you a bit, although envy ain't quite everything i feel ^^ it's also feel happy for you to have been face to face to pratchett in person! keep that book in high honor!

[Crunchy68]

I met Terry Pratchett once at a book signing. I couldn't have been prouder if Shakespeare himself had signed me a copy of Taming of the Shrew! My life is complete.

[RobinZimm]

I'm ... somewhat amused that the interviewer seems to think a Major Author like Terry Pratchett doesn't *want* his novels in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section. I think Terry nails the reason for this attitude from the interviewer with his anecdote about his agent, of course, and I think his reaction is exactly correct: he is writing fantasy, and he has no objection to that.

[hjenkinz]

@Skopsen that's fantastic news

[Skopsen]

Biggest bookshop in Uppsala, Sweden actually had it's own Terry Pratchett corner between fantasy and sci-fi. No other auther got that kind of space.