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Just a slightly OT grumble, but who on earth decided it made sense to lump science fiction with fantasy? Other than the fact that a few authors mine both genres, “SciFi/Fantasy” makes about as much sense as “Murder/Pet Care”. I like science fiction with the rivets showing, and am disgusted every time I go into the book shop and have to wade through endress “Sword of the Silver Claw”, “Claw of the Silver Talon”, “Empress of the Dark Woode”, “Talon of the Grey Wilderness” claptrap. Put it in another section so I don’t have to wade through the drivel to find something worth reading.

“endress” not “endless”? Don’t know how that happened, the r’s not even close to the l on the keyboard. Time for bed.

Just a slightly OT grumble, but who on earth decided it made sense to lump science fiction with fantasy? Other than the fact that a few authors mine both genres, “SciFi/Fantasy” makes about as much sense as “Murder/Pet Care”. I like science fiction with the rivets showing, and am disgusted every time I go into the book shop and have to wade through endress “Sword of the Silver Claw”, “Claw of the Silver Talon”, “Empress of the Dark Woode”, “Talon of the Grey Wilderness” claptrap. Put it in another section so I don’t have to wade through the drivel to find something worth reading.

OK My "No, and" (or maybe it's a "Yes, but") moment on this came during a similar rant I was making to the owner of my favorite SF/Famtasy specialty bookshop. Then in a "This will only embarass me if I permit it", I glance over to the New Arrivals shelf and notice she has Gordon Dickson's "Dragon on the Border" in. Score!

While Fantasy in bulk tends to the mind-numbing, in the hands of a proper SF author like Gordon Dickson, Poul Anderson, L Sprague deCamp, Elizabeth Moon, Mary Gentle (or on a slightly different note, Cordwainer Smith), fantasy is a totally different breed. It's about the author having the discipline to set the rules of the fantasiverse beforehand and then telling a story within those limits. (Sort of like how Science Fiction should be done)

And I note that none of those authors made the list - No Dragon and the George, no Merman's Children, no Incomplete Enchanter, no The Sheepfarmer's Daughter, no Grunts.

Where have NPR listeners been for the past 50 years? It's like these NPR SF fans live in a world of their own ... (OK think I'm losing the point again, all SF fans do this)

It's easier to lump the two together because there are cases where you can argue where a book should belong. It's on another planet. It's science fiction. But there's magic and dragons. Okay, it's fantasy. And it's terrifying. Um, is it horror now?

Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars books are high on fantasy elements, but are they sci-fi?

If you think about it, why are "Dune" and "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in the same list? They are totally different types of books. The list can be split up many, many ways.