Defining SF -Indian Approach !

We have had a very illuminating discussion on even as basic thing of sf as its definition here and related threads on the Yahoo Forum.Some excerpts from there on this blog also.

We are already familiar with many literary forms of social fictions i.e. stories, novels, novelettes etc, which depict several shades of our society in a lucid and interesting manner. The themes and plots of such social fictions are based only on past or present happenings related to man and his society. That is why the oft repeated adage, "literature is the mirror of society". Science fiction on other hand is the portrayal of man's future. And here lies the difference between social and science fictions, notwithstanding the many similarities of both the genres as they entail identical ways of story telling, selection of a theme and structuring a plot around it and above all engaging the readers with a continuous and sustained flow of suspense leading ultimately to the climax of the story.

And for the sake of clarity I would like to quote the Mastero Issac Asimov here-

Realistic or social fiction deals with events played against social backgrounds not significantly different from those that are thought to exist now or have existed at some time in the past. SF and fantacy on the other hand deal with
events played against social backgrounds that do not exist today and
have not existed in the past.

Further, background of the sf could be derived from our own but only by making appropriate changes in the level of existing S&T.
Bottom line- SF is the perception of change through technology.

Arvind mishra

Afiction which can not or should not sustain itself without its scientific contents.

Dr.Arvind Dubey

The bottom line is science has to be an integral part of the story, but it should also deal with human emotions.
Science means dealing with facts and science fiction means how science and technology his going to shape our world and not 'HOW IT HAS SHAPED our world'. Every genre has its own purpose, we can experiment but with keeping in mind the possible advantages or effects that it creates.

Swapnil Bhartiya

A good science fiction has to be basically a good fiction dealing with social issues.For that matter how social issues get complicated or simplified with new science coming into being can certainly be a part of the SF.

1) SF is that branch of literature which describes the consequences of S & T on human being.

2) It is a creative piece of art describing human relations and their existance on the background

of S & T known today and likely to develop tomorrow based on todays S & T

3) Story of people facing the problems created by S & T

A.P.Deshpande

Present or future, or even the
past, SF should be about the way science and technology effects
changes in our lives - individually or socially. Mere settings alone
will not be SF, change is the key and consequent transformation - of
body/mind/world/cosmos - is the door to a new vision of of man and his
world.

K.S.Purushothaman
SF is that fiction which cannot stand without its content of S&T¸ regardless of its setting in space and time.

Vishwa Mohan Tiwari

SF is scientifically justifiable story.

Zeashan Haider Zaidy

An excellent compilation has been made available here by Swapnil Bhartiya .A must see item.