Science fiction is among the most versatile forms of writing. It can be a romance, a comedy, a war story, a drama, a mystery and as the recent film The Wild, Wild West proves, even a western. Take any literary classic add in a crazed robot bent on world destruction, and a space station the size of a small moon, and BAM! Its Sci-Fi.
             Science fiction belongs to a genre of writing called speculative fiction, which also includes fantasy. Perhaps the easiest way to define Speculative Fiction is all stories that take place in a setting contrary to known reality (Card 17). Which include:
             1. Any story set in the future, beings future technologies cannot be known.
             2. Alternate world stories, or stories set in a past that contradicts historical fact.
             4. Stories set on earth before recorded history.
             5. Stories that contradict a known or supposed law of nature.
             Stories set in worlds that follow our rules are Sci-fi. If it is set in an universe that doesn't follow our rules it's fantasy.
             Many sci-fi stories fall into several of the above categories. Star Wars for example takes place in an alternate world. It also has elements that contradict laws of nature, such as The Force, or sound in space. Other sf stories fall into only a single of the categories and to further confuse things some stories that fall into those categories are not consider sci-fi at all (Card 18)
             What would Star Wars be without the screeching of Tie Fighters, or buzz of proton torpedoes as they cut through space? Sometimes it becomes necessary for a writer to break scientific laws in order to appeal to the audience or for the story its self to work. Beings most writers don't expect their audiences to be astrophysicists, it is easy to fool them by bending the rules little bit. Which is okay beings the majority of readers are far more interested in the story itself than by making sure every sm
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