Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy . In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as grounded by the laws of nature and comprehensible by science, while a conventional fantasy story contains mostly supernatural elements that do not obey the scientific laws of the real world. The world of science fantasy, however, is laid out to be scientifically logical and often supplied with hard science -like explanations of any supernatural elements.
44-605: Dragonquest is a science fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey . It is the sequel to Dragonflight , set seven years later and the second book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. Dragonquest was first published by Ballantine Books in May 1971. According to her son Todd , McCaffrey's agent Virginia Kidd and editor Betty Ballantine provided crucial advice and assistance in her struggle with
88-506: A child whom Breen was interested in sexually. In response to these allegations, on July 2, 2014, Victor Gollancz Ltd , the publisher of Bradley's digital backlist, began donating all income from the sales of Bradley's e-books to the charity Save the Children . Janni Lee Simner donated advances and royalties from her two Darkover short stories and, at the request of her husband, Larry Hammer, payment for his sale to Bradley's magazine, to
132-464: A daughter, Moira Greyland, who is a professional harpist and singer, and a son, Mark Greyland. Moira's son, RJ Stern, is a college football player who was featured on season 5 of Last Chance U on Netflix . In 1965, Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas . Afterward, she moved to Berkeley, California , to pursue graduate studies at
176-427: A deliberate attempt to apply the techniques and attitudes of science fiction to traditional fantasy subjects. Distinguishing between pure science fiction and pure fantasy, Rod Serling argued that the former was "the improbable made possible" while the latter was "the impossible made probable". As a combination of the two, science fantasy gives a scientific veneer of realism to things that simply could not happen in
220-404: A dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to one of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction. In the 1970s, as part of the contemporary wave of enthusiasm for J. R. R. Tolkien 's fictional world of Middle-earth , she wrote an essay about Éowyn 's supposed love for
264-520: A farm in Albany, New York , and began writing at the age of 17. She was married to Robert Alden Bradley from October 26, 1949, until their divorce on May 19, 1964. They had a son, David Robert Bradley (1950–2008). During the 1950s she was introduced to lesbian advocacy organization the Daughters of Bilitis . After her divorce, Bradley married numismatist Walter H. Breen on June 3, 1964. They had
308-516: A grave injury for F'lar. Brekke's queen dragon (Wirenth) rises in mating flight but is attacked by Kylara's queen dragon (Prideth), and both dragons die, leaving their riders in near-catatonic states. Only Brekke recovers, mostly because she can hear other dragons (besides her own queen, Wirenth). With the Lords Holder adamant that the dragonriders attempt to eliminate Thread at its source, F'nor attempts to direct himself and his dragon, Canth, to
352-579: A known child rapist and molesting her own daughter and others even more tragic." G Willow Wilson , who, along with Bradley, is a fellow World Fantasy Award winner, said she was "speechless". Diana L. Paxson , who collaborated with Bradley on a number of novels and who continued to write novels set in the Avalon Series after Bradley's death, said that she was "shocked and appalled to read Moira Greyland's posts about her mother... I never personally observed, nor had any reason to suspect, that (Bradley)
396-657: A natural scientific basis. Science fiction critic John Clute chose the narrower term "technological fantasy" from the broader concept of "science fiction". The label first came into wide use after many science fantasy stories were published in the American pulp magazines , such as Robert A. Heinlein 's Magic, Inc. , L. Ron Hubbard 's Slaves of Sleep , and Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp 's Harold Shea series. All were relatively rationalistic stories published in John W. Campbell Jr. 's Unknown magazine. These were
440-512: A science fantasy franchise has been debated. In 2015, George Lucas stated that " Star Wars isn't a science-fiction film, it's a fantasy film and a space opera ". Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy , historical fantasy , science fiction , and science fantasy novels and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel The Mists of Avalon and
484-572: Is sent to the Southern Continent to recover, where he falls in love with Brekke and discovers the wicked deeds of Weyrwoman Kylara. He also rediscovers the legendary fire-lizards from which dragons had been bred thousands of turns previously. F'lar , F'nor's half-brother, is eventually forced into a duel with T'ron , the leader of the Oldtimers, which ends in banishment for the Oldtimers who will not accept F'lar's leadership and in
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#1732780135271528-481: Is sometimes cited as an example of science fantasy. Writer James F. Broderick describes Star Trek as science fantasy because it includes semi-futuristic as well as supernatural/fantasy elements such as The Q . According to the late science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke , many purists argue that Star Trek is science fantasy rather than science fiction because of its scientifically improbable elements, which he partially agreed with. The status of Star Wars as
572-703: The Darkover series. She was noted for the feminist perspective in her writing. Bradley began writing at the age of 17 and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University . She co-founded the Society for Creative Anachronism in 1966. She also served as the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series. She was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000. Though Bradley remained popular during her lifetime her reputation
616-517: The Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar . It grew into a series of books and, like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear since Bradley's death. Bradley was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000. In 2000, shortly after Bradley's death, author Stephen Goldin ,
660-493: The Golden Age of Science Fiction , science fantasy stories were seen in sharp contrast to the terse, scientifically plausible material that came to dominate mainstream science fiction, typified by the magazine Astounding Science Fiction . Although science fantasy stories at that time were often relegated to the status of children's entertainment, their freedom of imagination and romance proved to be an early major influence on
704-566: The University of California, Berkeley between 1965 and 1967. In 1966, with her brother Paul Edwin Zimmer , she helped found and name the Society for Creative Anachronism and was involved in developing several local groups, some in New York after her move to Staten Island . Bradley and Breen separated in 1979 but remained married. They also continued a business relationship and lived on
748-474: The "New Wave" writers of the 1960s, who became exasperated by the limitations of "Hard Science Fiction" . The term "science fantasy" was coined in 1935 by critic Forrest J. Ackerman as a synonym for science fiction. In the 1950s, the British journalist Walter Gillings considered science fantasy as a part of science fiction that was not plausible from the point of view of the science of the time (for example,
792-579: The 1950s and 1960s, she published her own fanzines, including Astra's Tower , Day*Star , and Anything Box . She also co-edited fanzines, including Ugly Bird with Redd Boggs , MEZRAB with her first husband Robert Bradley, and Allerlei with her second husband Walter Breen. Bradley contributed to several other fanzines, including The Gorgon and The Nekromantikon . For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction . She encouraged submissions from unpublished authors and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies. This ended after
836-1278: The 1990s Bradley said she would return to Christianity , telling an interviewer: "I just go regularly to the Episcopalian church ... That pagan thing ... I feel that I've gotten past it. I would like people to explore the possibilities." After suffering declining health for years, Bradley died at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley on September 25, 1999, four days after suffering a heart attack . Her ashes were later scattered at Glastonbury Tor in Somerset , England. ( co-written by Rosemary Edghill (uncredited)) (also known as The Children of Kings trilogy ) (written by Deborah J. Ross ) (with Holly Lisle ) (with her brother Paul Edwin Zimmer ) (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with some short stories by her, but mostly by other writers) Bradley created several different fanzines, including The Anything Box (2 issues, 1959), Astra's Tower (5 issues, 1947–50), Astra's Tower, Special Leaflet (5 issues, 1952–62), Day*Star (28 issues, 1954–72), Fantasy Ambler (1 issue, 1962), Gemini, Jr. (1 issue, 1951), Gemini FAPA (3 issues, 1951–60), On
880-439: The American anti-sexual assault organization Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network . A number of science fiction authors have publicly condemned Bradley. Among the first was John Scalzi , who expressed his horror within a day of the allegations being made public. Hugo Award winner Jim C. Hines wrote that Bradley's positive effect on her readers and associates "makes the revelations about Marion Zimmer Bradley protecting
924-449: The May 1957 issue of Other Worlds . Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels; I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, her novels were considered pornographic when published. Her 1958 novel The Planet Savers introduced
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#1732780135271968-497: The Oldtimers, those dragonriders who came forward in time 400 turns (Pernese years) to help the undermanned contemporary dragonriders protect the planet Pern and its inhabitants from the destructive Thread. F'nor (rider of Canth, a Brown dragon that rivals the size of the Bronze dragons) attempts to mediate, but things escalate to the point that an Oldtimer, T'reb (who is disturbed by his green dragon being in heat), stabs F'nor . F'nor
1012-566: The Ragged Edge (1 issue, undated), and Catch Trap (at least issues 89–106, early 1960s). She co-edited several other fanzines, including Allerlei (at least 17 issues, 1960–65, with Walter Breen), Anduril (1 issue, 1962, with David Bradley and Paul Zimmer), MEZRAB (7 issues, 1950–52, with Robert A. Bradley), and Ugly Bird (2 issues, 1956–59, with Redd Boggs ). She also contributed to The Ladder and The Mattachine Review . As Elfrieda or Elfrida Rivers, she contributed at least to
1056-553: The Red Star, but they find the atmosphere inhospitable, and they fall back to Pern, badly injured. Brekke's cry for F'nor not to leave her was also the inspiration for a song by Menolly , after she found that a certain guitar chord sounded amazingly like Brekke's voice when she screamed. This is chronicled in Dragonsinger . Dragonquest was one of six nominees for the 1972 Hugo Award for Best Novel (voted by participants in
1100-449: The annual World Science Fiction Convention ) and it placed fifth for the 1972 Locus Award for Best Novel (voted by Locus magazine readers). The American Library Association in 1999 cited the two early Pern trilogies ( Dragonriders and Harper Hall ), along with The Ship Who Sang , when McCaffrey received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "lifetime contribution in writing for teens". Science fantasy During
1144-451: The hero Aragorn called "Of Men, Halflings, and Hero Worship" for the Astra's Tower fanzine. She also penned two short fanfic stories about Arwen , publishing them in chapbook format. One story, "The Jewel of Arwen" (originally published in a different form in the fanzine I Palantir #2, August 1961), appeared in her professional anthology The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley (1985), but
1188-558: The imaginary and the actual, the magical and the prosaic, the mythical and the scientific, meet and interanimate. In so doing, these worlds inspire us with new sensations and experiences, with [quoting C. S. Lewis] 'such beauty, awe, or terror as the actual world does not supply', with the stuff of desires, dreams, and dread." Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore published novels in Startling Stories , alone and together, which were far more romantic . These were closely related to
1232-543: The planet of Darkover , which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu is a science fantasy fictional world, with science fiction as well as fantasy overtones: Darkover is a lost human colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree, and work like magic, while technology has regressed to a more-or-less medieval stage. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued
1276-435: The real world under any circumstances. Where science fiction does not permit the existence of fantastical or supernatural elements, science fantasy explicitly relies upon them to complement the scientific elements. In explaining the intrigue of science fantasy, Carl D. Malmgren provides an intro regarding C. S. Lewis 's speculation on the emotional needs at work in the subgenre: "In the counternatural worlds of science fantasy,
1320-637: The same street for over a decade. They officially divorced on May 9, 1990, the year Breen was arrested on child molestation charges after a 13-year-old boy reported that Breen had been molesting him for four years. She had edited Breen's book Greek Love (published pseudonymously), which was dedicated to her (named simply as "[his] wife"), and in 1965 had contributed an article, "Feminine Equivalents of Greek Love in Modern Literature", to Breen's journal The International Journal of Greek Love . She allegedly had knowledge of Breen's sexual interests and
1364-459: The sequel to Dragonflight . After the agent first read a draft, the author followed her advice to "burn it", and she met with the editor in long sessions. It was near completion before she emigrated to Ireland in September 1970, with her two younger children Todd and Georgeanne, one month after divorcing her husband. She finished it soon after the move. As it opens, tensions are rising between
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1408-416: The series since her death. Bradley took an active role in science fiction and fantasy fandom , promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture. In her teens she wrote letters to the pulp magazines of the time, such as the above-mentioned Amazing Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories . Starting in the late 1940s and continuing in
1452-566: The short story "Outpost". "Outpost" was published in Amazing Stories Vol. 23, No. 12, the December 1949 issue; it had previously appeared in the fanzine Spacewarp Vol. 4, No. 3, in December 1948. Her first professional publication was a short story "Women Only", which appeared in the second (and final) issue of Vortex Science Fiction in 1953. Her first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla , first published in
1496-765: The stepfather of a boy who had been molested by Walter Breen , started a website claiming that Bradley had been fully aware of her husband's crimes and made no effort to report them or protect his victims. In 2014, Moira Greyland, the daughter of Bradley and Breen, accused Bradley of sexual abuse from the age of 3 to 12. In an email to The Guardian , Greyland said that she had not spoken out before because "I thought that my mother's fans would be angry with me for saying anything against someone who had championed women's rights and made so many of them feel differently about themselves and their lives. I didn't want to hurt anyone she had helped, so I just kept my mouth shut". Greyland also confirmed Goldin's statements by saying that Bradley
1540-436: The time) in accessing and abusing multiple unrelated young boys, knowing he was a pedophile who was engaging in sexual contact with children as young as eight. Greyland states that Bradley and her live-in female partner (whom Greyland refers to as her step-mother) both admitted to knowledge of the abuse and purposefully avoided investigating, questioning, or notifying any authorities. Bradley was also accused of attempting to adopt
1584-523: The use of nuclear weapons in H.G. Wells' novel The World Set Free was a science fantasy from the point of view of Newtonian physics and a work of science fiction from the point of view of Einstein's theory). In 1948, writer Marion Zimmer (later known as Zimmer Bradley) called "science fantasy" a mixture of science fiction and fantasy in Startling Stories magazine. Critic Judith Murry considered science fantasy as works of fantasy in which magic has
1628-452: The work that they and others were doing for outlets like Weird Tales , such as Moore's Northwest Smith stories. Ace Books published a number of books as science fantasy during the 1950s and 1960s. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction points out that as a genre, science fantasy "has never been clearly defined", and was most commonly used in the period between 1950 and 1966. The Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry
1672-700: Was abusing either of her children." While she was attending the College for Teachers (now University at Albany, SUNY ) in Albany, Bradley became involved in Western esoteric tradition . She later completed a Rosicrucian correspondence course. In the late 1950s or early 1960s, Bradley and Walter H. Breen founded the Aquarian Order of the Restoration based on the work of Dion Fortune . By 1961 she
1716-516: Was aware of her husband's behavior and chose not to report him. Greyland reported that she was not the only victim and that she was one of the people who reported her father for child molestation, for which he received multiple convictions. In December 2017, Bradley's daughter published a detailed biography of her mother, including her pedophilia and sexual abuse, in a book entitled The Last Closet: The Dark Side of Avalon . Additionally, according to Greyland, Bradley assisted Breen (her husband at
1760-565: Was dropped from later reprints. She continued to contribute to different science fiction and fantasy fanzines and magazines throughout her career. In 1966, Bradley became a co-founder of the Society for Creative Anachronism and is credited with coining the name of that group. Bradley was the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she
1804-560: Was formally initiating others, including Ramfis S. Firethorn. Bradley was active in Darkmoon Circle, which was founded in 1978 by several women who were members of her Aquarian Order of the Restoration. Bradley renovated her garage to provide a meeting room for Darkmoon Circle as well as for other local Pagan groups. In 1981 Bradley, Diana L. Paxson , and Elisabeth Waters incorporated the Center for Non-Traditional Religion. In
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1848-468: Was not averse to including stories from men in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. Bradley also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley, California . Following Bradley's death, the anthology was edited by Elizabeth Waters and continued until 2019. Her most famous single novel may be The Mists of Avalon , a retelling of
1892-570: Was posthumously marred when in 2014 it was revealed by her children, daughter Moira Greyland and son Mark Greyland, that she was guilty of child sexual abuse , and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen , in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children. Bradley's daughter Moira Greyland said that Bradley had not only been aware of Breen's child molestation activities but also sexually abused her. Many science fiction authors have since publicly condemned Bradley. Born Marion Eleanor Zimmer on June 3, 1930, she lived on
1936-712: Was said to have accepted his sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy. Bradley stated that when she was a child she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner , Edmond Hamilton , C.L. Moore , and Leigh Brackett , especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be". Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly. At 17, she began her first novel The Forest House , her retelling of Norma ; she finished it before her death. Bradley made her first sale as an adjunct to an amateur fiction contest in Amazing Stories in 1949 with
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