The biggest difference that I consider separates good SciFi/Fantasy from bad is that good SF/F maintains a set of fictional but internally consistant rules. This is a separate concern from plot, dialog and characterization. A bad story might be lacking in any of these areas, but SF/F has the additional consideration of introducing a premise that separates our universe from the universe of the story. Aliens exist and are infiltrating human society. Traveling through space to other worlds is possible. A man is granted superhuman powers through a bizarre technological accident. The premise has a set of rules associated with it, even if these rules are not explcitly spelled out. Good SF/F recognizes these rules while at the same time, recognizing the rules that are common between our universe and the fictional one. It then proceeds to tell its story while not breaking these rules.
The may be hero so superhumanly strong, he can pick up a car. If he grabs that car by the bumper in bad SF/F, he'll lift that car up and throw it at the bad guy. In good SF/F, he'll just rip the bumper off. The fictional premise covers how a man may be given super strength. It does not change the rules that state a car bumper simply can't support the weight of the car it's attached to.
A woman falls from a great height. The hero runs underneath her and catches her before she hits the ground. In most fiction, the woman is saved and thanks her savior with a kiss. In the real world, her neck would snap. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end." Well, that holds true whether the stop is a sidewalk or a pair of arms. To save the woman while obeying the rules, the hero would need to slow the woman's fall before bringing it to a halt.
The cop that never needs to reload his gun. The submarine hit by a sinking piece of ice that broke off an iceberg. Alien cultures that speak perfect english. They all represent bad SF/F that breaks the rules.
Sometimes even good SF/F breaks the rules, but usually for dramatic or cinematic coolness. Sound does not travel though the vacuum of space, but an exploding space station without sound is boring. This kind of rule breaking at least has a purpose, but all too often it's just lazy writing.
I have heard the words, "It's just a movie/book/tv show," so many times to excuse bad fiction. It's sad and frustrating. People just accept things that break the reality a work of fiction is trying to build. "You need to suspend your disbelief," is another often heard exceuse. Suspending disbelief is reserved for the premise. I can ignore the fact that fire-breathing dragons don't exist, because they are part of the premise of a sword and sorcery fantasy. I find it harder to ignore when the hero escapes being roasted to a crisp by hiding behind an ordinary steel shield while the dragon covers him in great gouts of flame. The premise doesn't cover metals that don't conduct heat.
Time to get to the point. I am making this promise. The web comic universe I am helping to create will not need any excuses. I am going to formally define the premise and the rules that lead from that premise and I will follow them. The numbers might not always add up as I take dramatic license, but I'll at least acknowledge that the numbers are there. As a reader, you may never know what these rules are, but I can guarantee you will unconsciously appreciate them. The strong-guy has seen too many movies and the look on his face as he rips off that bumper will be priceless.
Tags: Writing Comic
