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From: ofut@gatech.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Sci-fi vs. SF - the forgotten reason
Message-ID: <1383@gatech.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Oct-83 19:23:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: gatech.1383
Posted: Wed Oct  5 19:23:37 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Oct-83 05:38:56 EDT
References: <12285@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: Georgia Tech School of ICS, Atlanta
Lines: 25

Believe it or there is a real reason why people object to Sci-Fi,
though at this point it is rather historical.

In the olden days before I was around, most of the people in this
country (and elsewhere) enjoyed maligning Sci-Fi (pronounced sciffy)
as escapist literature suitable only for children or childish adults.
These people pronounced the venerable letters Sf as sciffy with a
discernably upturned nose.  The small, very close-knit collection of
writers and SF fans who were the originators of what we now call
fandom and SF-conventions were understandably annoyed.  And if you
pronounced or spelled SF as Sci-Fi then you were one of "the others"
and an enemy.

Now that the mainstream has excepted Sf with a passion, the mainstream
still uses Sci-Fi and pragmatists don't really mind.  Especially the
authors who like the new converts money.



-- 
Jeff Offutt

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