OK - so I just stumbled onto this debate after being informed by a regular at Baen's Bar there that sci-fi is a derogatory term only used to describe Star Trek and Star Wars. He/she went on to say that Heinlein et al. are SF, not Sci-Fi.
Who cares? Ackerman coined the term sci-fi, which is all I need to know. In fact, Heinlein may have used the term first in a letter to his agent describing his own work! So, again, this is silly.
On the other hand, it is taken VERY seriously by some in the science fiction community (including some editors?) - so I will be makig an effort in the future to use the term "science fiction." Many of you probably already know this, but I didn't. So although I disagree with said regular at Baen's Bar, he/she gave me a good tidbit of info that I didn't already have.
I really don't want to get into a debate on this issue; I just wanted to inform others like me that the debate exists!
Who cares? Ackerman coined the term sci-fi, which is all I need to know. In fact, Heinlein may have used the term first in a letter to his agent describing his own work! So, again, this is silly.
On the other hand, it is taken VERY seriously by some in the science fiction community (including some editors?) - so I will be makig an effort in the future to use the term "science fiction." Many of you probably already know this, but I didn't. So although I disagree with said regular at Baen's Bar, he/she gave me a good tidbit of info that I didn't already have.
I really don't want to get into a debate on this issue; I just wanted to inform others like me that the debate exists!