random crunchy madness

From the ofic boards where I often hang, in a discussion I started on science fiction vs. fantasy in genre definition. Quoting someone else's explanation, and my utterly random response.

For example: Your hero and his companions turn a corner and find a dragon blocking their path. You have the understandable need to describe the critter standing there. Your focus on the "weird and unusual" in the story will determine if it's SF or Fantasy.

If you automatically write about the dragon's biological nature (with or without reproductive cycle), the whys and wherefores of it breathing fire and the psychology of fighting them, you're writing SF.

I suddenly had this vision of writing a scene something along the lines of:



Their voices were hushed in the city twilight, footfalls echoing on concrete. Jake turned a left, Fred right on his heels, only to slam into Jake's back.

"What the---" Fred looked past Jake, and goggled.

A six-foot tall dragon stood blocking their path. Fred studied its build, automatically noting its structure was similiar to Varanus komodoensis, although the Komodo dragons weren't known to stand on their hind legs, nor did they spout fire. He sniffed cautiously; this dragon was using a volatile combination of sulfur and something sweet. Fred suspected it was chromium dioxide, often known to be secreted in the nostril passages of some members of Alligator sinensis. The skin was mottled green, with raised ridges above the cold repetilian eyes. The dragon had claws easily ten centimeters in length; it bared its teeth, revealing sharp fangs that glittered like little scalpels. Fred swallowed hard; if the dragon was a close relation to Varanus komodoensis, the saliva was probably deadly as well.

But his eyes widened at the sight of the dragon's posture. Fred inched closer to Jake, keeping his voice low.

"Don't make any sudden moves," he hissed. "Or it'll jump us."

"Hunh?" Jake gave him a wild-eyed look. "Man, it's a dragon! It's a frickin' dragon, in downtown---"

"Shut up," Fred snapped, still keeping his voice low. "See that? He's exposing a pair of hemipenes from his cloaca."

"Dude." Jake glanced at the dragon, then back at Fred. "Wait..in English?"

"He's in heat, man."

Bwahahahaha.

*cough*

I crack myself up sometimes.


...And now I have three people on that forum demanding I FINISH the story. FINISH it? What's there to FINISH? Heh. I told 'em the board doesn't allow bestia--err, erotica. Nyah.