Difference between Sci-fi/Fantasy and NonHuman?

[Song_of_Roland]

Hello everyone. I have recently written a story in NonHuman and, due to my own recklessness, didn't notice it might have been a better fit for Fantasy. I do have a few questions about the main distinguishing factors between the two categories, though.

Is NH mostly for aliens, machines and monsters, while Fantasy is mostly for orcs, elves and the like? Or is it really about the setting of the story rather than the creatures involved? Thanks in advance.

 

[karina_jayde]

As someone who occasionally reads in both categories, I've seen 'Non-Human' used for everything from werewolves, tentacle aliens, robots, ghosts, fairies, and demons. But I've also seen plenty of non-human/monster sex in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy category, so as long as the tags are clear I don't think you'd have an issue in either category.

I think if it is just elves and orcs, I'd probably go with the Sci-Fi and Fantasy category, as I think readers in the non-human category are probably looking for something other than the regular fantasy humanoid species.

What sort of creatures/beings does your story involve?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Hello everyone. I have recently written a story in NonHuman and, due to my own recklessness, didn't notice it might have been a better fit for Fantasy. I do have a few questions about the main distinguishing factors between the two categories, though.

Is NH mostly for aliens, machines and monsters, while Fantasy is mostly for orcs, elves and the like? Or is it really about the setting of the story rather than the creatures involved? Thanks in advance.

Note, the category is Sci-Fi and Fantasy, so that's very broad ranging, covering off-planet and on-planet world buidling.

Non-Human crosses over with that, and is sort of a half-way house to Erotic Horror.

It's more a spectrum towards darkness, I reckon, rather than a demarcation by creatures. As karina-jayde asks, what's your primary theme?

 

[Song_of_Roland]

As someone who occasionally reads in both categories, I've seen 'Non-Human' used for everything from werewolves, tentacle aliens, robots, ghosts, fairies, and demons. But I've also seen plenty of non-human/monster sex in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy category, so as long as the tags are clear I don't think you'd have an issue in either category.

I think if it is just elves and orcs, I'd probably go with the Sci-Fi and Fantasy category, as I think readers in the non-human category are probably looking for something other than the regular fantasy humanoid species.

What sort of creatures/beings does your story involve?

Note, the category is Sci-Fi and Fantasy, so that's very broad ranging, covering off-planet and on-planet world buidling.

Non-Human crosses over with that, and is sort of a half-way house to Erotic Horror.

It's more a spectrum towards darkness, I reckon, rather than a demarcation by creatures. As karina-jayde asks, what's your primary theme?

My story had a sort of Frankenstein-ish mad scientist/sorcerer lady and her sulking abomination of a henchman going after their experiment: a group of zombies she revived that were chemically forced to be uncontrollably horny. It might sound a little stupid, but I did not intend for it to be as dark as ElectricBlue just said. On the contrary, I wanted it to be more lighthearted.

 

[karina_jayde]

My story had a sort of Frankenstein-ish mad scientist/sorcerer lady and her sulking abomination of a henchman going after their experiment: a group of zombies she revived that were chemically forced to be uncontrollably horny. It might sound a little stupid, but I did not intend for it to be as dark as ElectricBlue just said. On the contrary, I wanted it to be more lighthearted.

In that case, I'd probably keep that in 'Non-Human' if that were my story. Although the categories aren't necessarily gospel, the category description does give 'ghosts' as an example, so a story focusing on horny undead beings might lean more towards Non-Human, IMO. But I could still seeing it fit into Sci-Fi and Fantasy as long as the tags are clear about what's involved.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My story had a sort of Frankenstein-ish mad scientist/sorcerer lady and her sulking abomination of a henchman going after their experiment: a group of zombies she revived that were chemically forced to be uncontrollably horny. It might sound a little stupid, but I did not intend for it to be as dark as ElectricBlue just said. On the contrary, I wanted it to be more lighthearted.

Yep, non-human.

 

[Song_of_Roland]

Yep, non-human.

In that case, I'd probably keep that in 'Non-Human' if that were my story. Although the categories aren't necessarily gospel, the category description does give 'ghosts' as an example, so a story focusing on horny undead beings might lean more towards Non-Human, IMO. But I could still seeing it fit into Sci-Fi and Fantasy as long as the tags are clear about what's involved.

Thank you both very much!

 

[RetroFan]

I always thought that the difference between Non-Human and both Sci-Fi Fantasy and Erotic Horror is that Non-Human involves people engaging in sexual activity with non-human entities such as aliens, vampires and monsters, while the Sci-Fi Fantasy and Erotic Horror stories feature people having sex with other people in stories that involve supernatural and science fiction themes.

For example, one of my stories this year 'Cindy's Close Encounter' takes place in the late 1950s and is about three cheerleaders and their respective jock boyfriends abducted by a group of aliens in their flying saucer as part of the aliens' scientific research program, with the aliens observing the three couples having sex. The unfriendly aliens - which reproduce by one of their kind laying some eggs and another alien fertilizing them and have an egg - larvae - pupae - adult lifecycle seen in many insects on Earth - do not engage in any sexual activity with the captured humans.

This story therefore would fit into Sci-Fi & Fantasy due to the lack of sexual involvement by the aliens. If the aliens had gotten in on the act, it would have been non-human.

Likewise a story about a group of college students hiking and camping through the woods and a group of Bigfoot watching them from the cover of the vegetation, sneaking into the campsite to scavenge food and puzzling over the humans having sex would be Erotic Horror. Sexual interaction of the humans and the Bigfoot would be Non-Human (if allowed, it might go too close to the no bestiality rule, but that would be up to the site administrators on a case by case basis). A story set in a haunted house where a girl and her boyfriend are disturbed by ghosts while having sex would be Erotic Horror, the ghosts joining in would send it to Non Human.

 

[RejectReality]

My personal litmus test is:

1) Is at least one of the main characters obviously non-human? An example of this is my Magic of the Wood series. While the protagonists are all technically non human, most of them are categorized in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, because the non-human traits they possess ( at that point ) are superficial. They don't grow body hair. They're only fertile on Earth Day. They barely age upon reaching adulthood. They don't have any active supernatural abilities. ( That they're aware of )

The first one is in Non-Human because that involves a full dryad with green hair, golden skin, and obvious magical abilities, but in an otherwise "normal" setting.

Once I get to Wade and Mara's daughter, that one will probably go in Non-Human. She's a cross between Dryad and Naiad lineages, and she's going to have silver hair + active supernatural abilities + she's going to be a little more like the pure nymphs in her behavior.

2) Does the character or the setting dominate? Lowborn is a good example of this. Mindblind is closer to seven feet than six, weirdly colored, and has pointed ears due to him being the product of a goblin rape. He's visibly non-human and shunned for it. The setting is a fantasy world of swords and sorcery, so it goes in Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

If it's set in the real world or a close parallel, I'm probably going to lean toward non-human ( accounting for #1, of course ) If it's set in a fantasy/futuristic/apocalyptic/etc. world, it's probably going to go in Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

 

[Song_of_Roland]

Once I get to Wade and Mara's daughter, that one will probably go in Non-Human. She's a cross between Dryad and Naiad lineages, and she's going to have silver hair + active supernatural abilities + she's going to be a little more like the pure nymphs in her behavior.

Huh. So it is possible to make a series span over two different categories? I did intend to give more focus to the fantasy world as the story goes on. Plus, I quite like that litmus test.

 

[AchtungNight]

Huh. So it is possible to make a series span over two different categories? I did intend to give more focus to the fantasy world as the story goes on. Plus, I quite like that litmus test.

Yes, it is possible to span multiple categories. I have written many Celebrities stories depicting Group Sex, Lesbian couples, Erotic Couplings, First Time… and they’re all in an Urban Fantasy type setting also, though that’s not always emphasized.

If anyone is curious, the Faerie Alien hybrid character in my Sci-Fi/Fantasy story is what the character claims to be. I hope to tell Silvan’s origin story and depict how the character gains pleasure from assisting others in a Non-Human story at some point.

 

[RejectReality]

Huh. So it is possible to make a series span over two different categories? I did intend to give more focus to the fantasy world as the story goes on. Plus, I quite like that litmus test.

Keep in mind that this is a series of standalone stories I'm talking about. If it's an actual chaptered story where you need to read 1 to understand what's happening in 2, I don't recommend category hopping. You're probably better off picking the broader category of SF&F from the beginning and sticking with it.

NonHuman can sometimes get more readers than SF&F, but it's specific types of stories. In most cases, the number of readers in either category will be about the same.

 

[BBlaketbv]

Science fiction centers around science, mostly in the future or in a fictional universe. Spacecraft, fututistic tech, advanced AI, that sort of thing. Machines sure, but no creatures.

Fantasy is anything that is unreal or impossible in the real world. Magic, fantasy universes, elves, goblins, it's a very broad field. Creatures here can be pretty much anything you want, as long as they are not real.

Non-Human for me would mean aliens or well known fantasy creatures like the Minotaur, Centaur, Sphinx. But also things like ghosts, zombies, gods.
Fantastic beasts the average person doesn't know should go in the fantasy category.

 

[jaF0]

So, Star Trek TNG with Data.

Or more along Lit lines, Cherry - 2000

Both have human main players along with cyborg/robot main characters.

 

[ruddygore]

My general rule is, if the action primarily center around non humans it goes in nonhuman. If it's primarily around human or pretty evenly split it would probably go in SF&F