More on Fantasy and Science Fiction

I should add that I often write stories that sit the border between science fiction and fantasy. My Big Mama stories are designed to be fantastical tall tales, which draw on a fair amount of science. When I wrote the first one,I was wondering, "What would the folk tales of the future be like?"

The last story I finished -- finished today, though I need to do more work on the ending -- is about trolls and the huge hydroelectric project currently being built in eastern Iceland. The trolls are pretty much traditional folk tale trolls; and the project is quite amazing and absolutely true.

I like fantastic stories that are grounded in reality in some way, at least that's what I like to write.

The problem with much fantasy -- the stuff I call generic -- is, it has drifted too far from traditional fantasy, folk tale and myth; and it has drifted too far from reality. It feeds on itself, rather than on reality or myth or dream.