> What I wonder about is if the average scifi reader expects or even could tell if something is "science" and not fantasy
I think hard sci-fi requires that the book universe has consistent rules and the book focuses on their consequences, while soft sci-fi focuses on stories and the rules are unspecified or don't drive the plot.
The rules don't need to be what we currently think about our universe for the book to be hard sci-fi.
I think hard sci-fi requires that the book universe has consistent rules and the book focuses on their consequences, while soft sci-fi focuses on stories and the rules are unspecified or don't drive the plot.
The rules don't need to be what we currently think about our universe for the book to be hard sci-fi.