Science tales

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Science tales, or science fairy tales, are not so much actual science fiction as children's stories, modern fairy tales and related topics which focus on or are dominated by elements known from science fiction like space travels, aliens, robots, future societies and amazing technology and such. There is a resemblance with space opera, but reminds more about traditional storytelling. It contains no speculative elements like in true science fiction and is pretty unrealistic. Apparently it is often possible to breathe in space or to survive in space or on the moon with no more equipment than a jetpack, a thin silver-colored suit and goldfish bowl looking helmet. Small asteroids often have their own flora and fauna, as seen in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and winged animals can fly through space as if it had an atmosphere. An early example is the story of "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" by Edgar Allan Poe, who flies to the moon in a hot-air balloon. Or "Man in the Moon," written by Francis Godwin, where the main character is transported to the moon by twenty-five specially trained geese.

Unlike real science fiction, which more or less tries to follow the laws of ecology, physics, biology, evolution and so on, or at least tries find a way around them in a more or less believable way, science tales can go its own ways. The elements from science fiction are nothing more than tools used for making an entertaining story and is not an attempt try to make anything credible. This makes science tales far more free and allows them to do things that are difficult or impossible for hard science fiction or other subgenres.