Buffy had sci-fi elements in very episodes you mentioned (Ted and the bots Warren created being the obvious ones, the Adam arc mixing sci-fi and fantasy), but the whole show wasn't based on science fiction, the 'verse was based on the fact that one girl was the Chosen One and was meant to slay demons and vampires.
It was first and foremost about monsters, magic and supernatural beings, where the fantasy structure and rules allowed to tell the tale Joss wanted, so I wouldn't call Buffy sci-fi in spite of a few elements or references Joss threw here and there.
On the other hand from what I have heard about the comics the verse in there is becoming quite sci-fi! ;- )
It's the other way with BSG or Caprica that are sci-fi but also have mythological elements in it. The "raison d'être" of the BSGverse is the fact that human beings created Artificial Intelligence and had to deal with the consequences, which allowed to question what humanity means.
And yes, as I said above in my response to kazzy_cee, horror is a subcatefory in many genres.
What distinquished Buffy from Twilight, Moonlight, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, etc - is that it contained elements of both gothic fantasy and sci-fi, reinventing the vampire genre as a result, creating a new category known as sci-fantasy with urban sci-fantasy; I think that what distinguised Buffy from such shows is good writing and depth!
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branchandroot
Re: A few quibbles...
Date: 2010-09-13 03:26 pm (UTC)It was first and foremost about monsters, magic and supernatural beings, where the fantasy structure and rules allowed to tell the tale Joss wanted, so I wouldn't call Buffy sci-fi in spite of a few elements or references Joss threw here and there.
On the other hand from what I have heard about the comics the verse in there is becoming quite sci-fi! ;- )
It's the other way with BSG or Caprica that are sci-fi but also have mythological elements in it. The "raison d'être" of the BSGverse is the fact that human beings created Artificial Intelligence and had to deal with the consequences, which allowed to question what humanity means.
And yes, as I said above in my response to kazzy_cee, horror is a subcatefory in many genres.
What distinquished Buffy from Twilight, Moonlight, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, etc - is that it contained elements of both gothic fantasy and sci-fi, reinventing the vampire genre as a result, creating a new category known as sci-fantasy with urban sci-fantasy; I think that what distinguised Buffy from such shows is good writing and depth!