Robots and Aliens vs. Elves and Orcs

[Lachwen]

To me, any good read is a form of escape.

Good point, Encaitare! I feel the same way. As my parents can vouch, the moment I get a good book in my hands, I'm gone.

But getting back to the whole sci-fi/fantasy thing, I actually find the line between the two to get quite fuzzy sometimes (like in Niven's Footfall). I have read several science fiction stories that are probably only considered sci-fi because the author uses actual science to flesh the story out while the main storyline is pure fantasy. (Asimov's short story Pâté de Foie Gras is a good example: they find the Goose that lays the golden eggs.)