What's wrong with SciFi?  Not catchy enough?  not slick?  I keep thinking it's an acronym

SciFi is for Trekkies.

(I'm slightly joking, but the more snobby readers...me...will meticulously use "SF".  SYFY is just sad).

eh-  I think SF is younger readers.   I feel old now.  I typed scifi into my iphone to see what the speller would change it to it wanted to change it to acid.  So maybe scifi is for those from the 60's and early 70's who actually watched and enjoyed 2001 and thought they understood it until the "scifi" wore off that is...

and no - I never did 'get' the movie (too young!!!) and I'm not a trekkie I guess I'm just gonna have to start spelling it out or using SF.

Hmm.  I love the history of science fiction, and got curious.  I like "SF" because it refers to Speculative Fiction in the broader sense, and Robert Heinlein (my literary hero) popularized it in an article he wrote in 1947.  I think "Sci-Fi" has more of a history in film and television, which I have little interest in.  I wouldn't take it as gospel, but the Merriam Webster online gives the term "sci-fi" a date of 1955.

 It used to be my favorite (almost only) channel - I loved Battlestar Galactica and Stargate and even Dr. Who.  I rarely watch TV (except for Netflix movies) so I was disappointed when my favorite shows ended and I haven't found anything new to hang onto.  I can't figure out when the 'seasons' start so I often miss the new season shows.  Did they ever get the next season of Dr. Who?  And why weren't they playing Torchwood?  I could never find out when that was on on any other channel.

 Did the new show that Amanda Tapping was doing tank?  I like scifi much more than supernatural (although I do like paranormal, ESP and magic, just not monsters and fairies).  I guess they lost a viewer.  I mean, I like scifi/fantasy so much I'll sit through bad old/obscure movies and entire seasons of Enterpise.  I just rented a film called The Quiet Earth (1985) made New Zealand.  It wasn't MIB and was certainly dated,  but I liked it well enough.  I just haven't watched 'that channel' since the last episode of BG.  I though ABC was going to come through in the pinch with Defying Gravity, I taped the first four/five shows and started watching on the weekend they announced it wasn't coming back.  I wonder if that's true.  Reading is SO much more consistent.

ETA: sorry this is rambling, it's much later than I thought and I need to get to sleep.

Was Heinlein trying to mainstream what the general public called 'pulp fiction'?  Speculative fiction is a nice non threatening name.   It doesn't mention science which can scare people off.  It doesn't conjure up images of babes in chain mail bikinis swooning in an alien's many arms or have a war of the worlds feel.  It sounds thoughtful which much of it actually was.  What was the article?  Heinlein is one of my all time favorites.  He's aged well.

I really don't watch much TV and although SF (<--actually SF is nice it encompasses fantasy as well I can get used to that!) is my favorite genre of books I really haven't liked what SYFY has done.  My favorite TV show was the original version of mystery science theater 3000. (and that wasn't even on the scifi channel come to think of it)  They've gone downhil ever since and I don't think respelling SYFY is going to help.  They ought to show the old movies, like you said Linda some are great in the awfulness and some are actually great.

I just looked at the Syfy schedual and Sanctuary season 2 (thats the Amanda Tapping show) starts next week.  And the new Stargate show starts today.  Finally something decent, i havent watched the sci-fi channel since they ended battlestar galactica.  But yeah, Syfy is a pretty stupid name.

Ann, I can't remember the article title, but I believe it was written for a mainstream magazine (like New Yorker, or something).  I'd have to read it to know exactly where he was coming from.  I know he was very vocal about educating Americans in math and science and wanted his literature to be realistic...as in a true "speculation" on future technology.  In 1947, he still would have been mostly writing for kids, so I think he was really concerned that his books be exciting, but also educational.

As a personal note, I will say that I learned the order of planets in the solar system from his book Have Space Suit - Will Travel.  The book also explains the meaning of astronomical units, which amazes me when I think I was about eight when I first read it.

As for the SciFi or SYFY or SF channel...I don't get it these days, but it seems like besides a couple of shows and the occasional mini series, they have the most awful collection of bad straight to DVD movies known to man.

Matt, you mean to tell me you don't like all those fantastic, quality movies that SciFi -- er -- SyFy puts out?  What about Harpies, or Manticore, or Rock Monster?  I mean SERIOUSLY...  how did these movies NOT make it to the big screen?  (*end sarcasm*)

 I think the channel is trying to distance itself from being associated strictly with sci fi -- I say this because they are now broadcasting pro wrestling on certain nights of the week. (??)

Maybe it's just that the younger generation was pronouncing the old spelling "sky fi" and a decision was made to go with a more phonetic spelling. ;-)

In my house (and my brother's) we call it "SeeFee" because we refuse to call it "Sci-Fi." I used to watch it all the time, but not so much any more. Every once in awhile I'll watch one of their terrible movies (for some reason I LOVE a good bad movie. )

everytime for about a year that I turned scifi on the movie tremors was on (is that the one with the giant worms in the desert?) or independence day.   There's a movie called the calamari wrestler about pro wrestling thats a sci-fi.   it's soooo bad.  And some pro wrestlers are slightly alien-like.  I think it fits!

Sarah, we call it "siffy" here.  Like "spiffy" without the p.  :)

See, now "Tremors" I would consider "funny-bad."  Sure, it's not great, but it has an actual plot, and some humor...plus I love Burt and his massive arsenal in all four movies.

On the other hand, I can't help but remember the previews for "Route 666" where a a carload of beautiful young people on a road trip takes a wrong turn...

Or all those reality shows.  Okay, I know they are cheaper to make.  But come on, that isn't SciFi.  No wonder they changed their name, it was out of shame.

I remember learning about these new names for science fiction when I started attending fan run conventions. I was quickly chewed out for calling it "sci fi" because, I was told, "that's only for crummy tv shows." In the interest of not getting into arguments I called it "science fiction" for a while, until I got told that I had to call it "SF" now, because apparently science fiction books are not science fiction any more, they're "SF", and if I call them "science fiction", I'm somehow insulting the author because "SF" is serious while "science fiction" is kiddie stuff. Then I got told that "SF" doesn't stand for "science fiction" any more, it's "speculative fiction", and how dare I suggest that "S" stands for "science", because it has to include fantasy now and if I don't use "S" to mean "speculative" then I'm insulting people who read fantasy novels.

To all of which I say, to heck with anyone who wants to tell me what words I can use about my books, I'll call it whatever I damed well please. It's science fiction, or sci-fi, and SF stands for science fiction. I do *not* mean to include fantasy in my science fiction, I mean to exclude it, because I'm trying to be specific, and how dare anyone tell me I'm insulting people by the fact that I don't happen to be talking about their favorite books at the moment. So, nyah! :-)

"calamari wrestler".........Thanks for the laugh! 

In my mind I envisioned a SF version of the Sopranos cum WWW.

 I LOVE Tremors. Seriously, it takes me back to my childhood.

Anyone seen Gymkata? Not Sci-Fi/SF/Whatever, but it's an awesome terrible movie.

I'm too cheap to pay for TV, so half of what you guys are taliking about is way out of my sphere of influence.  I do rent full seasons of SF shows from Netflix (Doctor Who, Farscape, The 4400)... that way I still get to see the shows I'm really interested in. 

As for the SF vs. Sci-Fi debate, growing up in the 80's I remember reading somewhere that SF was for literature and Sci-Fi for film.  For myself, I don't care what it's called so long as it's good.  ;)

I'm too cheap to pay for TV, so half of what you guys are taliking about is way out of my sphere of influence.  I do rent full seasons of SF shows from Netflix (Doctor Who, Farscape, The 4400)... that way I still get to see the shows I'm really interested in. 

As for the SF vs. Sci-Fi debate, growing up in the 80's I remember reading somewhere that SF was for literature and Sci-Fi for film.  For myself, I don't care what it's called so long as it's good.  ;)

syfy is because they wanted a "brand" they could market, and they couldn't brand Sci-Fi.

Bah-  They need to focus on the engine and not worry so much about the bells & whistles.  There's a lot of really really bad (so bad they are great!) old sci fi movies out there. They could do midnight showings!       pooooberty loooove

And some pro wrestlers are slightly alien-like.  I think it fits!    That's funny!!

SF was for literature and Sci-Fi for film   That's how I remember it.

syfy is because they wanted a "brand" they could market, and they couldn't brand Sci-Fi.  That actually makes sense.

Hey!  Doesn't anyone watch Fringe?

"Scare Tactics"  - The only reason I watch seefee anymore.  Cracks me up.