In a message dated 7/2/99 3:04:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time, muteki@juno.com 
writes:

What is this with all the SI debates?  I've been getting like five of
 these per hour.  Is this some kind of topic of the week or something? 
 People can write whatever they want and I agree with both Pat and
 Freemage....it's a matter of opinion and I'm getting tired of hearing
 other people yell at other people about which is which.  Let's all go
 back to being happy fanfic writers, okay?

Indeed.  I have only one thing to add to this debate before I start ignoring 
it, (which really is the best way to kill a horse of this color).

Who says fantasy is any less a valid type of story than anything else?  Are 
Tolken, or David Eddings any less of a writer because their stories deal with 
fantasy situations?  I dont think so, and while I will conceede to Richard 
that SI's are a self serving sort of Fantasy, I don't agree with him that 
that makes them any less of an enjoyable story because of that.

And that, as far as I am concerned, is the end of the topic.