[jerf]

"Science fiction books" are a subset of "fiction books".

"Fiction" is a radically constrained subset of "science fiction".

One of the reasons I enjoy science fiction so much is that in the hands of a master, it has much more possibility to be truly powerful and good literature than the genres that limit themselves. Like any other ingredient, it can either make the dish or ruin it, but the ingredient should not be judged by the ruined dishes people make with it.

(Example: I recommend A Deepness in the Sky for an interesting literary treatment on slavery that goes well beyond "Slavery is bad, mm'kay?" and with relevance well beyond the usual historical issues. Try it in non-sci-fi and it would either fail or be silly.)