I'd be very happy to explain the holoscreens and computer hacking, but then I'd have to drag Niki back into the query, and I was told I had to leave her out! Probably because the SF writers I cut my teeth on were L'Engle, Key, Bradbury and LeGuin, and they were always writing about human society, and what makes us human, I refuse to believe that a story about a culture clash can't be SF! That said, I do see your point. But Kiril's main dilemma isn't a scientific one; it's a human one. To add yet more info that wasn't in this pitch, Kennet is the son of a Terran slave, and Kiril intends to get the little boy to his mother's people. Would there be any point to putting this information in? Or would it be better just to bypass the question and call this speculative fiction?

As to why this isn't plain fantasy, I just never thought of it as such. It was always set on an alien planet, so I always thought of it as SF - have thought of it so for 20 years. It's hard to change. Do I really have to?

I hope I'm not being defensive here - I really do appreciate your feedback.