>>I wouldn't use a cinematic example in this debate, because I think showing and telling mean somewhat different things there; the only telling that can happen in a visual medium is through dialogue, but in fiction it can also happen through exposition.<< Point taken, although I don't think they're disanalogous.

>>I wouldn't use a cinematic example in this debate, because I think showing and telling mean somewhat different things there; the only telling that can happen in a visual medium is through dialogue, but in fiction it can also happen through exposition.<<

Yup, and that's the problem, isn't it - particularly in SF, where you've got to introduce a world as well as characters.