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Can anybody tell me: what's the difference between science fiction and fantasy?

From the lens Good Fantasy Novels: Favorite Fantasy Book Reviews.

Seriously: is there a difference?

  • DinaDLG Jun 13, 2011 @ 4:31 pm | delete
    I think Science Fiction has a 'science' base. Back in the day of Asimov, etc., it really was just far reaching science. Nowadays, with science so far advanced, there's really no place to go so it's all been covered under the scifi/fantasy label. Fantasy is more 'fun' based, more imagination like 'if fairies existed' type of things rather than teleporting to other planets.
  • tandemonimom Mar 13, 2011 @ 9:39 pm | delete
    Little difference; I think generally sci fi tends to be high tech, whereas fantasy is more low tech.
  • prosperity66 Jan 13, 2010 @ 9:42 am | delete
    Simply put, science fiction is a theory about what something can be in the future (extrapolation) while fantasty originates from myths/legends and lies in the common imaginary.
  • Jessica Apr 29, 2011 @ 7:52 pm | delete
    That's pretty much all you can say about it, I'd say. I mean, yeah, you can go into detail and explain, but that's all you need to say.
  • WritingforYourWealth Oct 31, 2009 @ 1:06 pm | delete
    Difference, what? ;) I've been told that science fiction is supposed to be extrapolated from fact, but I don't think any of the space opera books out there are heavy on fact, heh. I kind of like the science fantasy stuff that mixes the two and doesn't pretend to be anything else.
  • ElizabethJeanAllen Sep 29, 2009 @ 5:12 pm | delete
    To me science fiction is taking what we already know and expanding on it. It's almost believable and has to conform to the basic rules of physics. Fantasy is a whole new reality. The rules no longer apply.
    Great lens, and thanks for the blessing on my Blackbox Module lens. I appreciate it.
    Lizzy
  • Flynn_the_Cat Jun 15, 2009 @ 8:33 pm | delete
    For fantasy. it is magic, for scifi, it is - theoretically - science (often undifferentiable from magic by the casual onlooker)...

    That's it.
    True, the majority of scifi will have robots and AIs and spaceships, and most fantasy will be mages and dragons - but urban fanatasy vs some kid with telekinesis (which is scifi) can be indistinguishable. McCaffrey's Pern series, on the face of it alternate-universe fantasy turns out to be gene-splicing, starfaring science fiction.

    Some common features - space armour, for example, and laser guns - usually only turn up in one or the other, but they usually have fantastical or science equivalents. Goblins under the bridge are fantasy. Until they're actually just popping in from an alternate universe in their bridge shaped spaceship. Light sabre or magic sword? The Force? Or mmaaaagggic *wiggles fingers*

    ...*considers finishing essay* *decides to save and use it later* *lensrolls lens on relevant own lens and runs off cackling*
  • Andrew Apr 25, 2009 @ 12:32 pm | delete
    Truly, Science Fiction is a type of Fantasy whereas Fantasy is not a type of Science Fiction. Fantasy then is the Genre and Science Fiction a sub-Genre. Fantasy does not have to involve magic or trolls or elves or anything like that. High Fantasy is set in the Tolkien style with elves, dwarves, man, etc.

    Star Wars is a Fantasy and a Science Fiction.
    Harry Potter is a Fantasy, if you want you can call it a Modern Fantasy
    Lord of the Rings is a Fantasy

    At least, this is how I describe the two... mostly opinion here
  • Elektra Launders Apr 25, 2009 @ 2:49 am | delete
    Yes, as said above quite plainly - science fiction is quite different to fantasy, it is a matter of things such as space ships, outer space, time travel, and other scientific theories and impossiblities. Fantasy therebeing is more of magic ability, spells and magical creatures.
  • Changwoo Na Apr 21, 2009 @ 12:14 am | delete
    Science fiction and fantasy have basically the same purpose, which is to create image of an unreal thing. However, science fiction tends to be more scientific, like robots spaceships etc... while science fictions tends to be linking more about magic
  • Amy Lane Oct 6, 2008 @ 4:23 pm | delete
    Magic and science--only real difference I could ever see between the two. Both of them use a fictional background as a canvas on which to paint human behavior, but fantasy uses magic as the device to force (or allow) us to view human foibles with some distance and objectivity, and science fiction uses science or a futuristic setting to achieve the same objective:-)

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