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The Critical Difference Between Sci-Fi and Fantasy

So at the extremely high risk of sounding like a complete and total nerd (which I suppose I am), I’m going to tackle this subject.

In general, sci-fi deals with possibilities based on what we know or can speculate about science and technology. Fantasy is based on medieval superstitions.

That being said, there are many examples of hybrid stories. Take Star Wars, for instance. To a die-hard sci-fi fan, it's not strictly hard science fiction because of the "magic" of using the force. That element is fantasy. Star Trek, on the other hand, while occasionally metaphysical, is more hard science fiction.

It's the difference between science...or speculative science...and superstition or the metaphysical.

Lord of the Rings, then, is pure fantasy. Star Trek is hard sci-fi (for the most part). And Star Wars is mostly sci-fi, with some fantasy elements thrown in.

To dismiss all sci-fi as fantasy is to dismiss the possibility of it ever happening. But that's the whole point of sci-fi...to extrapolate what could be.

Think of all the technological developments of recent decades…personal computers…personal communication devices (cell phones)…cloning…finding planets around other stars…genetic engineering…nanotechnology…advances in robotics…etc.

All of these things were imagined before they were created (or discovered). Indeed, before anything can be invented it must first be imagined. Is this mere fantasy?

Sci-fi writers wrote about submarines before they were invented (Jules Verne). Or about robots decades before they were created (Asimov, Karel Capek who coined the term). Or about trips to Mars and the Moon (Jules Verne, Ray Bradbury, etc.)

Science fiction writers have traditionally been the inspiration for much of our technology and development. Since nerds tend to read science fiction…and those same nerds tend to go into fields such as research science, engineering, medicine, mathematics, etc…(except for this nerd who went into music)…you can see how much science fiction becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in terms of speculative technology.

Sci-fi writers are the dreamers, the engineers the makers.

But there’s also more to it than that. You see, sci-fi deals with possibilities. Not just technological possibilities, but future history. Extrapolating possible futures based on what is happening now and what has happened in the past.

In this regard, sci-fi can serve as a warning…or a morality play…showing a world that could be if certain trends continue. Think of the classic novel 1984 by George Orwell. It’s a warning. I believe we’re still headed for 1984, but that’s a different story.

Fantasy, on the other hand reaches into the superstitious past…to some type of medieval world devoid of technology but full of magic. Lord of the Rings is a classic example.

I’ve typically preferred sci-fi over fantasy, but with Lord of the Rings being one big notable exception. I also really like the Harry Potter series.

But consider the difference between the two genres. Fantasy is just that. Pure fantasy. Sci-fi, on the other hand engages your mind in possibilities.

Now, keep in mind these are generalizations and aren’t meant to classify every book or movie firmly into one camp or the other. There are many hybrids, and many stories with elements of both.

But for the sci-fi fan, we call books devoid of all fantasy elements as “hard science fiction.” A speculation on what could be…