# Question? anyone who can help



## Stargazer1976 (Nov 17, 2004)

Just wondering what the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy is. I realize its somewhat open to interpretation but please give me yours. 

thank you


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Nov 17, 2004)

Science fiction is usually speculative - it takes a few facts, asks a 'what if' question about them and plays out an imaginary scenario that could concievably be, or become, true at some point in time and space.

Fantasy is purely imaginative rather than speculative, creating secondary worlds that don't need to bear any relation to our own and can have very different ground rules. 
At least, that's my take on it just now.


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## Morning Star (Nov 17, 2004)

So would you say that fantasy does not always need to be set "in the past"? as in the popular conceptions of fantasy being The Lord of the Rings and such?

I was just wondering because I like your theories JP.


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Nov 17, 2004)

No, I don't think fantasy doesn't have to have a pre-industrial, 'ancient' setting - China Mieville's works exist in a sort of early-industrial revolution setting, for instance. What makes his work fantasy rather than sf is that he is less concerned with playing out plausible technological ideas than with imagining a decidedly strange setting and culture shot through with weird science and weirder magic. 

Still, I think the exact boundaries between sf and fantasy get pretty blurred. Which is probably a good thing.


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## polymorphikos (Nov 17, 2004)

Both genres are propelled by the impossibility factor. In sf, this factor is using science to create otherwise-impossible scenarios, and in fantasy the i-factor is magic or the like. Speculative fiction is a seperate aspect, invariably mixed-in with sf due to supposed ideas about technological development, but sometimes has no real sf elements are. There is no line, but much like the ph meter running from acid to alkaline, it has very clear extremes, with Mieville somewhere in the middle.


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## The Master™ (Nov 17, 2004)

What a damn good question...

Here is how I see it...

Fantasy has your usual elements... Magic, mythical creatures, usually based on a planet of "medieval to early industrial" like development (from our current perspective)...

Science Fiction has other elements... Time travel, space ships, alien species... Based on a planet of "post-industrial to extreme futuristic" like development (from our current perspective) or in space...

Hope that helps a little...


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## Stargazer1976 (Nov 17, 2004)

Hope that helps a little... [/QUOTE] 

Absolutely!! and do all the other comments. Keep em comming. 

Bob


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 17, 2004)

Fantasy as rooted in mythology, and science fiction rooted in science - but that's an extremely rough categorisation, though. 

Some science fiction purists demand that only those works that offer visionary practical technological applications be regarded as science fiction - and everything else as just fantasy. 

But however you try and define the genre, sff involves a lot of crossover, because it is ultimately only limited by our imaginations, rather than any pigeon-holes we may try and force on it.


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## Rane Longfox (Nov 17, 2004)

There are many sub-genres that can be caught inbetween the two catagories. There are obviously some very easy to classify books, but some are harder... and then of course there are some that actually fit into neither, and are "futuristic thrillers" or similar.

What I never thought of before, but have just realised (i'm quick, me), is that in the majority of cases, fantasy is set in a completely different world/universe, whereas sci-fi generally still has the earth we know as the centre of humanity or whatever. There are always exceptions, but it generally holds true...


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## astounding (Nov 25, 2004)

I agree with polymorphikos, science fiction if you realized lately, usually adds something to the genre now, its science fiction and fact.  My point being that there is usually some scientific specialty incorporated into the story.  example being, look at asimovs  foundation series, nuclear technology was the basis for practicly the entire story.  Most all science fiction books and stories take a present or made up scienctific reasearch or technology and use it to propel the story.  where as fantasy is merely made up, with no basis for reality hence the name fantasy.  and then the name of science fiction, its scientific to a certain degree, but most of the time speculative. ....or is it....muhahahahaha


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## Teresa Edgerton (Nov 26, 2004)

But what happens when the "science" in a science fiction story becomes outdated, when what was once imagined to be scientifically possible no longer fits in with modern knowledge or the latest theories -- what category does the story fall into then?


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## Princess Ivy (Nov 26, 2004)

what they said! 
hehehe
i'm more into the fantasy stuff than the sci-fi. mainly becuase so many sci-fi writers feel the need to baffle with their science. for me that interupts the flow of the story, and in most cases does baffle me. whereas fantasy can be allowed to flow, its more about the characters and story


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## Cyrex Wingblade (Nov 27, 2004)

*A Question of Content*

I've always considered the distinction to be based on content, as some  have already suggested.

Science Fiction utilizes scientific fiction to propel a world, usually involving technology, great scientific understanding than we actually have, etc. Thus, Sci-fi lends itself to a futuristic setting.

Fantasy is fantastic fiction that does not rely on science or even clear explanations, but rather metaphysical, spiritual, and wisdom based, with a great deal of mystery involved. We love mythology for a reason, after all.

Of course, there's no reason the two can't blend. I do so myself in many of my stories, one character using magic, another high-level technology, others a mixture.

I usually just call it all 'Sci-fi/Fantasy' and be done with it. The fudge-factor in sci-fi and the attempts to give rules to magic in fantasy cause a bit of blending anyway.

Star Wars is a perfect example of a blend. The Force, along with lightsabers and space-ships.

Lord of the Rings is pure fantasy, with the physically impossible explained by mystery and magic.

Ghost in the Shell is sci-fi, using high technology to explore abstract concepts of real human value.


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## GOLLUM (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: A Question of Content*

Hi all!

This is a very interesting topic and discussion so far.

Here's my take on things although I suspect it's more a summary of what people have been saying already (with the exception of para 1  ) but here goes everything..

A number of booksellers and publicists I know like to categorize fantasy as a sub genre of the more generic term Science fiction that’s often used to describe what could loosely be defined as speculative fiction. At least this appears to be the case but then again what do they know! UM.. no offence to any booksellers or publicists who may be tuning in, just my observations.  

On a more serious note, generally speaking fantasy themes tend to deal with ideas that are not universally believed whereas science fiction is based more on what is perhaps technologically or theoretically possible but is yet to be proved or disproved as the case may be. When science fiction becomes fact then some educationalists and politicians will call this progress (especially if it wins them votes!) and whilst still classified as SCI-FI will not be regarded in quite the same light. Actually more in the case of when their ideas are proven to be unsubstantiated. If they're shown to be correct they'll tend to be labelled as visionaries. Once again just my observations follks. 

Also if a “fantasy concept” is presented to the reader and no attempt is made to root that concept or idea in scientific fact or theory then it generally tends to be considered fantasy otherwise it’s considered more science fiction.

The bottom line is that science fiction and fantasy have cross over points and several novels can not be so easily pigeon-holed or classified as being firmly in one camp or another!

Ultimately this is a fairly gray area and pretty subjective to boot!

All for now..


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## Thunderchild (Apr 8, 2005)

I think the difference between sci - fi and fanticy is style and substance. fanticy uses style to create worlds and storeis - basing ideas around 'what would make a cool world' or 'what would make this character special and unique'. on th otherhand sci - fi is more about substance - basing stories and worlds around certin aspects within those world such as governments of technical devices and creating characters and worlds to incorperate those.


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## Teresa Edgerton (Apr 8, 2005)

Oh I totally disagree, Thunderchild, that fantasy is all about style and science fiction is all about substance.  A well-written fantasy reflects inner realities which are no less valid for being intangible.

It's true that a reader can enjoy a book like _The Lord of the Rings_, or  _A Wizard of Earthsea_, solely for it's imaginative qualities, but there is also something more powerful at work that some people respond to as well.

Just as well-written science fiction rises above the gadgets and scientific theories to deal with more human matters, such as our hopes and fears about the future.


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## Quokka (Apr 8, 2005)

I really like the analogy with the ph meter. A story like Clive Barker's _Imajica _is a fantasy even though its woven into the modern world. One thing I was thinking (though thats a bad start) is that Science fiction will usually take the 'Laws of Science' as we understand them at the time (including theories) and try to stretch and play with them in order to create the setting and interaction that the author desires. 

Fantasy on the other hand recreates the 'Laws of Science' in his world to act the way he wants. Ie. Most of the time the magic will be explained as acting in accordance to the physical laws of that environment.

Hmmm, clear as mud? maybe i need to think about this some more


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## Sibeling (Apr 8, 2005)

I usually distinguish sci-fi and fantasy like that:

If there is magic, dragons, wizards, big gloomy woods and nothing is radioactive - that's fantasy. And in some fantasy books you get maps. 

If there are spaceships, aliens, lots of odd planets and robots - that's sci-fi.

In other words, fantasy is about magic, sci-fi is about technology (I think this idea has been mentioned before, but never mind  )


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## zorcarepublic (Apr 9, 2005)

erm...no



For instance, IIRC there is a book that has a footnote in TSOD, where TP describes a book that, in his view, is sci-fi without having ANY technology more advanced than a bow. Its really your own POV, and I feel that SF is usually concerned with the human condition--how we would be 100, 500 or 1000 years into the future. Fantasy is like SF, but doesn't explore the human condition as much. Star Wars is SF, in a way--its core issue, and correct me if Im wrong on this, is the battle between good and evil. So is B5, and Star Trek. Im probably wrong (in fact, I most likely will be wrong) but its my POV


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## aurelio (Apr 9, 2005)

I always thought Fantasy was anything that involves the extraordinary, and that Science Fiction was simply a subset of the broader catagory of Fantasy.   

You have things like Sword & Sorcery, Speculative Fiction, and now a lot of Alternate Histories, and those too seem like subsets of Fantasy, similar to Scifi.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Apr 9, 2005)

I try not to categorise stuff
I don't know who first said it, but I remember a line "when you can name something, you limit it"

sounds like fortune cookie philosophy, I know but I like it


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## Stormflame (Apr 9, 2005)

When I think of Sci-fi, I think of works like Dune and Star Wars and other novels that thrive in the threshold of futuristic worlds.  Fantasy draws to mind books like Eddings, Tolkein, other such authors.  These are worlds neither futuristic or scientific, but, a fairy tale setting where science is nothing more than a wizards cauldron and old manuals on the desk of an alchemist.


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