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I always wonder why sci-fi gets mixed in with fantasy so much? It's always a pain to find decent movie/show or a book because these categories are treated as the same thing.
In my mind they are trivial to separate and I struggle to think of a single book or a film/show that even comes close to crossing over.
I enjoy quality writing in either genre, but as I get older I gravitate towards sci-fi because most fantasy seems to be written for younger audience with some great exceptions like Chronicles of Amber or Witcher.
And just to stay on topic, I nominate Asprin's Myth Adventures.
As Arthur C. Clarke famously said: ~~"You have reached the end of your free trial subscription to ArthurCClarkeQuotes.com"~~ "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
A lot of Sci-Fi stuff is just fantasy with a different coat of paint. Any universe where the technology is just acting as a stand-in for magic qualifies. There are even many settings that blur the line between the two, like Warhammer 40K.
"Hard" Sci Fi is another beast entirely. That would be more like OG Star Trek or even something like The Twilight Zone. Something where the "magic" exists to explore thoughtful/philosophical "What if?" questions rather than simply as a system of magic to serve the fantasy.
I lol'd
Approach is different. If they treat magic as given without trying to understand it - fantasy. If they treat it as advanced tech - sci fi.
But why does it matter? In Dune characters are able use mindfulness to control their body so finely that they can manipulate molecules. So there's a "scientific explanation" but for all intents and purposes it's magic.
I don't understand the need to draw hard lines, the fantasy/sci Fi distinction has always just been a way to describe the setting moreso than the genre. Many fantasy novels read like a typical sci-fi and vice versa.
They're only trivial to separate if you think the only "real" sci-fi is hard sci-fi. Star Wars, Star Trek, and plenty of other beloved sci-fi series that blur the lines would get lost in the infighting.
I mean, the "war" between sci-fi and fantasy has been going on for decades, and it's always been ridiculous.
Not really. Like I said in a comment above, if they treat magic as advanced tech to be explored - sci fi. If it's treated as a given - fantasy.
Hard agree. There's sci-fi/fantasy settings and then there's sci-fi/fantasy writing. Star wars is a fantasy story that takes place in a sci-fi setting, if you're so inclined. But it's hard fantasy in my books.
If your book is focused on adventure and characters it's probably fantasy, if your book is focused on humanity or other grander themes it's probably sci-fi. Focusing on whether there is magic or elves or whatever is completely missing the point in my opinion.
The whole debate is childish. If you refuse to read a book because there is X race or X technology or whatever then you really need to change your priorities.
It's like when people say "I don't watch cartoons". Fuck off!!
My problem with scifi and movies is that most of them are scary/horror. Not so much the case recently, but I remember walking the scifi section being mashed in with the horror section.
Lots of great horror sci fi, but definitely different genres.
Yep, when I'm looking for sci-fi I don't want elves or whatever. The only pointy ears belong to Mr Spock.
I feel like you mentioning Spock/elves just highlights how similar the two genres are. Sci-Fi (in theory) uses a future universe as a setting in which to explore characters/themes. Fantasy uses a fictional universe as a setting in which to explore characters/themes.
Preferring one to the other feels pedantic. Is Dune sci-fi or fantasy? Does it matter? I say no. Grumpy rant/