Drawing The Line Between Science Fiction And Fantasy
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It can be difficult to differentiate the realms of fantasy and science fiction. In some book stores, books of either genre mingle together on one shelf while other stores separate the genres distinctly, each with their own display area. Many people refer to “science fiction and fantasy”, grouping both genres into one concept. Others firmly draw the line down the middle with science fiction on one side and fantasy on the other. The two concepts may overlap in that science fiction does involve fantastical notions, but make no mistake about it, these fiction genres are worlds apart.
So what is the difference? Simply put, science fiction is fiction that involves science. The concept of a science fiction realm and the objects found therein trace their roots from technological development or medical breakthroughs. Explanations about the actual design involved in a tool or vehicle or details about the development of a cure for a deadly virus may not be present, but the notion of discovery and advancement is clear throughout the story. Characters depend on tools and objects to achieve what they need and rarely have any type of magical ability. The concepts of travel through space and alternate planets or takeover by alien life are often the basis for many science fiction stories.
Fantasy novels, on the other hand, rarely involve any scientific breakthrough. The reader is asked to believe in a concept, a creature’s existence or an object’s ability simply because the author requests it. Almost to encourage that leap of faith required of the reader, the fantasy genre often involves settings where technology figures very little, if at all. The arcane and magical exploits are rife and characters have the potential of gifts and abilities. The presence of magic in a novel is often considered the easiest line to define whether the story is one of science fiction or fantasy. In fantasy, creatures that could never possibly exist and talents that people will never have almost define the novel into a world that many people wish for but will never exist.
The controversy of whether science fiction is fantasy (and vice versa) or whether the two genres simply different takes on the same style runs rampant. Most novels are quickly defined by a glance at the few first pages or setting description. Swords, dragons and castles generally mean fantasy; spacescapes, robots and computers typically mean science fiction. Many authors, however, combine both elements into a true genre-bender that makes even experts wonder of which type of novel they hold in their hand.
Science fiction and fantasy both require the single-most important thing for a believable storyline and a novel that transports us to another world: the imagination. Maybe the differences between the two are not so distinct after all.
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