Skip to main content

Difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction


“Science fiction is about what could happen but isn’t, fantasy is about what couldn’t be”.

This quote of Arthur C Clarke explains the basic point of difference between the two genres, fantasy and science fiction. Besides the elementary difference that you might pick up from a google search, it is imperative to understand how the story is structured and written in fantasy vs in science fiction. The possibility and the impossibility creates a difference between them. They are extremely similar in capacities but highly different by the possibilities of it happening.

The goal is one of the differences between ‘what if‘, which describes fantasy and divides our world against a world that could be. For instance, The Lord of the Rings, a world full of elves and trolls and hobbits is known as the middle earth. The races are far superior to humans but successfully engaged their readers in the story.

The characters also differ when it comes to these two. Sci-fi deals with characters that are mostly robots of futuristic technologies or biologically modified aliens. When you look at a sci-fi film by Nolan, you’ll see that the director showcasing technologies from the future that seem unreal. The people he creates are normal people like you and I, except they have one element, that sets them apart. Fantasy on the other hand deal with the creatures which are not futuristic or advanced but magical and full of surprises. They identify with the region, race, or a particular place they belong to.

The sci-fi setting is mostly in outer space or different planets and galaxies. It shows different species of aliens attacking earth and trying to conquer or take resources from it.  Whereas the fantasy world is mostly set in the past world or a world that doesn’t actually exist. It can be medieval or ancient. They deal with characters that often possess magical powers or even a tiny element that sets them apart from the rest of the world.

Many fantasies deal with alternate dimensions or worlds as well, known as parallel worlds or universes. Readers would be expecting magic, mythical creatures, and strange places from your work. When trying to understand the difference between science fiction and fantasy, the story’s place or setting will play a huge role in depicting the story.

Science fiction is broad and contains a lot of different elements that are held together with logic and true scientific nature. This makes it quite easy for writers and authors to form misconceptions about fantasy and sci-fi writing. There are levels in science fiction that makes up the story and would differentiate reality from fantasy. While science fiction and science fantasy both pertain to the science of something, in reality, they have different ideologies. 

As many differences as one can count between the two, both these genres belong to the parent genre of Speculative Fiction. 

About the Author

Sharon is the content head at Binge Mad, an entertainment media company. 

 

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Every Modern Woman Should Read Jane Eyre

  This is not the first time that a book that was written almost 200 years ago still manages to inspire people in the 21 st century. The book I’ve picked up today is Jane Eyre. A classic piece of literature, Jane Eyre is a tale of sorrow, solitude, and love. There is something quite out worldly about reading classic literature. Little pieces of history centuries old, these literary pieces provide insight into the lives and the society of the past, unlike the history chapters we study in school. Jane Eyre too is a novel of such sorts. Written in 1847, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is the story of an orphan girl who gets by life as an unwanted, unloved, and uncared for bag of blood and bones. Through every phase of her life, Jane Eyre persists. After being sent to school for girls on account of being wicked and evil, Jane Eyre receives education and becomes a governess. The story ahead is full of love and pain, and I won’t spoil it for you. But, like every piece of literature, J...
Post a Comment
Read more

Genres Indian Cinema Has Missed Out On

If you're a movie buff and have watched Indian cinema for quite a few years now, you would have noticed a pattern. This pattern shows a repetition of films, with a few changes here and there. These films have similar plots, similar climaxes, and most of the time they are directed by the same directors. A very simple example of this is Karan Johar and his films released under the Dharma Productions banner. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has blinding similarities with SOTY 1&2 and also Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Most Indian cinema is either Romance, Biographies, and Drama. We do have a few Gangs of Wasseypur-types and nightmarish attempts at Horror, but that's about it. The lack of variety in cinema has made Bollywood predictable. We know that Salman Khan will save the day in the end, we know if its a Rohit Shetty film car-flying will be witnessed. However, when you watch movies like Arrival, Platform, Tumbbad, and most films by Nolan, you'll witness mixed feelings. When Tumbbad ends, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian Fantasy: Literature and Cinema

  In Indian literature, fantasy is often inspired by mythology. Generally, most fantasy novels are based on the rich Indian mythology. Take Amish Tripathi and his celebrated works as an example. Everything he has written falls under the category of fantasy and has been inspired by mythology. Thus it won’t be wrong to say that India has its own style of fantasy literature. Unlike dragons, witches and wizards, in Indian literature, we find war between different gods, Lok’s, and sometimes even different dimensions. As grand and expansive as the Indian mythology is, you’d think that the work Indian authors produce in the fantasy genre would be immense. Here I am to break that notion. Besides Amish Tripathi, there is no other author who has written fantasy novels and has received global recognition. To some extent, I find Midnight’s Children a fantasy as well, but this is where the quota ends. The lack of Indian fantasy novels is felt not just in the book stores filled with autobiog...
Post a Comment
Read more