Fantasy vs Science Fiction: A Poll

Which do you prefer?

  • Total voters
    406
You never have to apologise for your age or your taste in books,MAJE Mike.
Sometimes, age has no relation to the books one reads,and sometimes,it does.
We are all different and that's what makes life interesting.
 
Fantasy for me. Sometimes historical fiction but it feels like cheating. To already have a story to bend an shape.....
 
I've never been big on fantasy. I love'd "The never ending story" in my early teens, but 10 simple words changed my life.
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away".
 
I voted for SF since the tech in a sci-fi novel, while not possible today, doesn't mean it won't be possible tomorrow.
You can't really bring fantasy to life, unless it's Science Fantasy (or SF masquerading as fantasy).
 
When I read,I'm looking for a rattling good story that keeps me gripped all the way through.
I don't really care what category it fits into.
I just happen to find, I am more likely to enjoy immersing myself into a fantasy world where unusual possibilities may happen.
 
Hilarious Joke said:
Um, I think you clearly forgot you can use a simple wardrobe to get into Narnia.
Click to expand...
I never read Narnia, but if you did, could you tell me if the book went into any sort of detail as to how a simple wardrobe held (or generated) a transdimensional wormhole? Especially without said wardrobe, room, and probably the entire building not getting sucked into Narnia along with the kids.
 
Old_Man_Steve2016 said:
I never read Narnia, but if you did, could you tell me if the book went into any sort of detail as to how a simple wardrobe held (or generated) a transdimensional wormhole? Especially without said wardrobe, room, and probably the entire building not getting sucked into Narnia along with the kids.
Click to expand...
The Magician's Nephew explains some of it. But it is set up to be a fantasy, not a sf - although obviously Lewis is also a pretty recognised SF writer.
 
Jo Zebedee said:
The Magician's Nephew explains some of it.
Click to expand...
Though a late "retcon" (penultimate book published and should be read then too). In practice portal stories, SF or Fantasy rarely explain or care how it works.
"Aslan" explains something about "portals" in Prince Caspian (which actually initially doesn't even use one, only for going home). Dawn Treader uses a painting.

It's best not to explain.

C.J Cherryh: Morgaine series is sort of Fantasy / SF with portals too.
 
Old_Man_Steve2016 said:
You can't really bring fantasy to life
Click to expand...
You can in your head.

Also SF isn't really about the possible science. That's only "hard SF" and almost everything alleging to be that on Amazon isn't. SF is basically usually a McGuffin purely to have the setting or examine social / ethical questions without "obvious" Magic. Almost no good SF is genuinely about predicting or helping development of science and technology, except by accident. Most of it *IS* fantasy with the "magic" hidden by technobabble and contemporary near future, alien or future instead of the now and past of most fantasy. But some Fantasy is set in far future (Wondla series that might be mistaken for SF and Shannarra series)
 
Anyone who reads sci/fi or sci/fantasy,expecting it to be fact rather than fiction,is in for a disappointment.
When I start a story,I suspend belief and just go with the plot.
Often,after reading a story,I think about it and realise the premise the story was based on,was preposterous.
But during the time of reading I get caught up in it and don't start analysing until afterwards.
 
A quick peak at the Smithsonian website informs me of several inventions inspired by Science Fiction (sub, helicopter, cell phones, etc).
Don't know if you'd call "Star Trek" good sci-fi or not, but it did inspire some scientists to make things based off of what they saw on the show.
As far as Fantasy goes, it seems exceedingly difficult to bring magic (or magical animals) to real-life. And given what goes on in those novels, you'd have to be pretty damn crazy to even want to. There's no way you'll ever fit that Dragonlance in your garage...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
B Pulp Fantasy, Pulp Science Fiction and Pulp Horror and Pulp Everything Else Classic SF&F 15
B Characters Behaving Stupidly In Science Fiction , Fantasy Horror Movies and TV Shows. SFF Lounge 79
M. Robert Gibson An Interactive Guide to NPR's List of Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books SFF Lounge 1
B Science Fiction , Fantasy and Horror Stories Where Evil Battles Evil. Classic SF&F 6
B So Bad Its Good, Science Fiction, Fantasy And Horror SFF Lounge 52

Similar threads


Back
Top