Sci fi vs Fantasy

[Minuend]

Do you prefer one over the other? Why?

I always thought I enjoyed fantasy over sci fi, but the recent years I've come to realize I just wasn't introduced to enough variability in sci fi, and my preference was based mostly by assumptions and faulty thinking.

I've come to realize I actually prefer sci fi over fantasy. I enjoy the futuristic possibilities over the alternative medieval reality. I never really enjoyed the traditional fantasy with elves, dwarves, swords and shields etc. But I do enjoy alien species, space travel, space mystery and exploration etc. There are some common elements within sci fi I dislike strongly, but in the end I prefer the oppurtunity, the futuristic to the medieval and magical (not that you can't have both)

 

[Hadoblado]

I'm a fan of both, but they're both often limited. My favourite is where they sort of join in the middle? Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

I think I probably prefer fantasy over sci-fi, because it owns the fantastical element. With sci-fi (at least that which I've been exposed to) it tends to pretend that technology works in a more personal palatable way (e.g. the millennium falcon is the fastest ship in the galaxy. Why?)

Any recommendations? Any particular book that brought you to this realisation?

 

[Cognisant]

Is this a sci-fi?
Or just a fantasy?
Life on a hard drive.
It's the end of humanity.
Open your mind.
Read about it online and see.
I'm just a robot, I have no agency.
Because I'm built to serve, not to know.
Do my job, nothing more.
Whatever you want, it doesn't really matter to me, to me~

 

[Cognisant]

I think scifi is more plot driven whereas fantasy is more character driven, by which I mean scifi tends to be about something which it explores the implications of, whereas fantasy is about the personal struggles and growth of the characters to which the setting is just a background.

 

[lightfire]

I prefer fantasy over sci-fi. I do watch sci-fi but rarely, it doesn't draw me in as much as fantasy.

 

[Jennywocky]

I think scifi is more plot driven whereas fantasy is more character driven, by which I mean scifi tends to be about something which it explores the implications of, whereas fantasy is about the personal struggles and growth of the characters to which the setting is just a background.

That's not a bad observation.

There's also a wide variety of range within each genre as well, some fantasy is really off the deep end or can merely be fluff, some other fantasy can be more grounded. I think good stories have both character depth while also broader ramifications and we can learn stuff about humanity / living in the broad sense.

Anyway, it's why stuff like Star Wars is often referred to more as Science Fantasy.... and not really in the in-depth way, there' stuff that uses the trappings of science but it's not really concerned with it whatsoever or where species can realistically go as they evolve physically and socially, etc.

 

[lightfire]

But ^ Science Fantasy sounds cool, I can see myself getting into that.

 

[Viaterum Orbis]

We have a sci-fi/fantasy club in university of which I'm currently the librarian. I personally like the most short sci-fi stories (huuuge fan of Analog magazine, we have issues from late 70s to early 2000s and there are A LOT of good stories there). Right now, I'm guessing any of the Martian Chronicles (by Bradbury) stories are worth it. Also the Parallel Universe trilogy by Michael Burstein (it's a short stories trilogy).

Fantasy is OK, mostly; especially with low fantasy (altough I also enjoy more sofisticated things, even if it's RPG worldbuilding). I'm guessing it depends on my mood, but I'm mostly into sci-fi.

Science Fantasy? You should check Infinity Blade. Literally.

 

[Anling]

I like both sci-fi and fantasy. They're both speculative fiction. Honestly I tend to read fantasy and watch sci-fi. Though a lot of the books are in that science fantasy middle ground. I think, especially these days, there is a lot of overlap.