The realms of fantasy and science fiction are vast and often overlapping, presenting an imaginary world where authors discuss things and creatures that don’t exist and are based on their imagination. People often confuse the two and use the terms interchangeably, but there are distinct differences between fantasy and science fiction.
Science Fiction
Science fiction, as the name suggests, discusses things and machines grounded in scientific principles, even if they are highly unlikely. For example, science fiction might talk about aliens, space wars, and robots, which may not be real, but one cannot negate them with certainty. Science progresses at a rapid pace, and what appears as fiction today may become reality tomorrow. If someone had talked about TV or mobile phones a hundred years ago, people would have considered it science fiction, but they are realities today.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a flight of imagination shrouded in mystery and magic. It has no relation to science, and the author can talk about anything that may or may not be possible. If you have read Alice in Wonderland, you know what this means. The author can discuss talking dinosaurs or create mythical creatures without providing any justification or explanation. If an author talks about a mission to the sun, there’s nothing wrong with that if you keep science out of your mind.
Key Takeaways
- Science fiction is based on scientific principles and may not be a reality today but has the potential to become possible in the future. Fantasy, on the other hand, is a flight of imagination with no connection to science.
- Science fiction discusses things and places somehow connected to the real world, while fantasy talks about creatures that exist only in the realms of imagination.
- Fantasy focuses on magic and the supernatural, while science fiction talks about things that are remotely possible.
It is essential to note that a writer may mix the two terms by discussing flying dinosaurs and aliens from Mars, making it challenging to classify the work as purely fantasy or science fiction.
