What is it that you like about the two genres? I like how they have their own tropes, and that they're full of so much imagination. Fantasy relies on magic while sci-fi relies on technology. Subgenres of fantasy include high fantasy, sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy, dark fantasy, historical fantasy, and urban fantasy. Subgenres of sci-fi include space opera, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, hard sci-fi, military sci-fi, space western, dystopia, and science-fantasy. They're always amazing whether you're reading books, watching TV and movies, playing games (tabletop and video), and looking at art.
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Fantasy and sci-fi
- Thread starter VGmaster9
- Start date
El Mahdi
Muad'Dib of the Anauroch
What I like (and what I feel they all have in common), is that they all are allowed to have, and almost always do have, a premise of reality different from real life. Within a story it always helps that they stay consistent to their own rules, but it doesn't have to be the rules of the real world. As long as it's explained why, or at least gives a nod to the fact that it's different, whether explained or not, it's okay with me. But the difference from the real world is what interests me. It gives new worlds and ideas to mentally explore, and through contrast, new ways to see our own world.
Ahnehnois
First Post
I enjoy the idea because the real world often isn't enough; I think that's the common thread. For those with the requisite imagination, fantastical stories are escapist. They allow one to stop thinking about the banal challenges of their lives.
Personally, I wouldn't mind at all dodging the hordes of Mordor or running from the Cylons or facing the horrors of Cthulhu if it meant my life would be more interesting. It's these things that make work/school/etc. bearable.
Personally, I wouldn't mind at all dodging the hordes of Mordor or running from the Cylons or facing the horrors of Cthulhu if it meant my life would be more interesting. It's these things that make work/school/etc. bearable.
It's definitely fun to creating the ultimate fantasy and sci-fi settings. In fantasy, you can have tons of non-human races, mythical creatures, elemental planes, gods, all kinds of magic, and many places of the world based on all sorts of historical cultures and periods. Magitek/Dungeonpunk would also be included. Of course, it would have influences from tons of fantasy authors, like Tolkien, Howard, Moorcock, Lieber, Vance, Fiest, Le Guin, Hickman & Weis, Salvatore, etc, as well as tons of mythologies, like Arthurian, Celtic, Norse, and much more.
In Sci-fi, it would take place in the far future. There are Thousands of different race, as well as planets. Each planet would have its own geography, as well as flora and fauna. Humans would be called 'Terrans' and the planets of their old solar system would be fully inhabited, incuding terrain planets like Mercury, Venus, and Mars, moons like the Moon, Phobos, Deimos, Europa, and Titan. The gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune would have lots of floating cities inside them. Even Pluto would be inhabited. Psionics are a mysterious power in the universe, faster than light travel is completely possible, spaceships range from small pods to space stations, and not only would ballistic weapons weapons exist, but others like gauss weapons, lasers, plasma weapons, and other types of energy weapons.
In Sci-fi, it would take place in the far future. There are Thousands of different race, as well as planets. Each planet would have its own geography, as well as flora and fauna. Humans would be called 'Terrans' and the planets of their old solar system would be fully inhabited, incuding terrain planets like Mercury, Venus, and Mars, moons like the Moon, Phobos, Deimos, Europa, and Titan. The gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune would have lots of floating cities inside them. Even Pluto would be inhabited. Psionics are a mysterious power in the universe, faster than light travel is completely possible, spaceships range from small pods to space stations, and not only would ballistic weapons weapons exist, but others like gauss weapons, lasers, plasma weapons, and other types of energy weapons.
GreyLord
Legend
I like old style sci-fi.
Sci-fi these days is more like Fantasy in Space. I've lost a LOT of interest in it. Actually, I haven't bought a new science fiction book beyond the Dune books (and many would say the new dune books are trash as well, as well as being basically Fantasy in space also...but with the psych attitudes of old style sci-fi somewhat tossed in) in years.
But, seeing them both in the same style of writing, the new Sci-Fi simply being fantasy in space...and fantasy being fantasy in a medieval world typically...they are ways to pass the time experiencing things take you out of the real world into something else...I suppose someplace fantastical...for a bit.
Sci-fi these days is more like Fantasy in Space. I've lost a LOT of interest in it. Actually, I haven't bought a new science fiction book beyond the Dune books (and many would say the new dune books are trash as well, as well as being basically Fantasy in space also...but with the psych attitudes of old style sci-fi somewhat tossed in) in years.
But, seeing them both in the same style of writing, the new Sci-Fi simply being fantasy in space...and fantasy being fantasy in a medieval world typically...they are ways to pass the time experiencing things take you out of the real world into something else...I suppose someplace fantastical...for a bit.
You ever read Neuromancer? That's one of the definitive Cyberpunk novels out there.
The thing is, the reason that many fantasy stories are medievel and that mant sci-fi stories are "fantasy in space" because of the sheer amount of variety they offer. You could put so many different things in both and create virtually endless possiblities. Out of all the subgenres of the two, High Fantasy and Space Opera are the most flexible, in my opinion.
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