Difference Between Fantasy and Science Fiction

The world of science fiction and fantasy has no boundaries and is often overlapping. This is an imaginary world where authors talk about things and creatures that do not exist and are based upon their flight of imagination. People are often confused with the difference between fantasy and science fiction and use the words interchangeably which is wrong. Here is a simple explanation of the two concepts to make you identify which is which easily.

Science Fiction

Science fiction, as the name suggests talks about things and machines that have their groundings in scientific principles though they are highly unlikely. For example, sci-fi talks about aliens, space wars and robots which may not be real but one can never negate them with certainty. Science develops at such a great pace that what appears as fiction today becomes reality tomorrow . If someone would have talked about TV or mobile a hundred years ago, people would have considered it as sci-fi but they are reality today.

Fantasy

This is a flight of imagination that is shrouded under mystery and magic. Fiction has no relation with 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 I am talking about. The author can talk about talking dinosaurs or even create mythical creatures without giving any justification or explanation. If an author talks about mission to sun, there is nothing wrong if you are keeping science away from your mind.

Difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction

It seems that there is quite a bit of overlapping between the two concepts but if you take a closer look, you would find that though sci-fi may look unbelievable, it is remotely possible. On the other hand, fiction tries to create a magical world (like Harry Potter) that cannot and will not exist ever. If an author talks about time travel, though it may not be real today, it is in the realms of possibility as it is based upon scientific principles. In other words, it is better to think of sci-fi as science waiting to happen. But fantasy is often fairy world where magic is common and does not follow any scientific principles. People accept it at face value without thinking to much into it.

However, it is possible for a writer to transgress and mix the two terms together by talking of flying dinosaurs and aliens from Mars. It then becomes difficult to classify it as purely fantasy or sci-fi.