Science fantasy
Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theater, and other media.
In organizational or marketing contexts, science fiction can be synonymous with the broader definition of speculative fiction, encompassing creative works incorporating imaginative elements not found in contemporary reality; this includes fantasy, horror, and related genres.
Science fiction differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within established or postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation).
Science fiction is largely based on writing entertainingly and rationally about alternate possibilities in settings that are contrary to known reality. These include:
- A setting in the future, in alternative time lines, or in a historical past that contradicts known facts of history or the archeological record
- A setting in outer space, on other worlds, or involving aliens
- Stories that contradict known or supposed laws of nature
- Stories that involve discovery or application of new scientific principles, such as time travel or psionics, or new technology, such as nanotechnology, faster-than-light travel or robots, or of new and different political or social systems
- Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".
Science Fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements. science fantasy is therefore even more elusive of definition.
Science Fantasy vs. Science Fiction
A definition, offered by Rod Serling, is that "science fiction makes the implausible possible, while science fantasy makes the impossible plausible." The meaning is that science fiction describes unlikely things that could possibly take place in the real world under certain conditions, while science fantasy gives a veneer of realism to things that simply couldn't happen in the real world under any circumstances.
For many users of the term, however, "science fantasy" is either a science fiction story that has drifted far enough from reality to "feel" like a fantasy, or a fantasy story that is attempting to be science fiction. While these are in theory classifiable as different approaches, and thus different genres (fantastic science fiction vs. scientific fantasy), the end products are sometimes indistinguishable.
Arthur C. Clarke's dictum that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" indicates why this is so: a writer can write a fantasy using magic of various sorts, and yet turn the story into science fiction by positing some highly advanced technology, or as-yet-unknown but ultimately thoroughly provable science, as an explanation for how the magic can occur. Another writer can describe a future world where technologies are so advanced to be invisible, and the effects produced would be classified as magical if they were only described as such. A world might include magic which only some people (or only the reader) know to be in fact technological effects.
A Personal Note from Robin
Science fiction and science fantasy in film has but two purposes: to tell a story and to sell tickets. Many SciFi film producers use the old adage of "sex sells" when filming SciFi stories, so they sacrifice a little bit of the story line to sell tickets.
All of these factors come together to produce low-budget films that sell tickets:
- Before digital photography became available, props, back ground scenery and costumes had to be fabricated instead of generated by computers. Many movie companies and/or producers didn't have large budgets so astronauts landed on planets made of plaster and/or paper-mache.
- Space ships were made of toilet-paper rolls with a Fourth of July sparkler for an rocket engine.
- The astronauts are seldom captured by green, alien monsters with eight arms because they are hard to get the prop department to produce, so realistic monster costumes are suddenly replaced by seven-foot tall amazons which are easily produced by high heels and low camera angles.)
- When a heroine is captured, she is usually bound to some instrument of torture and her clothes ripped from her body. Just enough fabric is left to insure the movie passes the censor boards, but the movie audience is given a glimpse of thigh or tummy. There was almost enough skin to excite the visual senses without being pornographic. The ropes are two-inch hemp hawsers so that it can be clearly seen on the screen but not for its ability to tie tight knots. She can wiggle and wriggle, but just can't seem to escape the clutches of our villian.
I believe of all of the factors, it was the sexy, helpless heroines that got the teenage boys to buy tickets.
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