New Poll- Sci-fi or Fantasy?

[starrley]

This question was suggested by Queen Bex, and I think it's a good one, because people are generally polarized with their answers. Feel free to post your opinions.
(I'm Sci-fi all the way!)

[Pyper]

This is an interesting question. While science fiction and fantasy are two distinct genres there is often a lot of overlap between them, and not everyone agrees with the classification of some that are close to the border. Pern (Anne McCaffrey) has been one of those for me. The initial series I read were what I would term classic fantasy with feaudal system and dragons. However as I move through the series it introduces more and more science fiction elements.

Within each genre there is also a lot of variation, compare Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) to Ringworld (Larry Niven) to Foundation (Isaac Asimov) to Clarke's Short Stories for example. Similarly compare Harry Potter (J K Rowling) to Song of Ice and Fire (George R R Martin) to Narnia (C S Lewis) to J R R Tolkien. Apparently the number of initials you have influences whether you can write fantasy or not.

[stitchingmama]

I voted fantasy since I really never liked science fiction novels. I love Star Trek & have enjoyed several Sci Fi shows on TV but I can't think of a single truly geeky Sci Fi movie that I loved. So I guess I'm mainly Fantasy with only a dash of Sci Fi.

[RMDC]

I like both, though I find that I love entries like Star Trek, Star Wars, Robin Hobb's Elderlings novels, and so on more for the potential of what they could be than what they are. I generally prefer my headcanon to what's there on page or screen.

In the D&D game my spouse and I run four ourselves and occasionally others, the sci-fi / fantasy slider shifts in one direction or the other depending on the mood and in-game time period. We've also run pure sci-fi games and pure hokey fantasy. When it comes to consuming media, I read and watch more sci-fi and she prefers fantasy, but behind the DM screen she practically turns D&D into Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra while I'd rather not see anything more advanced than scale mail.

Also, I'm going to give shout-outs to properties like Nickelodeon's Avatar series and other newer generation material that's expanding the boundaries of fantasy and sci-fi.

Apparently the number of initials you have influences whether you can write fantasy or not.

[Ally]

I like fantasy books and sci-fi TV shows, but not so much the other way around! Fiction I think is a better medium for fantasy since the author is completely unlimited in what they can create, and half the fun is imagining the world, but sci-fi I think is something that needs to be seen and works better for the screen. Though that isn't to say there aren't some incredible fantasy films and sci-fi books out there!

[blackmageheart]

I like fantasy books and sci-fi TV shows, but not so much the other way around!

I'm with you, Ally! Of course, I like some sci-fi books and some fantasy TV shows/movies, but I think I agree with you in that I prefer to imagine fantasy and see sci-fi!

Also, I'm going to give shout-outs to properties like Nickelodeon's Avatar series and other newer generation material that's expanding the boundaries of fantasy and sci-fi.

[Shazbang]

I'm definitely a fantasy fan! (My bf disagrees and reads things like Horus Heresy and other such fiddle faddle).
Give me a sword over a laser any day!
In my mind the main difference lies in that Fantasy is typically set in the distant pass "in a land far far away" lol and sci-fi is usually set in a futuristic setting. Now that's not to say that everything is one or the other or not interchangeable but that has just been my experience.
Then there's the new "urban fantasy" genre that I'm beginning to love, bringing the fantasy element to the present. The Mortal Instruments series and the Hunger Games are brilliant just to name a couple and even things like Harry Potter incorporate past and present. Basically fantasy gets me off lol and I could sit here all day going on about it but the simple fact is that the Lord of the Rings will always take preference over Star Wars in my life =)

[Kareesh]

I love 'em both. My dad introduced me to Star Trek (TOS and we watched the later ones when they were on TV), Star Wars (we had The Empire Strikes back recorded off TV on a VHS), and other such sci-fi movies. Yet, at the same time, he also introduced me to Willow (which has a pretty awesome sequel of books), The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit. I think I prefer to watch sci-fi rather than read it, but if given a sci-fi book, I won't say no. I think I'm slightly more partial to fantasy due to the fact that I use to play a play-by-post RPG for years online as well as done a few D&D campaigns, though I will admit, the best tabletop RPG I ever played was a Star Wars campaign. Loved that group.

Sorry if this seems rambling and weird...running on 4 hours of sleep and a migraine. Ugh...

[starrley]

(My bf disagrees and reads things like Horus Heresy and other such fiddle faddle).

My husband loves the Horus Heresy series too!

Even though I do like certain things that would be considered fantasy, and some things that combine both elements, by and far I like sci-fi more, both movies/TV and books. I got really into reading sci-fi for a long time. Isaac Asimov is wonderful, and I read pretty much everything by Orson Scott Card, to name a couple authors I enjoyed.
I'm not anti-fantasy though! I just have a very strong inclination toward sci-fi.

[RMDC]

Orson Scott Card's personal diatribes kinda ruined me for his books, but not before I got to enjoy Ender's Game and Enchantment. Of course, looking back on them from a radical feminist perspective, they kinda make me want to puke a little, but they were good reading at the time.