Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy
What a longer than one word title? I know, right. But I had a thought, and it's 1:30 in the morning, so I can't think of a way to say that in just one word. And props to anyone who noticed I was doing one word titles (also, what does props even mean? I mean, I know what it means, but where does it come from? What is that word's origin? Please someone tell me).
Back to why I am writing this blog entry when I should be sleeping because I actually have things to get done tomorrow.
I had a thought, but first I need to discuss a pet peeve of mine:
When people group science fiction and fantasy together like it is the same thing. This bugs me so much. Rachael, is it really that big of a deal? You ask. YES! Why? Because they are inherently different. One is always set in the past (by the way, that is how you know Star Wars is fantasy and not sci-fi because it happened "a long time ago"). One is always set in the future. One has magical elements that cannot be explained by any kind of science (point two for the Star Wars fantasy thing, the Force). One has advance technologies that are all explained by some kind of science (even if it's not real science). Now some people might say that these things could intermix and whatnot which is true, thus combining the two genres can be understandable (that and the fact that they are both based on things that don't really exist).
However, the real difference (here comes my thought) and why they shouldn't be pared up as much as they are is this: how these genres view right and wrong.
Fantasy is black and white. There are good guys and there are bad guys and there is no in between. When Luke blows up the Death Star that has millions of people on it, we don't even bat an eye (also a weird phrase). Why? Because the empire is evil, and evil needs to be destroyed. Orcs and goblins getting killed in Lord of the Rings? No big deal. Why? Because they are evil. Fantasy does not do moral dilemmas. This is why I love fantasy because it shows the world as it is. There are good things, and there are bad things. We need to embrace the good and get rid of the bad. It is basically Mosiah 3:19. All fantasy stories are really just about the battle we have every day with Satan. It's pretty cool.
Science fiction deals with the grey. The good guys and bad guys are not clear cut. Star Trek is the perfect example of science fiction. Almost every episode or movie deals with a moral dilemma. You sympathize with (or at least understand where he is coming from) the "bad guy" a lot of the time. You question if the "good guys" should destroy the bad guys. Where fantasy deals with the world as it really is, science fiction deals with people as they really are. People can't be categorized into good and bad; they have both. Obviously some people have more good and some people have more bad, but they still have both. Science fiction at its core is really trying to explain how to deal with people and their choices aka agency and its consequences. Also pretty cool.
Of course, these are my definitions of the genres (I think they are pretty accurate based on my reading and watching of both), and other people might have different ones. I will say that I am a bigger fan of fantasy than sci-fi. Mostly because I don't always agree with the morality that science fiction authors come to in their books. I do enjoy Isaac Asimov though because he is awesome. I like having the black and white. And that is the whole point of this post. You have to be in different mind sets to read these two genres. Just because a person likes fantasy, does not necessarily mean he or she will enjoy science fiction and vise versa. So why do people group them together like that is the case?! You wouldn't group action suspense with romantic comedy. That would be ridiculous.
I am sorry. Maybe I am way too passionate about this very simple, not important at all, has no real effect on my life thing, but I can't help it. It's weirdly important to me. It is okay if you don't agree with anything I said, or if you just think I am crazy. I just needed to get this out of my head. Also, I need to go to bed now.
DDoG:
Both the fantasy and science fiction genres.
Back to why I am writing this blog entry when I should be sleeping because I actually have things to get done tomorrow.
I had a thought, but first I need to discuss a pet peeve of mine:
When people group science fiction and fantasy together like it is the same thing. This bugs me so much. Rachael, is it really that big of a deal? You ask. YES! Why? Because they are inherently different. One is always set in the past (by the way, that is how you know Star Wars is fantasy and not sci-fi because it happened "a long time ago"). One is always set in the future. One has magical elements that cannot be explained by any kind of science (point two for the Star Wars fantasy thing, the Force). One has advance technologies that are all explained by some kind of science (even if it's not real science). Now some people might say that these things could intermix and whatnot which is true, thus combining the two genres can be understandable (that and the fact that they are both based on things that don't really exist).
However, the real difference (here comes my thought) and why they shouldn't be pared up as much as they are is this: how these genres view right and wrong.
Fantasy is black and white. There are good guys and there are bad guys and there is no in between. When Luke blows up the Death Star that has millions of people on it, we don't even bat an eye (also a weird phrase). Why? Because the empire is evil, and evil needs to be destroyed. Orcs and goblins getting killed in Lord of the Rings? No big deal. Why? Because they are evil. Fantasy does not do moral dilemmas. This is why I love fantasy because it shows the world as it is. There are good things, and there are bad things. We need to embrace the good and get rid of the bad. It is basically Mosiah 3:19. All fantasy stories are really just about the battle we have every day with Satan. It's pretty cool.
Science fiction deals with the grey. The good guys and bad guys are not clear cut. Star Trek is the perfect example of science fiction. Almost every episode or movie deals with a moral dilemma. You sympathize with (or at least understand where he is coming from) the "bad guy" a lot of the time. You question if the "good guys" should destroy the bad guys. Where fantasy deals with the world as it really is, science fiction deals with people as they really are. People can't be categorized into good and bad; they have both. Obviously some people have more good and some people have more bad, but they still have both. Science fiction at its core is really trying to explain how to deal with people and their choices aka agency and its consequences. Also pretty cool.
Of course, these are my definitions of the genres (I think they are pretty accurate based on my reading and watching of both), and other people might have different ones. I will say that I am a bigger fan of fantasy than sci-fi. Mostly because I don't always agree with the morality that science fiction authors come to in their books. I do enjoy Isaac Asimov though because he is awesome. I like having the black and white. And that is the whole point of this post. You have to be in different mind sets to read these two genres. Just because a person likes fantasy, does not necessarily mean he or she will enjoy science fiction and vise versa. So why do people group them together like that is the case?! You wouldn't group action suspense with romantic comedy. That would be ridiculous.
I am sorry. Maybe I am way too passionate about this very simple, not important at all, has no real effect on my life thing, but I can't help it. It's weirdly important to me. It is okay if you don't agree with anything I said, or if you just think I am crazy. I just needed to get this out of my head. Also, I need to go to bed now.
DDoG:
Both the fantasy and science fiction genres.
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