Poll: Fantasy or Scifi?
- Thread starter Sack of Cheese
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They're both excellent. The main distinction between the two is that science fiction is tied more closely to reality, which on the one hand allows it to make stronger commentary on the nature of society, but on the other hand limits it from the kind of creativity in world-building and other areas that fantasy is free to explore. Good, strong science fiction also has a lot more history than good, strong fantasy works, but all in all, my personal preference goes to fantasy - the sheer creativity that is allowed by breaking free of history and reality allows some really fascinating permutations, and that really hooks me in.
I really like some sci-fi, but I also love some fantasy. I know the genres have a lot of (arbitrary) lines drawn in them defining the difference, but I really think that the differences can get really blurry sometimes. I would almost consider Star Wars a fantasy series.
"True" science fiction being exploring the human condition when interacting with new technology or laws of nature. I like most all of it anyway, so I never try to go all indie and say "well it's not REALLY sci-fi" 'cause that would just be silly.
"True" science fiction being exploring the human condition when interacting with new technology or laws of nature. I like most all of it anyway, so I never try to go all indie and say "well it's not REALLY sci-fi" 'cause that would just be silly.
Both. Either one can be used as a vehicle for excellent storytelling.
By the same token, either one can be used for *excrement* storytelling.
Both have tropes that can be/often are over-used and misused.
I think that part of the appeal of certain kinds of comics comes from the way that
all fantastical elements blend so freely--worlds where "A benevolent alien, a mad
scientist and a grim wizard work on the same team without question."
By the same token, either one can be used for *excrement* storytelling.
Both have tropes that can be/often are over-used and misused.
I think that part of the appeal of certain kinds of comics comes from the way that
all fantastical elements blend so freely--worlds where "A benevolent alien, a mad
scientist and a grim wizard work on the same team without question."
It's hard to tell for me. I was mostly a fantasy fan but last couple of years I read plenty of good scifi and I've seen what fantastic things it can do. This did two things for me.
1. Made me a scifi fan.
2. Made me a scifi hater when it comes to regular boring scifi you usually see in games or on TV. Main embodyment of this hate is Star Wars. It does absolutely nothing with it being scifi. It could just as well have regular knights using magic instead of force and with elves and goblins instead of aliens. When I read/watch scifi I want to see something strange and alien like in Childhood's End or Solaris.
So if you asked me if I want to watch/read scifi or fantasy I'm gonna go with fantasy because it's safer bet, seeing how rare this kind of scifi is these days.
1. Made me a scifi fan.
2. Made me a scifi hater when it comes to regular boring scifi you usually see in games or on TV. Main embodyment of this hate is Star Wars. It does absolutely nothing with it being scifi. It could just as well have regular knights using magic instead of force and with elves and goblins instead of aliens. When I read/watch scifi I want to see something strange and alien like in Childhood's End or Solaris.
So if you asked me if I want to watch/read scifi or fantasy I'm gonna go with fantasy because it's safer bet, seeing how rare this kind of scifi is these days.
I think one leg up sci-fi has on fantasy is that Tolkien essentially published "The Book" on fantasy fairly early in the explosion of widespread fiction. Sci-fi hasn't had any real singular runaway successes, with even the more widely known stuff like '2001', The Foundation series and 'I, Robot', 'Ender's Game', or Dune. This has left sci-fi relatively freeformed, while fantasy is still largely stuck in LotR's shadow (not necessarily by authors alone, as publishers are probably like "Your fantasy book has no elves? GTFO!").
Even in the broader media sense, where you have the runaway sci-fi hits, it was prettymuch split from the get go by Trek vs Wars, preventing any sort of singular thematic from becoming the metaphorical blueprint.
I'm partial to mixtures of both anyways. Stuff like Shadowrun, or the Coldfire Trilogy, or Wizardry/Might & Magic in the videogame context.
Even in the broader media sense, where you have the runaway sci-fi hits, it was prettymuch split from the get go by Trek vs Wars, preventing any sort of singular thematic from becoming the metaphorical blueprint.
I'm partial to mixtures of both anyways. Stuff like Shadowrun, or the Coldfire Trilogy, or Wizardry/Might & Magic in the videogame context.
For me honestly ... I like both. Hell even steampunk at times.
So yeah ... voted for soda.
Cause soda IS BOTH!
Still waiting. :/
Also you forgot one thing.
"this is sparta"
Not related captcha!
So yeah ... voted for soda.
Cause soda IS BOTH!
I love that anime ... waiting on the third season.evilneko said:
Magic. Tech. Magic vs. Tech. Magic vs. Magic. Tech vs. Tech.
Still waiting. :/
Also you forgot one thing.
Everything and everyone Vs Touma.
"this is sparta"
Not related captcha!
Sci-fi, because although I like both equally, it's nice when they have to explain what's going on rather than simply say "magic".
At least we have cyberpunk 2077 to look forward to.wombat_of_war said:
OT: Sci-Fi all the way, especially cyberpunk classics like Bladerunner and Ghost in the shell. Enjoy Mecha too, if giant robots destroying each other in either space or a post apocalyptic environment isn't sci-fi then I don't know what is.
Literary scifi tends to be detached from the human relationship to the world, which is an essential part of writing. It almost grudges to be literature and wants to be something more "real" than it. It can be very good and interesting (with or without), but that aspect rarely disappears completely. Fantasy is actually more authentic in that regard, it's actual drama and storytelling, although it naturally tends towards wish fulfillment as its other "sin", to put it one way, although that is not to say it is "wrong", just a potential pitfall in quality.
Erm... you do know Fantasy has magic a lot of the time right? Or something equivalent which makes things just as easy. Both genres have to be careful with tension for that very reason but I think using that in an discussion about which genre is better is flawed.el_kabong said:
Both honestly. I really couldn't care where the movie is set as long as it's a good movie.
Surprisingly, the LotR trilogy is my favourite out of all the trilogy's, and I reckon the last 30 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey's are the greatest scenes ever made. That's a good blanace isn't it?
Surprisingly, the LotR trilogy is my favourite out of all the trilogy's, and I reckon the last 30 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey's are the greatest scenes ever made. That's a good blanace isn't it?
Show of hands!
Who actually bothered to read the OP's post?
He/she is asking which genre do you LIKE more. Pavlovian responses be all up in this *****.
Anywhos, my vote goes to sci-fi. It tends to be more creative and not shackled to a single piece of literary work
Who actually bothered to read the OP's post?
He/she is asking which genre do you LIKE more. Pavlovian responses be all up in this *****.
Anywhos, my vote goes to sci-fi. It tends to be more creative and not shackled to a single piece of literary work