Poll: The Nerdier Genre

[NeutralMunchHotel]

A very simple question, which genre has a greater root in nerddom - sci-fi or fantasy?

I'd have to vote for fantasy. There have been so many mainstream sci-fi movies, and with 'Lord of the Rings' being the only real fantasy one, I'd have to go for that.

 

[open trap]

fantasy, your life stays in a realm of impossible, atleast sci-fi can become reality

 

[walls of cetepedes]

Sci-fi has lasers. Everybody likes lasers!

Serious now,

Of the limited number of people I know whom are 'fans' of each genre, the 'nerdiest' by far would be the fantasy fans.

 

[Proteus214]

Fantasy requires more leaps of logic that stray way to far from what mainstream life is like. Science fiction is a kind of extrapolation of where our lives may be leading.

 

[mklnjbh]

I voted Fantasy. I enjoy both, but I believe that sci-fi is more of a cyberpunk-geeky genre, and Fantasy is more of a look-at-my-lvl-26-barbarian-Nord. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Summerstorm]

Sci-Fi of course... wait, why is everyone saying fantasy?

I mean really what is nerdier: talking about specs of technology which doesn't exist (and calculate physic stuff like gravity of the death-star)

Or fantasizing about woman in metal bikinis?

I mean really.. it is nerdier to apply so much thought and intelligence at something not real than to just have a nice fantasy. (Yes i know there are people out there trying to apply genetics to explain half-elves and half-orcs *g*)

 

[fix-the-spade]

I'll say Fantasy.

In Sci-fi the end result is often 'blow shit up,' because of that it's cooler than Fantasy, which tends to fall back on some kind of magic.
Occasionally the magic is used to blow shit up, butmore often than no it's the wimpy fix everything/defeat the dark lord kind.

 

[Jedoro]

fantasy, your life stays in a realm of impossible, atleast sci-fi can become reality

This

Sci-Fi has roots in reality, whereas fantasy requires a lot more imagination and... well, fantasy.

 

[Nitpicker of the Wastes]

I say fantasy. Sci-Fi has a TV channel, that I'm not going to name for spelling reasons, so it's trying to extend its reach beyond nerds. Fantasy is content to stay in the cosplay department.

Yay for Sci-Fi!

 

[Blackmagic1515]

fantasy, your life stays in a realm of impossible, atleast sci-fi can become reality

This

Sci-Fi has roots in reality, whereas fantasy requires a lot more imagination and... well, fantasy.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

I say fantasy. Sci-Fi has a TV channel, that I'm not going to name for spelling reasons, so it's trying to extend its reach beyond nerds. Fantasy is content to stay in the cosplay department.

Yay for Sci-Fi!

Don't you mean... Sy-FY?

*Legions of angry people storm into my room and drag me away*

 

[Macar]

Well, the question is what we mean by nerdy. To me this question means which is more tied to nerd culture- which is more popular with people who dress up at movie permiers, who collect figurines, and people who are part of a insular society revolving around things that others consider embarassing.

A lot of people seem to be answering this question along the lines of what they think is cooler (and hence voting for the other one).

I answered sci-fi because I think they have more conventions and memorobelia.

 

[JemJar]

Depends on how you define Fantasy surely?

Where does Star Wars lie on this scale? Because it's hardly scientific in any way, shape or form. It's not even futuristic technically. The Star Wars application of the laws of physics and behavioural logic at tenuous at best.

I don't mean to offend Star Wars fans - but surely already have - so if any in their flame response could explain to me one question I've always wanted an answer to:

Why is a lightsaber - essentially a weightless sword - wielded in a manner more akin to a medieval longsword - large sweeping strikes - when it doesn't need the strength to move or power to cleave skin and bone? Surely a lightsaber is perfectly suited to fighting more like epee fencing - feints and lunges - than like broadsword combat?

 

[Spacelord]

Depends on how you define Fantasy surely?

Where does Star Wars lie on this scale? Because it's hardly scientific in any way, shape or form. It's not even futuristic technically. The Star Wars application of the laws of physics and behavioural logic at tenuous at best.

I don't mean to offend Star Wars fans - but surely already have - so if any in their flame response could explain to me one question I've always wanted an answer to:

Why is a lightsaber - essentially a weightless sword - wielded in a manner more akin to a medieval longsword - large sweeping strikes - when it doesn't need the strength to move or power to cleave skin and bone? Surely a lightsaber is perfectly suited to fighting more like epee fencing - feints and lunges - than like broadsword combat?

Star Wars is definitely fantasy.

And a lightsaber is swung in broad sweeps because it makes that really great 'zwoooooooong' sound.

 

[GonzoGamer]

There's a lot more hot chicks and non-nerds who are into fantasy. Almost everyone I know who's into sci-fi is a nerd.

 

[Jedamethis]

Lasers: Yay!
Explosions: Yay!
so, Sci-Fi: Yay!

 

[SimuLord]

I guess it depends on subgenre. Star Trek (except for the con-going folks) has become downright mainstream---Captain Kirk is a cultural touchstone that even the most mainstream corporate suit knows about. You could probably even say "Make it so, Number One" at work without drawing TOO many sideways glances. But make the same basic references to even mainstream fantasy like Lord of the Rings and you'll get pigeonholed as a nerd.

Plus, as others have mentioned, sci-fi shows inevitably involve blowing shit up with future weapons. That tends to tamp down the nerd factor.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Where is the 'equal' option? Seriously though, its two sides of the same coin people. Lets keep the nerd on nerd hate down.

Right you are. Saying that one day we'll fly through wormholes is just as nerdy is playing D&D.

 

[Julianking93]

Sci fi at least has [i/]some[/i] possibility to become real (aside from monsters) but fantasy mostly takes place in the past and is filled with dragons.

Yeah, fantasy. Just look at WoW players

 

[scnj]

I'd say both have their roots in nerd culture and there's room for both in the world.