How Do You Tell The Difference Between Science Fiction And Fantasy?
How do science fiction and fantasy writers tell the difference between the two types of fiction? I write both, so I’ll tell you. The first thing to remember is that ‘science fiction’ and ‘fantasy’ are actually points on a spectrum. There are some works that are definitely all SF, and some that are undeniably fantasy. And there are a whole bunch in the gray area in between. The other thing to remember is that categorizing fiction is done by marketers. The author and editor often get nothing to say about it. You are free to disagree. (There are people who argue that STAR WARS is really fantasy and not science fiction.) Is it a novel? Look at the cover. The marketers will tell you what they think it is by the cover illustration. All books with space ships, galaxies, and planets are science fiction. All books with swords, castles, dragons, unicorns or babes in brass bras are fantasy. All books with a space ship AND swords are fantasy. Easiest of all is if the publishing house has the infor
