As a jack of at least several trades and an always writer, I tend to rant a lot. And my editor, unfortunately for her, always has to listen to my tedious and sometimes bombastic sermons.
One of my favorite verbal assaults is based on how annoyed I get with the accepted reasoning of why we always seem to place Fantasy and Science Fiction in the same category. I love both genres of literature, but they are innately different and I always seem to bellow my annoyance in the same way.
Fantasy is based on unproven or undiscovered magic. And while I wish we lived in a world where magic existed and we could all use it to fulfill our dreams and aspirations, we do not. Nor, does it seem, can we. At this point it is a faith-based wish or belief, and until I see actual magic with my own eyes it will remain so. When I see a poor person who is able to feed their family, or an amputee grow their limb back, through spells, I will change my stance.
Science fiction however is based on a much more reason-based set of universally known scientific rules. But I like to break my opinion down into two different categories: the possible and the probable.
The Possible are ideas that we can firmly base on the scientific knowledge that we have at this time. Stem cell research seems to be leading towards cures for certain diseases.
The Probable are ideas that we extrapolate based on reason and science-based assumptions that we can make based on what we know about the laws of science at this time. In the future, gravity-driven pulpolsion might be possible.
Or in other words, fantasy is true fiction, and science fiction is often at least in part, possible non-fiction. And as tight as sci-fi and fantasy might have become over the years, brothers from another mother will just never have the same connection as blood brothers.
So, what do you think? Does anyone else feel this way too or am I way overthinking this?