Science fiction is such a broad idea that an almost infinite expanse of content and ideas could fit within its ill-defined boundaries. Genres exist to give potential viewers a hint at what they might be in for with a work of fiction, so dividing up such a huge idea into smaller concepts is key, even if the lines are blurry.
From a cursory glance, science fiction and fantasy would be the two perfect polarized opposite ends of genre fiction. The former is concerned with groundedspeculation on the possible futureof mankind or the potential wonder of space. The latter is based entirely on imagination, often with no justification necessary. Combining the two, however, creates something else entirely.
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Science fiction is oftenbound by the rules of scienceas we understand it, while fantasy exists opposed to them. Science fantasy is the combination of sci-fi and fantasy that lands slightly outside the bounds of either. Pinning down a strict definition for the term is pointless, but there are tons of science fantasy works that have become extremely popular. In a science fantasy work, things may appear to be supernatural or magical, but the work will always offer an in-universe scientific explanation to ground its details.A science fantasy workmight feature the same kind of impossible magical powers, fantastical creatures, or enchanted items, but they’ll be explained away. Typically, they’re explained by advanced technology, inexplicable aliens, and scientific techno-babble respectively.
Gene Roddenberry’sStar Trekis often considered one of the seminal works of science fantasy, but even that is debated. Elements of the franchise’s technology are completely based on grounded hypothetical scientific speculation. For example, the way that theEnterprise travels faster than lightis generally seen as the only possible answer to the impossibility of that idea. Conversely, the character of Q is a god in all but name. In a pure sci-fi work, Q couldn’t exist. In a pure fantasy work, he’d just be described as a powerful deity. In science fantasy, however, he fits right in and features a perfectly understandable explanation. It’s an issue of tone and presentation. Some works of science fiction decide halfway through to add elements of fantasy to make them more interesting. If they don’t use science to justify it, then they risk breaking their otherwise grounded world. If they do use science to explain it, they create science fantasy.
One of the fundamental works in the subgenre is L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt’sHarold Sheastories. These five novels and ten follow-up entries tell the tale of the eponymous Dr. Shea and his colleagues who travel to alternate dimensions through a complex series of math equations. They are essentially able to use advanced theoretical math to astrally project their consciousness into parallel worlds. Once there, they take a scientific approach to the absurd fantastical environments they find themselves in. Shea and his team find themselves in Norse mythology, Irish mythology,Journey to the West,the land of Oz, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars, and the writings of Shakespeare. It’s essentially an exercise in adding science to someone else’s fantasy. That unique series sought to challenge traditional sci-fi tropes by applying them to the categorically impossible.
Perhaps the most controversial title for the subgenre is Star Wars. Many consider the Star Wars franchise to be science fantasy, butothers, including George Lucas, don’t see the connection. The galaxy far away falls short of science fantasy for lack of science and has been described by many as a pure fantasy that happens to take place in space. There is, arguably, some scientific explanation for the more supernatural elements of the narrative, but they’re incredibly unpopular.The Phantom Menaceintroducedmidichlorians to the franchise and was met with an incredible amount of backlash. Midichlorians are effectively tiny symbiotic organisms that live in a being’s bloodstream and enable them to use the Force. While the Force itself is utterly fantastical, the superpowers it enables people to wield are explained away by these very powerful organisms. However, the scientific aspects of Star Wars are few and far between, and many iterations are happy to discard them as soon as possible.
There simply isn’t a hard and fast rule book for this concept, and countless works straddle the line. Characters fromDuneexhibit superhuman powers and fulfill mystical prophecies, but every feat and future vision is explained through chemistry and biology. Theworld of kaiju moviesfeatures tons of magic and science, but it never really mixes the two. The larger superhero universes are weird blends of science fiction and fantasy that don’t graduate to the two working in concert. The only essential element of science fantasy is fantastical happenings explained via grounded scientific ideas. It’s vague, but a trained eye can tell the difference. Or, pedants can argue which fits what forever, whichever works.
