> > What is the main difference between science fiction, and fantasy writing? Is there a distinction that seperates the two? I am wondering, because it just always seems to me that the two genres are grouped together. Anyone have any ideas?
>
> I've always thought of it as SciFi can happen and very well might.
>
> Fantasy is a stretch of the imagination and almost positively will never happen.
>
> Drac "Am I right?" imas

That is close, but a lot of the scientific stuff in science fiction can't happen and most likely never will.

I define science fiction as any story with unsuall stuff happening that the author explains either by using real science (cloneing) or psuoposcience (time travel)

I define fantasy as any story were the weird stuff is not explained or explianed by magic.

The diffrence all comes out of the explination.

If you use a dragon is your story people will think it is fantasy, but, if you use scientifice sounding reasons as to why a dragon can do dragon things it becomes science fiction.

"Here is my dragon it breaths fire because that is what dragons do, they are magical creatures," is fantasy.

"Here is my dragon, I created it by manipulating and reconfiguring the DNA of a lizard cell. It breaths fire by ingesting sulferic rock and them breathing out a mouth full of highly flamiable methan/sulfer breath which it ignites with bio-electricity similar to that used by an electric eel," is science fiction, even though it will never happen.

The diffrence still comes down to science vs magic, but being that it is science FCITION the science dosn't have to be real, just real sounding (Trek Technobabbel).

And you can set a fantasy story in the future (a evil wizard attempts to take over the world after a nuclear holocaust) or a science fiction story in the past (a extramly bright young peasant finds a crashed alien space ship, and with the help of the alien, creates weapons with which to over throw an evil warlord.)

Speed'soDarkandStormyisSci-Fibecauseweuse
scientificsoundingwordtoexplainwhatisgoingon,
forthemostpart'ball