by David Aaron White

Created on: February 07, 2009

Science fiction and fantasy are two of the most popular genres of books and films. The stories draw readers and moviegoers from all walks of life because they both deal with things that aren't real, and therefore make the reader or viewer feel as if he or she is in a different world, which is often a reason why people pick up a book in the first place, to escape. However, even though both of these genres involve strange worlds and unreal events, they have some very important differences, which is why the terms "science fiction" and "fantasy" cannot be used interchangeably.

For one, the fantasy genre tends to involve some sort of magic, whereas science fiction involves the application of science. For example, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the wizards are able to use magic to defend themselves and destroy others; the power is explained to be magic that they are trained in the use of. In science fiction, though, even the "powers" that aliens express are explained to be the use of some complicated mind-technique such as telekinesis, which, according to science fiction authors, isn't magic at all, but something that is perfectly practical and rational. Take Star Wars, for example: a Jedi's strength with the Force is influenced by his or her midi-chlorian count, which can be scientifically analyzed; Gandalf's magical power could not by analyzed using a machine or scale, and therefore isn't scientific.

Some of the simple terminology differs between the two genres. Take quests, for example. When a character has an objective to complete in a fantasy story, it is referred to as a quest. Eragon's quest is to restore peace to his land; Frodo is sent on a quest to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. But in science fiction, the word "quest" is seldom used: instead, quests are called "missions." (This may actually have to do with the terms used in the modern day, because I've never heard about the CIA's latest "quests") However, it still stands that Luke is on a mission to destroy the Empire, several missions to Mars take place, and Ender's combat missions are very well-detailed by Orson Scott Card. Additionally, people tend to speak in older languages, using words such as "thee," "chivalry," and other Medieval words in fantasy stories, whereas in science fiction stories, everyone speaks in very modern dialects.

In fantasy stories, the characters are usually placed in a Medieval-esque setting, such as countries filled with castles, dungeons, witches, and monsters. People

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