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Sci-fi Versus Fantasy

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A Twitter meme about the difference between sci-fi and fantasy is bringing me joy this week. For example, Amy Louise with the handle @Amylouioc wrote “Fantasy is when Irish words are randomly thrown into conversation and Sci-Fi is when all street signs are in Japanese”.

They’re super funny, but also on target and rooted in what we’ve talked about in the Grammar Girl podcastclick on the link before: Readers expect certain things from different genres. We’ve talked about how word choice matters – if you’re writing a fantasy novel, you may want your characters to drink ale instead of beer or whiskey. If you’re writing a romance novel, your readers expect some kind of “happily ever after,” often called simply an HEA.

Hear about the importance of word choices using the link above or by clicking the player below. 

These memes hilariously illustrate more subtle differences between the expectations readers or viewers have for the different genres. They fall into the “funny because it’s true” category. 

You still die or heal, just differently

When you get down to brass tacks, the same things often happen to characters in sci-fi and fantasy. They just happen in different ways.

Tools have different uses in sci-fi and fantasy

And yet, sometimes the same tool can have a different use in different genres.

It’s not just words; it’s spelling too

The details of your word treatment can change depending on the genre. For example, even color spellings can get the “sci-fi or fantasy” treatment. It feels right that the traditionally British spelling would go with fantasy and the traditionally American spelling would go with sci-fi. There’s also a rumor that romance writing uses “grey” — the more British spelling — in the style of the beloved British writer Jane Austen.

And of course, we’ve talked before about the famous (infamous?) tendency to put apostrophes in fantasy words. We call it the “boing”! 

Even spaces can make a difference. (And bonus points to Jeremy for including horror.)

Do sci-fi and fantasy have a shape?

Foundational work in linguistics shows that people are likely to perceive the made-up word “bobua” as naming something round and the made-up word “kiki” as naming something spiky. Is fantasy round? Is sci-fi spiky? That seems right to me. (Learn more about the “bobua-kiki” studies.) 

All literature reflects an opinion about society

You’ll find many biting observations about the representation of women and minorities in sci-fi and fantasy. As with any work of fiction, both sci-fi and fantasy reflect the opinions of their creators, often in a way that says more about today’s reality than either the past or future. 

Settings and descriptions differ between sci-fi and fantasy

Sci-fi and fantasy are vastly different visually, of course. 

And readers or viewers want to focus on different things.

Pew pew: It’s ‘sci-fi’

And since all this writing is on Twitter and doesn’t follow any particular style, you may be wondering whether it’s “sci-fi,” “Sci-Fi,” “Sci-fi,” or “scifi.” Whew! That’s a lot of choices. Associated Press leans toward “sci-fi,” but says “sci fi” (without a hyphen) is fine too. The Chicago Manual of Style also seems to prefer “sci-fi.”

All your favorite actors

People went wild posting pictures of their favorite actors in a sci-fi role and a fantasy role. Here’s one of many, many examples.

Oof!

This one hits a little too close to home. It hurts! #FireflyForever

Listen to Grammar Girl for more cool language stuff

If you like the oddities of language, you’ll love the Grammar Girl podcast, where every week, I dig into writing, history, unexpected facts, and, of course, grammar rules. Find the whole show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or listen to the latest episodes below:

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Her popular LinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better. Find her on Mastodon.


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