What’s the difference between fantasy and science-fiction? 17 responses that are pure magic

What’s your poison – Star Wars or Star Trek? Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings? Science-fiction or fantasy? Perhaps a bit of both.

Tweeters have been trying to work out what features of sci-fi and fantasy separate the genres – or don’t – and we really enjoyed these 17 top suggestions.

1.

I see people are arguing again about the difference between science fiction and fantasy. It’s quite simple. It’s SF if a studio will greenlight the movie based on concept and director; it’s fantasy if a studio will only greenlight films based on a bestselling series of novels.

— Keith Calder (@keithcalder) September 24, 2022

2.

Fantasy is when it's filmed in a forest on the outskirts of Vancouver. Sci-fi is when it's filmed in a rock quarry on the outskirts of Vancouver.

— zeddy (@Zeddary) September 24, 2022

3.

Lemme clear it up for you. Sci-fi is when your currency is called credits, and fantasy is when it's called coin.

— dc guevara 🗡💋 (@dcgrodz) September 23, 2022

4.

sci-fi is when hugo weaving looks like this and fantasy is when hugo weaving looks like this pic.twitter.com/fVBqRrjamM

— JRR is Jokien 🗡️🏹🪓 (@joshcarlosjosh) September 24, 2022

5.

Fantasy is when you treat magic like science and science fiction is when you treat science like magic.

— Mary Robinette Kowal@🏡 (@MaryRobinette) September 24, 2022

6.

Fantasy is when you eat hearty stew and brown bread, sci-fi is when you eat pills and soylent.

— Meg Elison (@megelison) September 23, 2022

7.

If crates of metal you do spy, the story’s setting is sci-fi;
But if wooden crates are all you see, rest assured it’s fantasy

— Matthewせいじ (@matthewseiji) September 24, 2022

8.

Let me clarify. Sci-fi is when museums have climate control, and fantasy is when they have funding.

— madeline odent (@oldenoughtosay) September 25, 2022

9.

Sci-fi is when they explain why the furries exist and fantasy is when no one cares why the furries exist.

— AC Stuart – Get Awoo! Volume 1! Link in bio (@NoobtheLoser) September 24, 2022