Science fiction or fantasy?

Choose wisely, my friends :P

I know that they're similar in a lot of ways, but if you had to narrow it down and be straight forward about it, which genre would you say is your favourite and why?

For me it's science-fiction, especially post-cyberpunk and hard sci-fi space opera (like Mass Effect or Halo). I love the whole concept of aliens, hiveminds, FTL, intergalatic war, etc. Saying that, I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan.

Anyway, what's yours?

For most of my life it's been fantasy, but lately I've been on a sci-fi high that hasn't abated. Mass Effect is my favorite videogame of all time (I'm with Mass Effect what some people are with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings), but when I read, I prefer to read fantasy books. I guess it depends on the medium; with television and videogames, sci-fi; with books, fantasy.

Fantasy but I love both.

Fantasy but I love both.

Pirate700

Fantasy. I enjoy the worlds more. Also magic systems can be really unique and interesting. I like fair ones like from the Bartimaeus Trilogy or the Malazan Empire series where if you screw up you go crazy/get killed.

Sci-fi by far.

I can't stand fantasy and do not care about trolls, elves, orcs, and other silliness outside of Lord of the Rings. The Medieval Europe setting is pretty boring too.

Sci-fi.

I'm not a pleb.

Sci-fi by far.

I can't stand fantasy and do not care about trolls, elves, orcs, and other silliness outside of Lord of the Rings. The Medieval Europe setting is pretty boring too.

Aljosa23

I kind of lean toward Science Fiction.

However there is a genre called Science Fantasy. Animes such as Outlaw Star (one of my favorite animes), which have spaceships, aliens, and space Pirates. But the Space Pirates use a type of magic, the main character has a "magitek" pistol. Also if you ever seen the video/tabletop game Shadowrun that is a Cyber Punk Fantasy game.

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]

Sci-fi by far.

I can't stand fantasy and do not care about trolls, elves, orcs, and other silliness outside of Lord of the Rings. The Medieval Europe setting is pretty boring too.

chessmaster1989

For most of my life it's been fantasy, but lately I've been on a sci-fi high that hasn't abated. Mass Effect is my favorite videogame of all time (I'm with Mass Effect what some people are with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings), but when I read, I prefer to read fantasy books. I guess it depends on the medium; with television and videogames, sci-fi; with books, fantasy.

Makhaidos

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"][QUOTE="Aljosa23"]

Sci-fi by far.

I can't stand fantasy and do not care about trolls, elves, orcs, and other silliness outside of Lord of the Rings. The Medieval Europe setting is pretty boring too.

ShadowsDemon

Know any good Fantasy cartoons, comics, or anime?

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"][QUOTE="chessmaster1989"] Try Brandon Sanderson (e.g. Elantris, Mistborn)Aljosa23

Know any good Fantasy cartoons, comics, or anime?

And not all fantasy books are like that. The Malazan Empire has the most complex world of any series I've ever read.

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"][QUOTE="chessmaster1989"] Try Brandon Sanderson (e.g. Elantris, Mistborn)Aljosa23

Know any good Fantasy cartoons, comics, or anime?

For comics, Fables and The Sandman are awesome.

For manga, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is amazing (possibly my favorite manga, although BLAME! (which I think you'd also like) is also really great).

I don't know fantasy cartoons that well as most of what I remember is stuff like Animaniacs, Dexter's Lab, Looney Tunes, etc.

As far as fantasy anime goes, there's not a ton of it that's that great. I can definitely recommend Bastard!!, which fits very nicely in the "so bad it's good" category of things.

I've always loved fantasy and hated sci-fi (except for stuff like Dune, and I guess the steampunk genre if that counts)

I like fantasy, but outside of a few select series (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Witcher) I really don't care for it much. Science fiction on the other hand is my favorite genre by far and I'm always willing to give a new sci-fi movie or game a chance. 

Sci-fi, because you know what's better than orcs and dragons? Space orcs and mecha dragons! I love both, but I the main reason I prefer sci-fi is because I like near-future/present day sci-fi, but I can't stand fantasy stuff set in modern times.

Not really a huge fan of either, but the fantasy series I like best, His Dark Materials, is a sort of a fantasy/sci-fi hybrid.

scifi/cyberpunk :P

[QUOTE="Makhaidos"]

For most of my life it's been fantasy, but lately I've been on a sci-fi high that hasn't abated. Mass Effect is my favorite videogame of all time (I'm with Mass Effect what some people are with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings), but when I read, I prefer to read fantasy books. I guess it depends on the medium; with television and videogames, sci-fi; with books, fantasy.

ShadowsDemon

Fantasy because it has more creative room. Pretty much anything can be done with fantasy if you explain it right.

Fantasy but I love both.

Pirate700

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"][QUOTE="Makhaidos"]

For most of my life it's been fantasy, but lately I've been on a sci-fi high that hasn't abated. Mass Effect is my favorite videogame of all time (I'm with Mass Effect what some people are with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings), but when I read, I prefer to read fantasy books. I guess it depends on the medium; with television and videogames, sci-fi; with books, fantasy.

Makhaidos

fantasy

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"][QUOTE="chessmaster1989"] Try Brandon Sanderson (e.g. Elantris, Mistborn)Aljosa23

Know any good Fantasy cartoons, comics, or anime?

[QUOTE="Makhaidos"][QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"] Yeah, I was on fantasy for a long time, but I got bored of it and went onto sci-fi. I still love fantasy, but I'm sick of the cliched stuff that's overwhelming the bookstores. ShadowsDemon

I like both but I've always preferred sci-fi and cyberpunk.

I guess I would go with fantasy.

I like science fiction but not so fond of aliens. Aliens are Mary Sues, because you have to explain nothing about how they do what they do and how they got to that point...it's 'alien'.

I like science fiction but not so fond of aliens. Aliens are Mary Sues, because you have to explain nothing about how they do what they do and how they got to that point...it's 'alien'.

 

br0kenrabbit

That's not what a Mary Sue is. . .Makhaidos

A Mary Sue is someone/thing that is impossibly perfect for the situation. Aliens are an easy way for the writer to interject an insurmountable threat, high technology or pshycic abilities simply by being aliens.

They're Mary Sues...they can do anything and it's okay because "hey, they're aliens!"

"Enemy Mine" and "Dragons Egg" are rare examples of aliens done right.

For me it's fantasy by a large margin. Swords, dragons, demons and magic always seemed more interesting to me than laser guns, aliens, spaceships and gadgets. But that's not to say there isn't amazing scifi out there that I love.

I like science fiction but not so fond of aliens. Aliens are Mary Sues, because you have to explain nothing about how they do what they do and how they got to that point...it's 'alien'.

 

br0kenrabbit

Not a fan of either.

I love them both. Up until a few years I mostly dealt with fantasy(books, movies etc). Lately I' ve been having an increased interest in sc-fi.

freakin' love sci-fi and dislike fantasy with a few exceptions.

Sci-fi by far. Love Star trek, and firefly. Cyberpunk is pretty dam cool.

[QUOTE="Makhaidos"] That's not what a Mary Sue is. . .br0kenrabbit

A Mary Sue is someone/thing that is impossibly perfect for the situation. Aliens are an easy way for the writer to interject an insurmountable threat, high technology or pshycic abilities simply by being aliens.

They're Mary Sues...they can do anything and it's okay because "hey, they're aliens!"

"Enemy Mine" and "Dragons Egg" are rare examples of aliens done right.

That's a deus ex machina. A Mary Sue is an impossibly perfect character that's a whiny-ass for no particular reason. Bella Swan is a Mary Sue.Makhaidos

I like science fiction but not so fond of aliens. Aliens are Mary Sues, because you have to explain nothing about how they do what they do and how they got to that point...it's 'alien'.

 

br0kenrabbit

I like science fiction but not so fond of aliens. Aliens are Mary Sues, because you have to explain nothing about how they do what they do and how they got to that point...it's 'alien'.

 

br0kenrabbit

I like both but more into fantasy.