Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story the world is grounded by the laws of nature and comprehensible by science, while a conventional fantasy story contains mostly supernatural elements that do not obey the scientific laws of the real world. The world of science fantasy, however, is laid out to be scientifically logical and is often supplied with hard-science-like explanations of its supernatural elements.
Facts
Place of OriginThe term science fantasy was coined in 1935 by the American critic Forrest J. Ackerman, originally as a synonym for science fiction, placing the label's own origin in American pulp magazine criticism of the 1930s. 1 Notable ExampleRobert A. Heinlein's Magic, Inc. is cited as an early science fantasy story, published in the American pulp magazines alongside L. Ron Hubbard's Slaves of Sleep and the Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp Harold Shea series. 1 Defining TraitScience fantasy gives a scientific veneer of realism to things that could not happen in the real world under any circumstances, blending science fiction's rationalized world building with fantasy's supernatural content. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Science fantasy (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationTerminology section, opening sentence
The term "science fantasy" was coined in 1935 by critic Forrest J. Ackerman as a synonym for science fiction.
Definition section
Science fantasy gives a scientific veneer of realism to things that simply could not happen in the real world under any circumstances.
Terminology section, pulp magazine sentence
The label first came into wide use after many science fantasy stories were published in the American pulp magazines, such as Robert A. Heinlein's Magic, Inc., L. Ron Hubbard's Slaves of Sleep, and Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp's Harold Shea series.
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