Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Science fantasy
is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both
science fiction and fantasy. A definition, offered by Rod Serling, is
that "science fiction makes the implausible possible, while science
fantasy makes the impossible plausible." The meaning is that science
fiction describes unlikely things that could possibly take place in the
real world under certain conditions, while science fantasy gives a
veneer of realism to things that simply could not happen in the real
world under any circumstances. Another interpretation is that science
fiction does not permit the existence of supernatural elements; science
fantasy does. Even the usage of this definition is difficult, however,
as some science fiction makes use of apparently supernatural elements
such as telepathy. This is an absurd distinction. What is the point of
trying to pigeonhole stories into increasingly narrow categories? It
doesn't help you understand or appreciate these stories any better.
