Some writers, such as John Brunner, believed that science fiction is simply an advertising label and that it shouldn’t be distinguished from other types of fiction at all. Paol Anderson described science fiction as “at best a set of literary techniques.” I am by no means a learned scholar, a renown writer or even a published writer at all (unless you count this blog as publishing) but I have to disagree, as a fan, with these two men. I look at science fiction and I automatically know that it is different than everything else.
Many libraries categorize science fiction under the fantasy label, either for convenience or because of ignorance. In fact, the general concurrence among literary scholars is that science fiction is a branch of fantasy. Horror is also usually included under this category as well, even though there need not be anything supernatural involved to make a story a horror story. The same thing goes for science fiction. The plot devices and science involved in an SF story are rarely so farfetched as to make it seem utterly impossible.
Fantasy stories are those which definitely cannot happen. Science fiction stories are those that might possibly happen in some way, shape, or form someday. In my opinion, that is a very clear-cut definition for for science fiction. When comparing fantasy literature and SF I prefer to look at them as two sides of the same coin, because in many ways their territory is shared. Both deal with far-off places, strange occurrences, gods, monsters and phenomena that would be totally out of place in the real world. Even the most realistic science fiction is far away from the world we live in today. In fantasy quite often the gods and monsters are depicted as just that; gods and monsters. In science fiction, in order to try and keep things reigned in and within the boundaries of scientific understanding writers explain away these beings as extraterrestrial or inter-dimensional. That brings up another point: science fiction is kept on a leash whereas fantasy is allowed to run free into the sunset without anyone stopping it. Science fiction is the literature of ideas–and ideas are generally based on logic. Imagination–the root of all fantasy–is limitless. This is why I don’t like the two being compared as closely as they usually are.
As for science fiction being a “set of literary techniques” or an “advertising label” I have this to say in response. For SF to be simply a moniker for advertising then SF would have to be very similar to other types of literature, whereas SF sits easily on its own pedestal. I would like to know what sort of techniques Mr. Anderson was talking about when he defiled his favored genre as he did. Science fiction is a genre of literature. It is not an offshoot of fantasy, it is not a label, and it is not a series of writerly magic tricks. If you do not believe me, read several works of science fiction. Then read several works of fantasy, mystery, historical fiction and any other genre of literature you can find.
I think you’ll quickly understand what I mean when I say that SF can hold its own as a genre.
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