Literary critics and literary historians use a somewhat specialized vocabulary to discuss the nature and history of literature and types of literature.
One way to begin an exploration of science fiction and fantasy is to understand its origins in older forms of literature.
The glossary of terms below takes you from the earliest and most general concepts and forms of literature to a general description of the major difference between science fiction and fantasy. |
| Genre |
A genre (from the French for "type") is a category of literature.
Genre can indicate
the form of the literature (e.g., epic, novel, short story, poem, play)
or the subject matter and approach to literature (e.g., tragedy, comedy,
romance).
Within a genre can
be many subgenres. For example, the genre of fiction can include historical
fiction, romance, westerns, thrillers, mysteries, etc.
We are concerned here with literature of the fantastic and more specifically science fiction and fantasy. These genres have their roots in myth, legend, fairy tales and romance, especially the subgenre of romance known as the Gothic |
| Myth |
Myth is an anonymous
story with roots in primitive folk beliefs of races or nations.
Myth presents supernatural
episodes as a means of interpreting natural events in an effort to make
concrete and particular a special perception of man or a cosmic view.
Thus most cultures
have, for example, a creation myth. |
| Legends |
Like myth, legends have origins in oral traditions and often feature larger-than-life characters. Legend differs from myth because legend is often rooted in fact.
For example, legends of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table are rooted in an historical king who tried to unite England in the 6th century A.D. |
| Fairy Tales |
| Fairy tales are also derived from oral tradition; they are stories of supernatural beings who interact with common folk. Fairy tales tend to take place in their own world with no reference to outside reality |
| Romance |
A romance is a form
of narrative prose fiction that tells a story of events far removed from
realistic and ordinary life.
Romance utilizes elements
of the fantastic such as:
- deeds of knights
- encounters with
monsters and dragons
- the use of magic
|
| The Gothic |
The Gothic is a subgenre
of romance.
Gothic literature
(the name is derived from the Goths, barbarian pagan tribes of medieval
times) suggests whatever is medieval, primitive, wild, free, and
romantic.
Chief characteristics
of the gothic are
- castles
- magic
- mystery
- chivalry
Generally, horror
and ghosts abound. |
A gothic novel is
any novel (like some genre romantic fiction) that attempts to create the
Gothic, medieval atmosphere of brooding and unknown terror.
In the Gothic mode
the emphasis is on the distant and unearthly and on suspense. |
| Science Fiction and Fantasy |
| Both science fiction and fantasy are subgenres of the broader literature of the fantastic. |
| As stated elsewhere fantasy is a conscious breaking free from reality; it applies to a work which takes
place in a non-existent and unreal world, a world that is imaginary but
not possible. Science
fiction relies on extrapolation,
the process of imagining relatively probable worlds of the future by utilizing
logical extensions of scientific and cultural curves and trends. |
| Go to Select Definitions to read some formal attempts at describing science fiction and fantasy. |
