Frolicking through the worlds of science fiction and fantasy

Fantasy and science fiction are among the most prevalent genres in today's vast realm of entertainment. Many books to television shows and movies focus on fantasy and science fiction, and there is a discernibly growing audience for these genres of storytelling. There is undoubtedly a forceful appeal that pulls people into the dimensions where the fantastic exists, and it seems that appeal is growing ever stronger.

Professor Ingrid Hutchinson, who teaches a course on science fiction and fantasy at Fanshawe College, explained the basic appeal of these genres. "People like the contact with science and the suspension of disbelief." This is the phenomenon of allowing yourself to believe that what you see on screen is actually happening — to leave behind the knowledge that Vulcans don't actually exist and allow yourself to accept that Mr. Spock is real.

Hutchinson revealed her long-time love of science fiction and fantasy, which began when she was a child. "When I was a kid, I got a telescope. It was the best gift ever. How wonderful it was going out there and seeing things at a distance. In the summer, I would go out and lay on my back and just look at Vega. Then I began to read the classics of science fiction, I read Isaac Asimov and The Chrysalids."

When Star Trek debuted in 1966, Hutchinson admitted she fell in love with the series. It was precisely the element that is so often criticized about the original series of Star Trek that Hutchinson found so appealing. "Roddenberry, in that fake, cheesy, staged environment really captured our imaginations," she explained.

Science fiction appeals to people on many different levels. "It has a lot to do with speculative science," she said. People use science fiction as a way to explore scientific phenomena that may or may not actually exist, such as invisible men, monsters and, of course, aliens.

Chris Kramberger, an avid science fiction fan, revealed the draw the genre has for himself: "Science fiction is great at exploring the human condition. The setting is far enough removed that it can be viewed objectively."

Fantasy, although often grouped together with science fiction as one cohesive genre, is something that is inarguably a genre of its own. "Fantasy speaks to us at a deeper level," explained Hutchinson. "It speaks to us in ways which we're not satisfied by religion. It speaks to things like, 'Do we have souls?'"

Renowned fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about the suspension of disbelief in fantasy stories, as well as the relation between fantasy stories and the human longing for knowledge of a higher power. Hutchinson explained, "People thought (fantasy) was mostly escapist, but Tolkien wrote about it in On Fairy Stories, about how it goes so much deeper than that."

Stephanie Sandrock, an active member of the fantasy and science fiction community, shared her thoughts on the appeal of the genres. "I love immersing myself in a different world and getting away from the day to day problems, like doing dishes and cleaning the house, to someplace where every character is more important than that."

"It goes beyond logic," Hutchinson said of what drives people to the worlds of fantasy and science fiction. "Take, for example, Star Trek. Kirk and Spock represent this passion/emotion and intellect/logic, but you have to have a kind of blending of the two. Fantasy and science fiction offer exactly that." she added, "Beyond that, you have to have a deeper social message, and science fiction and fantasy offer that too. They also offer us something that speaks to our hearts."

Hutchinson gave some insight on the direction that fantasy and science fiction are headed. "It used to be nerdy, pimply 12 year old boys, so it's always had that pseudo sexual charm, but now it's moving more into the mainstream." Hutchinson cites J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise as a big step towards a mass popularization of science fiction and fantasy.

If you're interested in reading more about the ideas behind science fiction and fantasy, be sure to read the essays On Fairy Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien and Why Fantasy, Why Now by R. Scott Bakker.

The future life of the fantasy and science fiction genres will undoubtedly prove to be long and prosperous.