A big debate has ignited on social media recently as people try to define the difference between science and fiction and fantasy, giving rise to a new internet meme.
The distinction between the two genres is of course a fine line, especially since they have so many similar tropes and in the case of movies, so many of the same actors show up in films of both genres.
So how do you tell them apart? Don't worry, people on social media have got you covered with several clever and hilarious ways to explain the difference.
Like this one, which explains the difference via casting choices.
Still unclear? Okay, this one might set you straight--basically the distinction lies in whether weapons go "pew pew" or "clink clink."
Makes sense, right? Sometimes the difference is about the foreign languages used in the depiction. Here's an example that might help clear that whole thing up.
So, Irish: fantasy. Japanese: sci-fi. See? It's all very simple. If you're still not quite catching on though, maybe this illustration about the Navy vs feudalism will help:
In short:
"Scifi is when the organization is based on a geek's misconceptions about the Navy."
"Fantasy is when the organization is based on a geek's misconceptions about European feudalism."
But helpful as they are, these memes admittedly make the distinction opaque at best. So if you're still confused, have no fear. Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, has the best explanation of them all.
The iconic actor, who played Wonder Woman on television from 1975 to 1979, took to Twitter to join the discussion about what differentiates science fiction from fantasy, and her take was the most perfect of them all.
She wrote:
"Sci-fi is when Wonder Woman fights villains from outer space, fantasy is thinking Wonder Woman will go on a date with you."
And there you have it! We're done here.
Of course, people on Twitter loved Carter's take on the debate most of all.
So there's that debate sorted out. Thank you, Wonder Woman!
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