Science Fiction is the best kind of drama, because there is so much freedom to write about whatever you want.
Is Science Fiction the Best Genre of Entertainment? Why???
- Thread starter VulcanMindBlown
- Start date
I don't think there is a "best genre" or best anything. It's all about personal opinion. My favourite genre is fantasy. I'm a sucker for the supernatural.
I like mysteries, but I have read them for so long (since the 50s, yes I'm old) that it seems like there aren't a lot of new or different plots being written now. But Science Fiction doesn't get as predictable as other genres. Whole worlds are created and the rules for each can be different from Earth and from each other, so it's always new. It takes an investment by the reader to learn about each different world/place in order to be able to follow the story effectively which might be why some of us get so drawn into it and obsess about canon.
Science fiction is the best because it can encompass ALL other genres like romance, horror, fantasy, drama action, etc. PLUS it can have space ships, aliens and robots. 
Science fiction is the best because it can encompass ALL other genres like romance, horror, fantasy, drama action, etc. PLUS it can have space ships, aliens and robots.
Every real genre can be combined with any other genre. Although a significant portion of that list isn't actually genres at all. Well, there may be some question of terminology there, but whatever the correct terms might be there's certainly a huge substantive difference between categories like 'romance', 'sci-fi', 'fantasy' and 'horror', as opposed to categories like 'cooking', 'talk show', 'western' or 'sports'. And no genre is really any better than any other. Even my least favorite genres (like basic drama) can be absolutely amazing when well written.
Last edited:
I don't think any one genre trumps another. I like sf, fantasy, horror, comedy, musicals, westerns, murder mysteries, spy thrillers, film noir, historical fiction, etc. Depends on my mood, although I confess to a weakness for old monster movies when I'm in need of comfort food.
It's the execution that matters. A good western is better than a bad sf movie. And vise versa.
And mixing genres can be really fun and interesting . . . .
It's the execution that matters. A good western is better than a bad sf movie. And vise versa.
And mixing genres can be really fun and interesting . . . .
I never really cared for the whole genres thing. Certainly, I use them as labels, but only as far as parlance is required.
I mean, across all media, how much fiction out there is strictly confined to one genre?
I mean, across all media, how much fiction out there is strictly confined to one genre?
We must have ORDER!
That's why I like time travel stories. I get science fiction, plus adventure and a history lesson (provided the author has done his homework). It was a Robert Silverberg novel that inspired me to choose my Society for Creative Anachronism persona as a dual-culture person, and do the research to prove that such a person could have existed in the 10th century.
The poll should have been multiple-choice. I'm also really partial to musicals.
That's very subjective, as others have mentioned. SF is probably my favourite genre, but objectively the "best"? Not sure how one would make that determination.
And I would quibble that "Animated" is not a genre. Animation is a medium, and different genres can all use that medium. You can have animated science fiction, animated comedy, animated horror, etc.
And I would quibble that "Animated" is not a genre. Animation is a medium, and different genres can all use that medium. You can have animated science fiction, animated comedy, animated horror, etc.
Sorry, I forgot to add "Fantasy."
Okay, but I was also thinking Cartoon, but that includes other things like Anime.
True.
Also, all true...
I voted for the "genre of entertainment" that hath charms to soothe the savage breast...other times you can dance to it or it just rocks. Though it's really a medium with many of its own genres.
Fair enough.
As with every genre there are a few gems in a sea of rubbish.
There are some things Science Fiction has often done well traditionally. World building is an obvious one.
My biggest regret is that SciFi often really sucks at human interaction, relationships and character development.
SciFi often seems to care about plot way more than it does about characters.
I really don't want to believe that the reason for that is SciFi writers being socially awkward people who write for escapism reasons. But... just look at the Trek fiction writers. Some seriously don't even understand human emotions.
There are some things Science Fiction has often done well traditionally. World building is an obvious one.
My biggest regret is that SciFi often really sucks at human interaction, relationships and character development.
SciFi often seems to care about plot way more than it does about characters.
I really don't want to believe that the reason for that is SciFi writers being socially awkward people who write for escapism reasons. But... just look at the Trek fiction writers. Some seriously don't even understand human emotions.
Sturgeon's Revelation* applies.
*"90% of everything is crap."
*"90% of everything is crap."
Similar threads
