Has the fantasy genre overtaken the science fiction genre in popularity? It’s a good question. It might be a question you haven’t even thought about. After all, the two genres are closely related. Many people can’t say one without saying the other. Let’s take a closer look.

It’s Hard to Tell, but the Signs Are Out There

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like much has changed. There are lots of fantasy books and movies out there just as there are lots of science fiction books and movies. Nevertheless, I was surprised to see the vast quantities of fantasy when compared to SciFi when I walked into my local Barnes & Noble.

The Bookstores Don’t Lie

Take a look at this photo I took. This entire area is just a part of the fantasy books available. It is 4 shelving sections, and that’s not all of it. There are two more sections on the reverse side. Have a look for yourselves:

Now take a look at the science fiction area. Only 2 shelving sections with an extra one out of the photo on the left side:

2 to 1 Difference

That’s 6 fantasy shelving sections to only 3 science fiction shelving sections—a 2 to 1 difference. I remember a time when it was the complete opposite and SciFi was the heavy hitter when it came to speculative fiction. So what happened?

What’s Hot at the Moment Decides It

In my opinion, this shift in popularity is due to a number of hit books, movies, and TV shows that have flipped this ratio. One that comes to mind is the Game of Thrones series. That’s just one. The Lord of the Rings movies was a huge success before that, introducing fans to Tolkien’s work who didn’t necessarily want to read massive books.

More recently, the very popular Dune series made a big splash on the big screen in its latest incarnation, again introducing people to the fantasy genre. Although Dune is considered a science fiction by many, some see it as a hybrid between the two genres.

Signs Point to a Shift That Has Taken Place

So you see, friends, at this point I knew there was some kind of shift taking place. I found out years ago that my sons, who had never shown the slightest interest in fantasy were huge Game of Thrones fans. That’s when I knew the shift between genres was not my imagination.

It’s All Happened Before

However, I have to say that shifts like this have taken place in the past. It seems like the fantasy and science fiction sections in our local bookstores grow and contract like a blacksmith’s bellows, so all of this is not new to me.

Eventually, a hot new SciFi will hit the screen, become an instant hit, and next thing you know we’re off to the races again with another flip in progress.

Back in the Good Old Days

I even remember a time long ago when there weren’t two separate sections on bookstore’s shelves. Both genres shared the same section of shelves with fantasy and science fiction books mixed together like a hodgepodge of speculative fiction. In those days, it was much harder to tell what was in the lead.

Does It Really Matter?

Still, when it comes down to it, I really don’t mind which is more popular at any given moment in time. I love them both equally.

Tell me what you think. Send me a message via the Contact Page on this site. Until next time…

Art Benson