What is the key difference between magical realism and fantasy?

Answer 1

Very briefly;

Science Fiction is an extrapolation of known techniques and physical principles. No fundamental breakthrough's are required or involved though the technology is beyond us at present.

Fantasy on the other hand demands things such as super photic speeds, warp drives, matter transportation, incredible ESP or super powers etc. Many fantasy stories do not hold to physical, chemical or biological principles.

This, is of course a very rudimentary explanation and the lines between the two genres are often very blurred.

Answer 2

Speculative fiction would be a subset of the more 'umbrella' term Science Fiction.

In Speculative fiction you have a "What if" condition. This condition can be realistic or not and the rest of the story has to revolve about it in more strict scientific rigour.

For example "What if you had a machine capable of transporting you through time?" In H. G. Wells story 'The Time Machine' this is the only fantastic element. The entire rest of the story adheres to strict reality.

As most science fiction can be interpreted as speculative fiction the two term are often mistaken as being the same thing.

Answer 3

The key difference between magical realism and fantasy is that magical realism is rooted in the real world with magical elements seamlessly integrated, while fantasy takes place in entirely imagined worlds with its own rules and logic. Magical realism often blurs the line between the fantastical and the real, creating a sense of ambiguity, whereas fantasy typically establishes clear boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Answer 4

they are both usually telling about different world(s) although science fiction is more futuristic and sciency that deals with space and time whereas fantasy has a more magical touch to it.