Am I the only one that is seeing this as a joke referencing Stalactites and Stalagmites? Like I also think that it fits as a good thought experiment, but is the joke so obvious that no one is stating it? Or is am I just reading something into it that's not there?

I always liked the distinction (I forget who originated it) that science fiction is a story set in a world where the rules are defined by physics and fantasy is a story set in a world where the rules are defined by the author.

Science fiction is based in reality and usually just extrapolates what we know is scientifically possible, just not with current technology. They can usually explain how stuff works because it's based on real science to some degree.

Star Trek is science fiction.

Fantasy really just follows the rule of cool. If it's cool, throw it in. It's based on nothing but what the writer thinks is cool as shit.

Star Wars is future fantasy.

science fiction is in space and fantasy has castles.

I will take no further questions.

If it's not from the fantasy region of middle earth then it's just sparkling fiction.

Why does this analogy make sense to me for some reason?

I would argue that science fiction and fantasy are the same thing and the only difference is the explanation for how all the cool stuff works.

Functionally, there's no real difference between a portal that takes the characters to another world using a wormhole and one that does it through through magic. Just like how there's no difference between Vulcans/Klingons/Wookies and Elves/Dwarves/Beastmen. Both are intelligent non-humans.

Enders Game instilled the importance of adjusting your frame of reference. What was up can become down.

So it’s science fiction but when you consider a collaborative global human response to existential danger it’s fantasy.

But the Shadow series shows how quickly we go back to weaponizing and using gifted war trained children as tools of conquest… so realism/horror?

I've been reading stories from the Hatsune Miku rhythm game app, that almost straddles the line between urban fantasy and unexplained sci-fi. The premise is that instances of the vocaloids live in personalized virtual worlds for different (small) groups of humans. The humans can teleport to these worlds by playing a special song on their phone, or the vocaloids can project themselves as holograms from the humans' phones. It's almost sci-fi because it mostly works within constraints of technology. For example, you get booted out of the virtual world if your phone runs out of battery, and if your phone gets shorted out, it can prevent the vocaloids from projecting themselves until the phone is repaired (though if the phone still works otherwise, they can voice chat.) Also the special song can be transferred to different machines and still works. But then what makes it more fantasy is that the song and worlds are created from the humans' feelings (and if they lose the song, a new copy will appear for them,) and it works without internet connection (if one member of a group is stranded and another isn't, they could have a vocaloid relay a message.) And then just recently I read a chapter where some characters were able to access their virtual world through their dreams, without needing the song file in the first place. For me, that's what completely tipped the scale into urban fantasy.

And the one, floating in through the open window … how was that called again?

Fantasy is right-leaning while SF is left-leaning. Easy peasy.

But what if there's bats? Bats typically aren't on the floor!

Fantasy is when there's magic, sci-fi is when the magic has specific terminology.

Star Trek says, “Eat me and my 58 years of series and films— Ad astra per aspera!”