I hear that phrase fairly often. “I don’t like science fiction.” Perhaps even more common, people say they don’t like fantasy (I actually think they don’t like admitting to liking a genre called “fantasy” but that’s just me).
But is that true?
When I tell people I’m a science fiction and fantasy author, it can lead to that “oh, isn’t that quaint?” look. So what do people really like? Conventional wisdom says people like human stories of intrigue like thrillers and mysteries – things set in the “real world.”
But is that true?
Here’s a current look at the top 50 grossing movies of all time. I’ve highlighted in yellow the ones that are science fiction or fantasy (note that I have been conservative in doing so – I could easily argue that talking mammoths in Ice Age, or little yellow critters in Minions could be fantasy as well).
The total: 33 out of 50. Collectively, those 33 movies have earned over 37 BILLION DOLLARS. That’s not just a few of us nerds going to the theatre over and over.
So, if you hear “I don’t like science fiction,” maybe wonder a moment if that’s really true.
I have had this question myself for several years. The only movie I like from your list is Spiderman.. that too not this Spiderman 3. I liked 1 and 2.
I may watch Skyfall… and I do like cars ( which means I do like animation).. but spare me from the rest of your movies… they may be blockbusters, but I have never had the slightest itch to watch them. I hope am not peculiar.
To each his/her own, as they say (which I suppose means we’re all peculiar in our own ways). But to clarify, the list I shared here is not my own. It’s the list of top grossing films. My only point was that, considering how many people tend to say they don’t go in for sci-fi and fantasy, there are an awful lot of sci-fi and fantasy titles making an awful lot of money.
I’ve seen three of these highlighted.
Of course, I don’t watch many contemporary movies of any kind.
Umm…. Isn’t Pirates of Caribbean fantasy or am I missing something?
I agree – I was trying to be conservative in my assessment. You could easily argue that the vast majority of ones I did NOT highlight (Pirates, Ice Age, Nemo/Dory/Lion King/Jungle Book, etc.) still fall within the genre of fantasy. That just makes the point even stronger – nearly every one of the Top 100 grossing films of all time are sci-fi/fantasy. But when you talk to so many people about reading a sci-fi or fantasy book, you often get the response that they don’t like those genres. Perhaps the real truth is that most people just don’t like to read… anything. The difference is that when you say you don’t like a particular genre, you sound selective. When you say you don’t like to read at all, some might think that makes you sound a little… hmm… shallow?
K.