When I try to classify stories into SciFi or Fantasy I start by thinking, “Is there magic?” To me that’s the dividing line between the two genres. But sometimes things aren’t so clear cut.
My library lists Nalini Singh’s books as sci-fi. I’m not so sure about that. There is a lot of future science and psychic powers but there are also shapeshifters. Magic is never mentioned but shapeshifters seem pretty magical to me.
Ilona Andrews’ series that starts with Clean Sweep has people traveling to different planets and interacting with lots of alien races but there is also a lot of magic in the form of sentient houses.
What other books do you recommend that blur the lines between genres?
SciFantasy is really interesting to me because it can really blur the line. One that I really want to read are Anne McCaffrey’s books. They have dragons but are set in planets in space. Like I’m really curious how that worldbuilding is and if I can wrap my brain around that.
Books that blur the line between fantasy and sci-fic are call sci-fic fantasy. There are a lot of older fantasy and sci-fic writers that write books that can fit in both genres. Andrea Norton, Tanith Lee, and Leigh Bracket are author who wrote books that can fit in to both fantasy and sci-fic.
Also there are a lot of steampunk books that overlap genres.
Oh this is a tough one. The fantasy and scifi genre can have such a blurred line that it can be difficult to know what exactly is qualifies at.