I think I've got it...

I think I finally figured it out. Figured out why fantasy and science fiction are so appealing to me. When done well, both are searching for something other, something away from reality, something truer. They use symbolism, imagery from folklore, dreamscapes and more. They elaborate on reality, create new worlds–utopias, distopias, tell morality tales, wish, hope, show loves ability to overcome all obstacles (even space and time), are not afraid to dream. They do not feel so connected to the visual "concreteness" that is reality. Things are not always what they seem, maybe dreams have a place in reality, maybe art and science fiction are more similar than I anticipated, maybe both reach into the same parts of the psyche, maybe both are necessary to allow us space to reflect back on reality. Both can be sur-real, meditative. Good usually battles evil and the good (in what I personally consider good art) usually wins. Maybe science fiction is today's folktale.