Science Fiction Versus Fantasy

Many of my friends are readers of science fiction ("SF") stories. I have been reading SF since I learned to read, and as I get extremely enthusiastic about a great SF story, I love being able to talk to people about it. SF books generally don't make the book club rounds, even though many of these books explore the themes that are the hallmark of a great discussion. Perhaps this is because of a perception that the writing isn't literary or the character development takes a backseat to plot and technological conceits. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of SF is crap. However, to paraphrase the late SF writer Theodore Sturgeon: 90% of all writing is crap. I believe that much of readers' reluctance regarding SF has to do with a misunderstanding regarding the nature of the genre. People reflexively think that SF is all about spaceships and aliens. Yes, many SF stories do include these far flung plot points. However, SF should be thought of as a broad category that includes books like Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and even Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. Some of these books involve an imagined future or an alternative past. The writers are speculating as to how these changed/imagined circumstances affect the course of society and how they impact human behavior. The point of 1984 is not how cool it is to conjure up Big Brother, but rather, to explore what brutality people are capable of and what people are willing to do to survive. SF writers like to use the label "speculative fiction" to denote a broad category.

Personally, I really enjoy the space stories. I love getting lost in the drama of exploration and confronting the unknown. When you stand outside at night (away from the city) and you see the plethora of stars, you can't help but marvel at the vastness of the universe and wonder what's out there. I personally will never get to explore this vastness, but I can read other people's fanciful tales.

If you have not read much SF and are curious, my recommendations are as follows:

"Literary" SF - Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Classic SF - The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury; The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester; Foundation by Isaac Asimov
"Hard" SF - Ender's Game/Speaker for the Dead/Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

I have not included fantasy (or horror) in the discussion above. To be sure, speculative fiction writers would include fantasy as part of the broad spectrum of stories. Personally, I don't care for fantasy all that much. Harry Potter is well and good, as are the Lord of the Rings books, but I am not drawn to the idea of magic existing in the universe. SF stories often deal with technologies that do not exist and alien species that have not been discovered, but there is, at least, a theoretical possibility of these things coming to pass. A story about flying dragons and ancient spells doesn't capture my imagination in the same way as a story about the first expedition to Pluto. Maybe I haven't read enough in the fantasy genre or maybe I haven't found the right stories unlock my inner Muggle. I would love some recommendations.