I hear people frequently say that they do not read fantasy & science fiction since it isn't real literature. I would point out that the broad definition of fantasy is any story which contains elements of speculation rather than absolute fact. Science Fiction takes a similar definition in that it is speculation about how technology might change or might have changed an event, real or imaginary. To me those definitions sound like they apply to romance, historical fiction, thrillers, horror, suspense, and so forth.  

Recently, time-travel romance became a hot genre. Depending on whether the time travel happened as a result of 'natural' events, arcane rituals or scientific breakthrough, it could be classed as either fantasy or science fiction. Many horror and suspense stories are classed as 'dark fantasy' while many are about technology run amok. Almost every spy thriller relies on a certain amount of technology to allow the main character to accomplish his or her mission. Isn't that science fiction to some degree?  

I think part of the problem is that people associate fantasy with fairies, elves, goblins, witches and other supernatural creatures. That would probably be classed as high fantasy or epic fantasy, depending on the length of the story. Science fiction probably got a bad reputation from many of the pulp fiction magazines of the early days of science fiction. In both genres, modern writers like Dean Koontz and Stephen King write stories that are thought provoking and literate. Many of the current science fiction authors write cautionary tales or speculate about how technology could have an impact on life in the future, either good or bad, extrapolated from current technology trends. There are few green monsters, ray guns and such in modern science fiction unless the writer is poling fun at some of the older stories. 

So next time you hear someone talking about fantasy and science fiction in a dirogatory tone, ask tham details about what they are reading. The results might well surprise them and possibly change their point of view. After all, if you read fiction, by definition you are reading fantasy.