Indeed. Scifi does tend to have a more hard edge to its whimsy, you need to have some level of plausability, even if it is just on the surface. Either that or be so outrageous, ala Douglas Adams, that it does not really matter because the boundaries between definitions of magic and science are blurred.

*gently pets HP fandom* You always cheer me up. Or you know, cheer me up with angst.