If the distinction that we're after is Science Fiction vs Science Fantasy, then I think it should focus less on how the science is handled (since that appears i

If the distinction that we're after is Science Fiction vs Science Fantasy, then I think it should focus less on how the science is handled (since that appears in both labels anyhow) and more on whether the Fiction is Fantasy. The soul of scifi, science aside, is that it's a commentary on the present. 1984 feels like sci-fi despite not really having much to do with the science that appears in it because its a cautionary tale about where we're going if we don't change our ways. So yes it's about whether elements of the story are connected to reality somehow, but I don't think the relevant elements are the scientific ones.