- Source: Outline of science fiction
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to science fiction:
Science fiction – a genre of fiction dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology, often in a futuristic setting. Exploring the consequences of such innovations is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".
What is science fiction?
Definitions of science fiction: Science fiction includes such a wide range of themes and subgenres that it is notoriously difficult to define. Accordingly, there have been many definitions offered. Another challenge is that there is disagreement over where to draw the boundaries between science fiction and related genres.
Science fiction is a type of:
Fiction – form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, and musical work.
Genre fiction – fictional works (novels, short stories) written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. Also known as popular fiction.
Speculative fiction
Genre – science fiction is a genre of fiction.
Genres
Science fiction genre – while science fiction is a genre of fiction, a science fiction genre is a subgenre within science fiction. Science fiction may be divided along any number of overlapping axes. Gary K. Wolfe's Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy identifies over 30 subdivisions of science fiction, not including science fantasy (which is a mixed genre).
= Science
=Genres concerning the emphasis, accuracy, and type of science described include:
Hard science fiction—a particular emphasis on scientific detail and/or accuracy.
Mundane science fiction—a subgenre of hard sci-fi which sets stories on Earth or the Solar System using current or plausible technology.
Soft science fiction—often exploring psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science, focus on human characters and their relations and feelings. Emphasizes social sciences while de-emphasizing the details of technological hardware and physical laws. In some cases, science and technology are depicted without much concern for accuracy.
= Characteristics
=Themes related to science, technology, space and the future, as well as characteristic plots or settings include:
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction — set during or after the collapse of civilization, often dealing with survival in harsh environments.
Biopunk — centered around biotechnology and genetic engineering in general, biopunk uses some both (post)cyberpunk elements and post-modernist prose to describe a typically dystopian world of biohackers, man-made viruses, mutations, designer babies, artificial life forms, bio-genetic engineered human-animal hybrids and bio-genetically manipulated humans.
Cyberpunk — Dystopian futures with a focus on technology, hacking, and cybernetics, often exploring the impact of these technologies on society. Uses elements from the hard-boiled detective novel, film noir, Japanese anime, and post-modernist prose to describe the nihilistic, underground side of a cybernetic society
Climate fiction — emphasizes effects of anthropogenic climate change and global warming at the end of the Holocene era
Utopian and dystopian fiction — Utopian set in societies that have agreeable features exploring themes of freedom. Dystopian set in oppressive, controlled societies, often exploring themes of totalitarianism or societal collapse.
Dying Earth science fiction
Military science fiction — focuses on armed conflicts, space warfare, and military themes in futuristic or interstellar settings
Steampunk — denotes works set in (or strongly inspired by) an era when steam power was still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian England — though with otherwise retro-futuristic inventions, advanced technology or other science fiction elements
Time travel — involving traveling to the past or future, often focusing on the paradoxes and consequences.
Space colonization
Space opera — Adventures set in space, emphasizes romantic adventure, exotic settings, and larger-than-life characters, may involve large-scale conflict or galaxy-spanning narratives
Social science fiction — concerned less with technology and more with sociological speculation about human society
Mundane science fiction
= Movements
=Genres concerning politics, philosophy, and identity movements include:
Christian science fiction
Feminist science fiction
LGBT themes in speculative fiction
Libertarian science fiction
= Eras
=Genres concerning the historical era of creation and publication include:
Scientific romance — an archaic name for what is now known as the science fiction genre, mostly associated with the early science fiction of the United Kingdom.
Pulp science fiction
Golden Age of Science Fiction — a period of the 1940s during which the science fiction genre gained wide public attention and many classic science fiction stories were published.
New Wave science fiction — characterised by a high degree of experimentation, both in form and in content.
Cyberpunk — noted for its focus on "high tech, low life" and taking its name from the combination of cybernetics and punk.
= Combinations
=Genres that combine two different fiction genres or use a different fiction genre's mood or style include:
Alternate history science fiction—fiction set in a world in which history has diverged from history as it is generally known
Comic science fiction
Science fiction erotica
Adventure science fiction—science fiction adventure is similar to many genres
Gothic science fiction—a subgenre of science fiction that involves gothic conventions
New Wave science fiction—characterized by a high degree of experimentation, both in form and in content
Science fantasy—a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements
Science fiction opera—a mixture of opera and science fiction involving empathic themes
Science fiction romance—fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and romance genres
Science fiction mystery—fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and mystery genres, encompassing Occult detective fiction and science fiction detectives
Science fiction Western—fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and Western genres
Space Western—a subgenre of science fiction that transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers.
Spy-fi a subgenre of spy fiction that includes some science fiction.
Related genres
Fantasy
Science fantasy
Mystery fiction
Horror fiction
Slipstream fiction
Utopian and dystopian fiction
Superhero fiction
By country
Australian science fiction
Bengali science fiction
Canadian science fiction
Chilean science fiction
Chinese science fiction
Croatian science fiction
Czech science fiction
Estonian science fiction
French science fiction
Japanese science fiction
Norwegian science fiction
Polish science fiction
Romanian science fiction
Russian science fiction
Serbian science fiction
Spanish science fiction
History
History of science fiction films
Elements and themes
= Character elements
=List of stock characters in science fiction
Extraterrestrials in fiction
= Plot elements
=Plot devices
Hyperspace
= Setting elements
=The setting is the environment in which the story takes place. Alien settings require authors to do worldbuilding to create a fictional planet and geography. Elements of setting may include culture (and its technologies), period (including the future), place (geography/astronomy), nature (physical laws, etc.), and hour. Setting elements characteristic of science fiction include:
Place
Parallel universes
Planets in science fiction
Hyperspace
Slipstream
Earth in science fiction
Cultural setting elements
Utopian and dystopian fiction
Xenology
Sex and gender
Gender in science fiction
Sex in science fiction
Pregnancy in science fiction
LGBT themes in speculative fiction
= Themes
=First contact
Technology
Computer technology
Artificial intelligence in fiction
List of fictional computers
Mind uploading in fiction
Transportation
Flying car (aircraft)
Space dock
Weapons in science fiction
Resizing
Space warfare in fiction
Weapons in science fiction
= Style elements
=Works
= Art
=List of science fiction and fantasy artists
Science fiction comics
= Games
=Science fiction video game
Space flight simulation game
List of space flight simulation games
= Literature
=Science fiction comics
Speculative poetry
Novels
List of science fiction novels
Short stories
List of science fiction short stories
= Short story venues =
Science fiction magazine
Science fiction fanzine
= Video
=Science fiction film
Science fiction on television
List of science fiction television programs
List of science fiction sitcoms
U.S. television science fiction
British television science fiction
= Radio
=Science fiction radio programs
Information sources
Baen Free Library
Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
In academia
Science fiction studies
New Wave science fiction
Science in science fiction
Materials science in science fiction
Science fiction and fantasy journals
Science fiction libraries and museums
Subculture
Science fiction conventions
List of science fiction conventions
List of fan conventions by date of founding
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fanzine
Science fiction organizations
Awards
The science fiction genre has a number of recognition awards for authors, editors, and illustrators. Awards are usually granted annually.
= International awards
=Major awards given in chronological order:
= Nationality-specific awards
=Australian
Aurealis Award—Australian
Chandler Award—for contributions to Australian Science fiction
Ditmar Award—for SF by Australians
British
Kitschies—for speculative fiction novels published in the UK
Canadian
Constellation Awards—for the best SF/fantasy film or television works released in Canada
Prix Aurora Awards—for Canadian science fiction
Sunburst Award— Juried award for Canadian science fiction
Chinese
The Galaxy Awards (银河奖)—given by magazine Science Fiction World for Chinese SF&F
Croatian
SFERA Award—given by SFera, a Croatian SF society
Dutch
Paul Harland Prize—for Dutch SF
Estonian
Stalker Award—for the best Estonian SF novel, given out on Estcon by Eesti Ulmeühing, the Estonian SF society.
Finnish
Tähtivaeltaja Award—for the best SF novel released in Finland
French
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire—France since 1974
Prix Jules-Verne—France 1927–1933 and 1958–1963
Prix Tour-Apollo Award—France 1972-1990
German
Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis—German SF award
Israeli
Geffen Award (פרס גפן)—Israel since 1999
Italian
Premio Urania—for Italian SF
Japanese
Nihon SF Taisho Award (日本SF大賞)—Japan since 1980
New Zealander
Sir Julius Vogel Award—for SF by New Zealanders
Pacific Northwestern
Endeavour Award—for SF by Pacific Northwest author
Polish
Janusz A. Zajdel Award—award of Polish fandom
Nautilus Award—Polish award
Romanian
SRSFF Award—România
Russian
Big Roscon award for outstanding contribution to science fiction
Turkish
TBD Science Fiction Story Award—Turkey
= Themed awards
=(Chronological)
Prometheus Award—best libertarian SF—since 1979
Lambda Literary Award—since 1988
Tiptree Award—since 1991
Golden Duck Award—best children's SF—1992-2017
Sidewise Award for Alternate History—since 1995
Gaylactic Spectrum Awards—since 1999
Emperor Norton Award—San Francisco—2003-2011
Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards—2011-2014
= New artists / first works awards
=Compton Crook Award—for best first novel
Jack Gaughan Award—for best emerging artist
John W. Campbell Award—for best new writer
Writers of the Future—contest for new authors
= Career awards
=Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award—associated with the Nebula
Influential people
= Creators
=Artists
List of science fiction and fantasy artists
Filmmakers
J. J. Abrams
James Cameron
George Lucas
Christopher Nolan
Ridley Scott
Steven Spielberg
Denis Villeneuve
Authors and editors
List of science-fiction authors
Women in speculative fiction
List of science fiction editors
= Science fiction scholars
=Brian Aldiss
Isaac Asimov—Asimov on Science Fiction
Brian Attebery
E. F. Bleiler
John W. Campbell
John Clute—co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls)
Samuel R. Delany
Hugo Gernsback—founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and the person who the Hugo Awards are named after.
David Hartwell
Larry McCaffery
Judith Merril
Sam Moskowitz
Peter Nicholls—co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with John Clute)
Alexei Panshin
David Pringle—editor of Foundation and Interzone; author of Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels
Andrew Sawyer
Dorothy Scarborough
Brian Stableford
Darko Suvin
Gary K. Wolfe
Franchises
There are a number of science fiction media franchises of this type, typically encompassing media such as cinema films, TV shows, toys, and even theme parks related to the content. The highest-grossing science fiction franchise is Star Wars.
Space science fiction franchises:
Alien (6 films since 1979 and 2 Alien vs Predator films since 2004)
Babylon 5 (2 television series, 7 TV movies since 1993)
Battlestar Galactica (5 television series and two TV movies since 1979)
Divergent (4 novel series since 2011, 3 movies since 2014)
Doctor Who (TV series since 1963, 2 Dr. Who films since 1965, and 1 1996 television film, five spinoff TV shows (K-9 and Company, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, K-9 and Class), video games and hundreds of books)
Dune (23 novels since 1965, 1 film in 1984, 3 comics since 1984, 2 TV series since 2000, 1 film in 2021 and its sequel in 2024)
Godzilla (36 films since 1954 and 3 TV series since 1978)
Halo (since 2001, started from video game)
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (1 film, 1 TV series, 1 game, 4 stage shows, 3 radio programs since 1978, 6 novels)
Independence Day (2 films since 1996)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (2 novel series since 1983 and 3 anime OVA series since 1988)
Macross (4 anime TV series since 1982, 6 anime films since 1984, 3 manga series since 1994)
Mass Effect (since 2007, started from video game)
Men in Black (4 films since 1997 and animated TV series)
Mobile Suit Gundam (21 anime TV series since 1979, 7 anime films since 1988, successful model kits since 1980)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (1 anime TV series since 1995 and 5 anime films since 1997)
Planet of the Apes (10 films and 1 TV series since 1968)
Predator (5 films since 1987 and 2 Alien vs Predator films since 2004)
Robotech (1 anime TV series and 5 anime films since 1985)
Space Battleship Yamato (5 anime TV series since 1974 and 7 anime films since 1977)
Starcraft (since 1998, started from video game)
Space Odyssey (2 short stories since 1954, 2 films since 1968, 4 novels since 1968, 1 1972 book)
Star Trek (7 live-action TV series since 1966, 3 animated TV series, 13 Theatrical films: 6 Original Series films since 1979, 4 Next Generation films since 1994 and 3 reboot films since 2009)
Star Wars (9 episodic "Saga" films since 1977, 1 1978 TV film, 2 Ewok films since 1985, 1 2008 The Clone Wars film, 2 "Anthology" films since 2016, 5 canon animated TV series since 2008, 6 canon live-action TV series since 2019, 3 Legends TV series since 1985)
Stargate (3 theater films since 1994, 4 live-action TV series since 1997 and 1 animated TV series from 2003)
The Expanse (8 novels and 1 television series since 2011)
Transformers (28 TV series since 1984, 4 animated films since 1986, 6 live action films since 2007, started from toy line)
Ultra Series (34 TV series since 1966 and 29 films since 1967)
The War of the Worlds (half a dozen feature films, radio dramas, a record album, various comic book adaptations, a number of television series, and sequels or parallel stories by other authors since 1897)
Warhammer 40,000 (family of tabletop wargames first published in 1987 by Games Workshop, hundreds of novels by Games Workshop's in-house publishing company Black Library, dozens of video games, and several short films and web series officially published by GW. Games Workshop recently signed a development deal with Amazon Studios to develop a Warhammer 40,000 TV series, with Man of Steel and The Witcher star Henry Cavill as both producer and playing a starring role.)
See also
List of science fiction themes
Outline of fiction
Outline of fantasy
Timeline of science fiction
References
External links
Science Fiction (Bookshelf) at Project Gutenberg
SF Hub—resources for science-fiction research, created by the University of Liverpool Library
Science fiction fanzines (current and historical) online
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America—their "Suggested Reading" page
Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame
Science Fiction Research Association
Science Fiction at the Internet Archive
(in Russian) Ковтун Е. Н. Художественный вымысел в литературе 20 века. — Высшая школа, 2008. — 1500 экз. — ISBN 978-5-06-005661-7.
(in Russian) Жанры — рубрика журнала «Мир фантастики»
(in Russian) Вячеслав Бабышев Внешние и внутренние жанры фантастики // Уральский следопыт. — 2014. — № 11 (689). — С. 81-84.
(in Russian) Жанры фантастики на Фантлабе.
(in Russian) Классификация фантастики на сайте «Фэнта Зиландия».
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- Outline of science fiction
- Science fiction
- Outline of fiction
- List of science fiction themes
- Soft science fiction
- Outline of literature
- Outline of space science
- Outline of academic disciplines
- Outline of science
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