Science Fiction Hub
Science fiction has an ‘anything goes’ quality to it that makes ordering it into some kind of thematic structure difficult, to say the least. This page is one such attempt at mapping all the themes and sub-genres of science fiction in an easy to read graphic of word clouds attached to each theme or area. It is not intended to be exhaustive, but to provide a general overview of the elements and areas that make up science fiction as a genre. It is hoped that the reader, by exploring the graphic, will be inspired to further investigate the concepts and works of science fiction that are of interest to them. With this in mind, the page also provides a version of the graphic’s word clouds and themes in table form, including representative examples of books, films and authors that correspond with each theme or sub-genre.
The information is intended to be used in conjunction with other sites for the reader to follow up and deepen their understanding of the items in the graphic. The Science Fiction Encyclopedia is one such site recommended here – especially its exhaustive Themes pages discussing the elements listed in the word clouds here. Another is the Internet Speculative Fiction Database, where the reader can search and find almost every speculative fiction story every written. The information is constantly updated and the stories are searchable according to varied Advanced Search criteria, including story, author, magazines and even tags, which can correspond to the themes and sub-genres listed here. The ISFDB also lists information about story availability in books and magazines, including prices.
Major Themes of Science Fiction
Sub Genre/Theme/Response | Elements | Examples |
Dystopia | Totalitarian Resistance Future cities Law and order/disorder Control Static societies Social Darwinism/Malthus Ruined Earth Pollution Global warming Reality and Appearance Racial conflict Cli fi Science and tech revolutions/oppressions | 1984, George Orwell Brave New World, Aldous Huxley The Shape of Things To Come, HG Wells Film: The Matrix Film: Metropolis Film: Blade Runner Film: THX 1138 Jerry Cornelius stories, Michael Moorcock The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins Rollerball We, Yevgeny Zamyatin Film: Star Wars Jesus The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein The Man In the High Castle, Philip K Dick Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury Film: The Terminator |
Utopia | Ambiguous Future cities Static societies Space Habitats Dyson Sphere Social engineering Gaia Arcology Psychohistory Power sources Pax aeronautica Lost worlds Atlantis | Brave New World, Aldous Huxley The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin Looking Backwards, Edmund Bellamy Ringworld, Larry Niven Foundation, Isaac Asimov Dancers At the End of Time, Michael Moorcock Always Coming Home, Ursula Le Guin Film: Laputa Film: Metropolis Stranger In a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein Utopia, Thomas More Out of the Silent Planet, CS Lewis Plato’s Republic |
Science and Technology | Machine as monster/saviour Scientist as redeemer/unchained Mad scientist/chained Anti technology Internal dichotomies Weather controlled/uncontrolled Transport mishaps Space elevator Teleportation mishaps Nukes Quantum possibilities Computers Mutations Other dimensions Global warming Space Habitats Waldos Invisibility Kaiju Radiation Gravity/anti gravity Automation Mircronisation Genetic engineering Creating dinosaurs Metaphysics Nanotechnology Transmutation Telescopes Relativity Psychohistory Power sources | The Roads Must Roll, Robert Heinlein Film: Godzilla The Chrysalids, John Wyndam The Einstein Intersection The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton The Sheep Look Up, John Brunner Ringworld, Larry Niven Foundation, Isaac Asimov Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton Contact, Carl Sagan I Robot, Isaac Asimov Frankenstein, Mary Shelley Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde, Robert Louie Stevenson |
Time Travel | To the Past – common To the Future – less common Paradox Alternate histories Time police Time scholars Time gate Time dilation Single timelines Multi timelines Determinism Time loop Fourth dimension Communications Mythology Portals Relativity Jonbar point Prime directive Pre history Origin of humanity Cosmology | Behold the Man, Michael Moorcock Film: Back To the Future The Time Machine, HG Wells All You Zombies, Robert Heinlein Timescape, Gregory Benford |
Cyberpunk | Virtual reality The Net Online worlds Cyberisation Ghosts Souls Memories Memory edit Identity Dream hacking | Neuromancer, William Gibson Film: Blade Runner Film: Ghost In the Shell Film: Inception |
Steampunk | Alternate history Zeppelins Goggles Edisonade | The Difference Engine, Gibson and Sterling Mortal Engines, Philip Reeves Parasol Protectorate, Gail Carriger |
Aliens | Alien types, Humanoid Gestalt Working with/friendly Hostile Indifferent Enigmatic SETI First contact Alien/human relations Sex Paranoia Xenophobia Alien anthropology Area 51 Shapeshifters Human evolution Post human Universal translator Linguistics On Earth/In Space UFOs/existence Abductions Extraterrestrial Slavery – by them/by us Xenobiology Symbiosis/parasitism Racial conflict | The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin The Lovers, Philip Jose Farmer Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams Contact, Carl Sagan 2001 Space Odyssey, Arthur C Clarke Who Goes There, John W Campbell Film: ET Childhood’s End, Arthur C Clarke Riverworld, Philip Jose Farmer Way Station, Clifford Simak Films: Star Wars Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut Jr Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr Rendezvous With Rama, Arthur C Clarke Film: The Day the Earth Stood Still Film: Star Trek First Contact The Man Who Fell To Earth, Walter Tevis TV: The Outer Limits, Controlled Experiment Arena, Frederick Brown |
Robots/Computers | Androids Cyborgs Bionics Cybernetics Superhuman Computer is God Droids Automation/automata Robo sapiens Robot rights Rogue robots Totalitarian computers Self determination Three laws | Film: Blade Runner I Robot, Isaac Asimov Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip Dick Films: Star Wars The Last Question, Isaac Asimov Answer, Frederick Brown |
Exploration/Colonisation Space Opera | FTL Star drives Starship Sublight speeds Stargates Warps and Wormholes Generation ships Space stations Benevolent/aggressive Slavery Racial conflict Shared worlds Lost worlds/races Atlantis Terraforming Black Holes White Holes Other dimensions Future Histories Portals Prime directive Pax aeronautica Planets/Other worlds Pocket universe Stars Suspended animation Cryonics Underground worlds Underwater worlds Anthropology Taboos Societies Sociology Relativity | The Boat of a Million Years, Poul Anderson Contact, Carl Sagan TV: Star Trek TV: The Expanse The Space Merchants, CM Kornbluth Cosm, Gregory Benford The Lost World, Arthur Conan Doyle Journey To the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne Foundation, Isaac Asimov |
Alternate Worlds/Timelines | Parallel universe/worlds Cosmology Quantum elements History Jonbar points Individual actions What if? Consequences | Man In the High Castle, Philip K Dick Pavane, Keith Roberts Harry Turtledove series Anti Ice, Stephen Baxter The Alteration, Kingsley Amis The Anubis Gates, Tim Powers |
End of the World/Survivalist | Catastrophe/interregnum cycle Natural disasters Human made disasters Nuclear fallout/winter Radiated mutants Pandemic Zombies Economic disaster Cli fi Controlling corporations Tech disaster/machines/robots Global warming Social engineering Social Darwinism Overpopulation Survival Urban jungle Greenhouse effect Ruins and futurity Ruined earth Post catastrophe pastorals Entropy Apocalypse | The disaster novels, JG Ballard Earth Abides, George R Stewart A Canticle For Liebowitz, Walter Miller Jr I Am Legend, Richard Matheson Barefoot In the Head, Brian Aldiss Riddley Walker, Russell Hoban Make Room Make Room, Harry Harrison Film: Soylent green The Sheep Look Up, John Brunner A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess Films: The Terminator Orbitsville, Bob Shaw TV: Battlestar Galactica Foundation, Isaac Asimov Always Coming Home, Ursula Le Guin Film: Godzilla |
Medicine/biology/psychology | Longevity Sex Cloning Organ transplants Micronisation Superhuman Memory edit Drugs Telepathy Telekinesis Identity exchange Internal dichotomies Biological engineering Inner space Devolution/evolution Precognition/prediction Superpowers Post human Apes as Human Talents Dream hacking Mind/memory alteration Behaviour modification Mental Stress Gender wars Racial conflict Overpopulation Aging populations Eugenics Dreams/Surrealism Transmutation Symbiosis/parasitism Rejuvination Origin of humanity | The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester Methuselah’s Children, Robert Heinlein Ubik, Philip K Dick Camp Concentration, Thomas Disch Barefoot In the Head, Brian Aldiss Ballard’s ‘inner landscapes’ TV: Logan’s Run Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess Film: Minority Report Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes Film: Gattaca The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula Le Guin The Female Man, Joanna Russ The Power, Naomi Alderman Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card Films: Planet of the Apes Film: The Manchurian Candidate Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson Comic: Superman More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon Odd John, Olaf Stapledon |
Religion | Alien religions Transcendence Theosophy Messiahs Gods and Demons Cults Mythology Cosmology Big Bang Black Holes Iconoclasism Taboos Secret guardians/angels Life after death Determinism Apocalypse | Case of Conscience, James Blish Behold the Man, Michael Moorcock Dune, Frank Herbert A Canticle For Leibowitz, Walter Miller Jr Stranger In a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein The Farthest Shore, Ursula Le Guin Riverworld, Philip Jose Farmer |
Military/Wars Space Opera | Scientists chained On Earth In space Against aliens Against humans Future war Tech, Weapons Mecha WW3 Imperialism | Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein The Forever War, Joe Haldeman Films: Star Wars Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card Film: Dr Strangelove |
The Media/Advertising/Economics | Consumer Society Television Changing media Cultural engineering Communications Subliminal Politics Totalitarianism Brainwashing Reality and Appearance Global Warming Expansion/growth Corporations as govt Information is God Cyberpunk Social engineering Ideologies/approbation, etc Inequality Bread and circuses | The Marching Morons, CM Kornbluth The Space Merchants, CM Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl Film: Rollerball TV: The Expanse Film: Wall E The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin 1984, George Orwell Timescape, Gregory Benford Film: The Manchurian Candidate Neuromancer, William Gibson |
This is an ongoing project intended to be updated regularly. Much of the information and some of the ideas for the hub were drawn from or inspired by various science fiction encyclopedias and online information sites. These include The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1977), edited by Brian Ash, Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1978), consulting editor Robert Holdstock, and The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls. This site author thanks them for the work they’ve done in clearing the way for this present work.