 March 16, 2011 - 8:21pm | RE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction The Major Genres of Science Fiction are: 1. Hard Science Fiction-Characterized by rigorous attention to detail in quantitative sciences, particularly physics, astrophysics and chemistry, or in accurately depicting world that more advanced technology may make possible. 2. Soft and Social Science Fiction- The designation "soft" refers to soft sciences like the social sciences, economics, physcology, political sciences, sociology and anthropology. 3. Cyberpunk- term coined by Bruce Bethke; it is a rejection of the optimism of earlier SF. characterized by near future, internet or cyberspace abstractions, cybernetics, prosthetics, usually a gritty setting 4. Time Travel- famous antcedants in Wells and Twain; Mark Twain being the first to write in this genre; complications with the "grandfather paradox" 5. Alternate History- usually a premise that history might have turned out differently, Harry Turtledove is sometimes called the "master of alternate history" 6. Military Science Fiction- set int he context of national, interplanetary or interstellar military forces, Primary view point is from the soldiers involved. StarShip Troopers is a standout in this genre 7. Superhuman- deals with the emergence of humans with abilities beyond the norm 8. Apocalyptic- concerned with the end of civilization through war, pandemic, astronomic impact, ecological disaster, or mankinds self destruction, Post-Apocalyptic looks to the aftermath 9. Space Opera- set on distant planets with an emphasis on action rather than science or characterization Lensman series and Star Wars are famous offerings in this genre 10. Space Western- Could be considered a sub-genre of Space Opera that transposes American Western themes to future setting, typically involves Frontier colony worlds, Serenity and Firefly are the prime examples and the Star Wars character Han Solo is considered elemental to this genre Minor subgenres: Feminist Science Fiction, Steampunk, Biopunk, New Wave, Comic SF Relations with other genres: Horror, Fantasy, ans Speculative Fiction. So just what to you take in your cup of Science Fiction? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 March 16, 2011 - 8:41pm | In my college course on writting about sci-fiction, speculative fiction was just another name of science fiction not a separate genre. Specultative fiction did not always refer to hard sci-fi but as the name suggests speculates about "what if". Many of the better Star Trek stories fell into speculative fiction and the worst stories and technology fell into the genre of fantasy. As a side note the instructor was the Dean of Behavioral Sciences at Saginaw Valley State University, the author of "Retrofitting Blade Runner" an anaylsis of the classical hard sci-fi masterpiece which was one of the first works to broach the subject that Deckard was a replicant himself. |
March 16, 2011 - 8:37pm | For myself I like the idea of hard SF but I've typically confused it with Military SF I may have the dubious distinction of being the only person on the site that has read a work of Feminist Science Fiction (or perhaps that may be the only one who will admit to it) a book called Alpha or Alph about a dystopia earth where women stopped concieving men and parthenogenisis was used to perpetuate the species. My feelings toward Cyberpunk are influenced by ShadowRun RPG (which I dont really like) but I do like some of the themes that are touched on while finding the grittiness of the setting unpalletable. I'm not very fond of socialist writing yet I really like Time Machine by Wells despite how ardent of a socialist he was. I have been a big fan of Alternate History and Harry Turtledove. I've read some Superhuman genre stories that also fit into other genres and while I liked those stories I doubt that I would have enjoyed them if they had just been limited to the Superhuman genre What can I say about Apocalyptic literature- I absolutely enjoyed "Alas Babylon" but i suspect this genre is best in small doses. Space Opera! Star Wars! your basic RPG with an emphasis on action fits this And the venerable Space Western- Which didn't really seem to have any famous examples till Josh Weeden came along other than our favorite RPG- Star Frontiers. I suppose if I had to choose my favorites it would be military, space opera, and space western with a passing fancy for alternative history I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 March 16, 2011 - 9:30pm | I don't see w00t Science listed........ |
 March 16, 2011 - 9:35pm | I think that my likes when it comes to science fiction would have to be military science fiction, space opera and the apocalyptic catagory though when I think of apocalyptic sci-fi I am not a big fan of superpowered mutants, but more the man trying to rebuild a shattered world type scenarios. "Hey guys I wonder what this does"-Famous last words "Hey guys, I think it's friendly." -Famous last words "You go on ahead, I'll catch up." -Famous last words "Did you here that?" -Famous last words |
 March 17, 2011 - 9:30am | I'm definitely a "Space Opera" or "Space Western" (blurry line indeed) I do also enjoy Time Travel / Alternate History stuff, but not if taken too seriously. (in other words, keep it fun) |
 March 17, 2011 - 10:55am | When I was younger (and really uptight) I enjoyed hard science fiction, but as I got older (and more laidback) I learned to enjoy soft sci-fi - an enjoyment that came with playing 1st ed Gamma World. With that, I also dont mind mixing science with fantasy. My favorite example is Carcosa, as it mixes swords & planets-styled soft science (with Alien Grays, and 50s B-movie tech), sword & sorcery, and Lovecraftian Horror. I also like to mix it up like an 80s cartoon (think Thunadrr the Barbarian, meets Heavy Metal the Movie). I used to like ST:TNG, but I came to hate the idealistic and optimistic stuff, so now I'm into space westerns like Firefly and Han Solo at Star's End. I did not like cyberpunk for years, because my first exposure to "Virtual Reality" was stuff like the Lawnmower Man movie, and Shadowrun did not help much ether (its too AD&D-ish - worst, the happy, clean 2nd ed AD&D). Only recently have discovered classic cyperpunk with Neuromancer and Cyberpunk 2020 (from pirated downloads and the Datafortess 2020 fansite). |
 March 17, 2011 - 8:14pm | I'm not a fan of genres per se, just give me a good story told well and I'm happy. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of
the strong. * Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi |
 March 19, 2011 - 6:37am | I enjoy Space opera, space western, military scifi, and superhuman. And anytime you throw comedy into all the better. Also some good martial arts! |
 March 20, 2011 - 12:40pm | Let's see Genres were invented by book companies so they could "assist" patrons in finding stories of general interest to them. Of course most really good stories could be placed in several catagories. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 March 20, 2011 - 3:05pm | I think I'd be a space opera with militaristic overtones. I think Babylon 5 and Legend of Galactic Heroes easily fits into those genres, LoGH as it didn't just show the prime movers but some of the ground pounders as well. But it was clearly very much a space opera. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
 March 25, 2011 - 3:19pm | I'm kind of with Georgie here... Just give me a good story. However, I do find overly negative settings annoying and depressing. Of course, conflict is what good story is all about, fair enough, but when it gets ridiculously bad then I get turned off. That's why I like SF so much. Other than the Sathar, the Core Four get on with each other quite well, and that order and positive outlook for the Frontier actually creates far more adventure possibilites, when you think about it, than some blown-up irradiated setting. But, to stay with the program, I like "soft" sci-fi, military sci-fi and space opera the best. Space wild west is *possible*, but it has to be done very carefully so as not to be lame. Hard sci-fi is ok, but I don't like being weighed down by scientific crap that I don't understand, and which is explained so poorly that it seems clear to me that no one else understands it, either! |
 March 29, 2011 - 1:00am | I define it differently; As for the other thematic (sub-)genres of Science Fiction (or any other fiction genre), I concur with Georgie, and Imperial Lord, for both reasons explained by Rattraveller, and cited in the provided wikipedia link. I find the categories are often too inconsistently understood, frequently used only as an ad-hoc buzz word to generate interest, or in casual conversation, in an attempt to compare a story for recommended reading with another, that dubiously has a similarly themed element. The Robinsonade and Edisonade's next literary evolution, The "Golden Age" Sci-fi/Atomik Rocketa (or is it a Tsiolkovskonade, Goddarsonade, or Braunsonade). If I say Rocket Ship Galileo, Rocky Jones, Captain Z-Ro, Flash Gordan? Long explanation in place, I am _currently_ interested in Science Fiction that has a Hard Social Science Rocketpunk theme. Though any other sub-genre inclusion is welcome, Military and Space Western/Neo-Frontier types are a plus, but not necessary. Oh humans!!  We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
 April 12, 2011 - 6:59pm | Design, design, design! Is there an "Artistic Concept" catagory? I know this makes me shallow, but if it isn't visually exciting, I lose interest. I blame Star Wars, and years later, various anime. When I was young, I couldn't care less about science. I liked fiction, but I loved visuals. |
April 12, 2011 - 8:38pm | I find myself in a similar boat as shell. Hard science is great for those folks who can make sense of it all, but if I have to reach for a slide-rule or scientific calculator you lost me. I mostly want to develope settings with plausible science, something you can go...well maybe we might come up with that someday, like artificial gravity. I think the most useful role of the real science in science fiction is establishing a baseline from which to grow a new world with new technology. This baseline then helps establish continuity which makes a story work. For example, i hear the groans now, but the reason Star Trek has been around so long is 1. Characters, 2. Story, 3. Setting, 4. Continuity - even if that continuity is technobable it's still consistent. |
April 13, 2011 - 6:19am | Even in a Flash Gordon-style sci-fantasy setting, the "tech" should be consistant. |
April 13, 2011 - 7:31am | Battletech enthusiasts?... oh it was a rhetorical question... sorry. but then, I like Robot-Jox, and Robotech, and Patlabor, and .... and ... and .. etc. just wouldn't want to have the Code Geass suddenly have some Zentradi/Invid invasion tho'... or Stargate Command pulling a bunch of mecha out of some hidden prometheus style project, would totaly screw it up. Some Dr. Who documentary I just caught a peice of mentioned, the creators were trying to make some statment about being able to do do anything with the story, because it's fiction.... and I was thinking, Just because you can dosn't mean you should.... at least I heard the Doctor mention similar wisdom on a few occasions, the character may have been wiser than the creators tho'.... Oh humans!! We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
April 13, 2011 - 5:08pm | Hey, I remember Robot Jox! Lots of fun... and one of only a few sci-fi movies to observe the "no sound in space" rule... (when Alexander blasts Achilles' Mech with a missile...all that is heard is a wonderful punctuation by the musical score!) I never played Battletech, however I did absorb lots of Macross, Gundam, AD Police and Bubblegum Crisis during the "80's" and "90's", which eventually lead me to play games like Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Mekton and CP2020, and the various Fuzion rpg's. Good stuff. Lots of cool designs and fun engineering, but where does it fall in the sci-fi genre spectrum? A bit of Hard Sci-Fi, mixed with some Cyberpunk, sprinkled with some Apocalyptic, Alternate Timeline, and Socio-Political Sci-Fi themes, all wrapped up with Military Sci Fi... I feel right at home here... but I will still sneak back over to Barsoom and Mongo, every so often! |
April 13, 2011 - 6:57pm |
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April 13, 2011 - 8:45pm | Kind of... but I was thinking a bit more along the lines of an "Alex Raymond-meets-Frank Frazetta" kind of thing... but with a little more clothing! |
April 13, 2011 - 9:10pm | I like my sci-fi to have Logik, even if it is a campy green alien sort of Logik. Oh humans!! We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
 April 22, 2011 - 9:05am | Military Scifi is my obsession but the other subgenres all appeal to me as well to an extent. However, I prefer sci-fi that doesn't go to far out of the realm of reality as we know it. All of those deity-like Star Trek antagonists and random BS-gizmo solutions get on my nerves. The more it feels like I could see myself in the protagonist's situation, the more I enjoy the story. John Steakly's "Armor" is a favorite. Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagined), Bladerunner, Aliens, Firefly/Serenity, District 9, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Macross, Star Wars ESB, Halo (not necessarily the game storylines, just the concept), Mass Effect - Excellent (though the games tend to lean too far in the overly epic and therefore unbelievable), Avatar, etc. |
