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- It speculates about things that aren’t. “It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible.” - Ray Bradbury. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction.
- It requires science or technology. “If science fiction is the mythology of modern technology, then its myth is tragic.” - Ursula K. Le Guin. This next characteristic might seem obvious, but we need to explore it all the same.
- It warns (but doesn’t preach) about consequences. “Every science fiction movie I have ever seen, any one that’s worth its weight in celluloid, warns us about things that ultimately come true.”
Jun 11, 2024 · Science fiction’s ability to speculate about future possibilities, grounded in scientific plausibility, allows it to explore profound questions about the human condition, our place in the universe, and the potential directions our technological and societal developments might take.
Apr 26, 2024 · What Are the Elements of Science Fiction? Every book genre, whether it be romance, fantasy, horror, crime, or sci fi, has a list of key elements that every writer expects. Without these elements, a book is not conforming to that particular genre, and your reader may be disappointed. So here are the 10 science fiction elements that every good ...
- “What If?”
- An Unfamiliar Setting
- Innovative Technology
- Relatable Characters
- Themes About Humanity
Every great science fiction novel explores a “what if” question, which is a hypothetical question that ignites your imagination. Some examples of “what if”s you can explore include: 1. What if scientists created a dangerous creature? (e.g. Frankenstein, Jurassic Park, Splice) 2. What if aliens landed on Earth? (e.g. E.T., Story of Your Life, Contac...
World buildingis an exciting component of writing a science fiction story. You can set your sci-fi novels in an alternate time, an alternate place, or both. If you want to choose an alternate time, you could use a real place on Earth as a starting point, such as Seattle, Paris, or Beijing, and then imagine what that place would be like in a differe...
Many science fiction stories include speculative technology that readers have never imagined before. If you’re writing present-day, alternate history, or near-future science fiction, you might want to take forms of advanced technology that we already have today and push them to the extreme. For example, the TV show Black Mirroroften deals with soci...
Creating relatable, three-dimensional characters is more than just one of the science fiction characteristics—it’s the key to any good story. However, science fiction is unique because not all characters have to be humans. Many sci-fi protagonists are aliens, robots, or something else entirely. The key is to make the characters relatable to the rea...
A great science fiction story can show us what it means to be human. Each subgenre of science fiction literature is ripe for exploring different themes. Apocalyptic stories, such as The Stand, show the dark side of human nature and the things people will do to survive. Alien stories, such as Star Wars, show fear of the “other” and a greater sense o...
Nov 5, 2023 · If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Science fiction incorporates speculative scientific concepts as a key storytelling element, differentiating it from fantasy, horror, and other speculative fiction genres.
Sep 19, 2022 · Science fiction, popularly shortened as sci-fi, is a genre of fiction that creatively depicts real or imaginary science and technology as part of its plot, setting, or theme. The fiction part of science fiction means, of course, that it’s a fictional story—not a real-life account.
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Jul 26, 2018 · Literary and cultural historians describe science fiction (SF) as the premiere narrative form of modernity because authors working in this genre extrapolate from Enlightenment ideals and industrial practices to imagine how educated people using machines and other technologies might radically change the material world.
