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.[1][2][3] Exploring the consequences of such innovations is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".[4]
What is science fiction?
Main article: Science fiction
- Definitions of science fiction: Science fiction includes such a wide range of themes and subgenres that it is notoriously difficult to define.[5] Accordingly, there have been many definitions offered.
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 of science fiction
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
- Soft science fiction—focus on human characters and their relations and feelings, while de-emphasizing the details of technological hardware and physical laws
Characteristics
Main article: List of science fiction themes
Themes related to science, technology, space and the future, as well as characteristic plots or settings include:
- Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction
- Biopunk — centered around genetic engineering and biotechnology, 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 — 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
- Dying Earth science fiction
- Military science fiction
- 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 high technology or other science fiction elements
- Time travel
- Space colonization
- Space opera — emphasizes romantic adventure, exotic settings, and larger-than-life characters
- Spy-fi
- 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
- Gay/lesbian science 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
Main article: Genre fiction
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.
Related genres
Science fiction by country
- Australian
- Bengali
- Canadian
- Chilean
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
- Estonian
- French
- Japanese
- Norwegian
- Poland
- Romanian
- Russian
- Serbian
- Spanish
History of science fiction
Main article: History of science fiction
Elements of science fiction
Further information: List of science fiction themes
Character elements in science fiction
Plot elements in science fiction
Plot devices in science fiction
Setting elements in science fiction
The setting is the environment in which the story takes place. 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
Cultural setting elements
- Political ideas in science fiction
- Religious ideas in science fiction
- Religion in speculative fiction
- Xenology
Sex and gender in science fiction
Technology in science fiction
Main articles: Fictional technology and List of science fiction themes § Technologies
- Computer technology
- Transportation
- Weapons in science fiction
- Resizing
- Simulated reality in fiction
- Space warfare in fiction
Themes in science fiction
Main article: List of science fiction themes
Works of science fiction
Science fiction art
Science fiction literature
Science fiction novels
Science fiction short stories
Venues for science fiction short stories
Science fiction video
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
Science fiction in academia
- Science fiction studies
- Science fiction and fantasy journals
- Science fiction libraries and museums
Science fiction subculture
- Science fiction conventions
- Science fiction fandom
- Science fiction organizations
Science fiction awards
The science fiction genre has a number of recognition awards for authors, editors and illustrators.[6] Awards are usually granted annually.
International awards
- Hugo Award—since 1955—General Science Fiction
- Nebula Award—since 1965—General Science Fiction
- Edward E. Smith Memorial Award (the Skylark)—since 1966
- BSFA Award—since 1970—British Science Fiction
- Seiun Award—since 1970—Japanese Science Fiction
- Locus Award—since 1971—SciFi / Fantasy / New Authors (separate awards)
- Saturn Award—film and television SF—since 1972
- John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel—since 1973
- Rhysling Award—for best science fiction poetry, given by the Science Fiction Poetry Association—since 1978
- Parsec Award—since 2006
- Philip K. Dick Award—since 1982
- Arthur C. Clarke Award—since 1987
- Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short science fiction—since 1987
- Robert A. Heinlein Award—since 2003
Nationality-specific awards
- Aurealis Award—Australian
- Prix Aurora Awards—for Canadian science fiction
- Chandler Award—for contributions to Australian Science fiction
- The Constellation Awards—for the best SF/fantasy film or television works released in Canada
- Ditmar Award—for SF by Australians
- Endeavour Award—for SF by Pacific Northwest author(s)
- Janusz A. Zajdel Award—award of Polish fandom
- Kitschies—for speculative fiction novels published in the UK
- Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis—German SF award
- Nautilus Award—Polish award
- Paul Harland Prize—for Dutch SF
- Prix Jules-Verne—France 1927–1933 and 1958–1963
- Prix Tour-Apollo Award—France since 1972
- SFERA Award—given by SFera, a Croatian SF society
- Sir Julius Vogel Award—for SF by New Zealanders
- Stalker Award – for the best Estonian SF novel, given out on Estcon by Eesti Ulmeühing, the Estonian SF society.
- Tähtivaeltaja Award—for the best SF novel released in Finland
- TBD Science Fiction Story Award — Turkey
- Premio Urania—for Italian SF
- The Galaxy Awards (银河奖)—given by magazine Science Fiction World for Chinese SF&F
- SRSFF Award[7][8]—România
Themed awards
- Prometheus Award—best libertarian SF—since 1979
- Lambda Literary Award—since 1988
- Tiptree Award—since 1991
- Golden Duck Awards—best children's SF—since 1992
- Sidewise Award for Alternate History—since 1995
- Gaylactic Spectrum Awards—since 1999
- Geffen Award—Israeli award—since 1999
- Norton Award—San Francisco—since 2003[9]
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards—since 2009[10]
New artists / first works
- Writers of the Future—contest for new authors
- Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist
- John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
- Compton Crook Award For Best first Novel in the genre in a given year.
Career awards
- Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award—associated with the Nebula
Persons influential in science fiction
Creators of science fiction
Science fiction artists
Creators of science fiction literature
Science fiction scholars
- Brian Aldiss
- Isaac Asimov—Asimov on Science Fiction
- Brian Attebery
- Everett 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
See also
References
- ↑ "Science fiction - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ↑ "Definition of science fiction noun from Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ↑ "science fiction definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta". encarta.msn.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ↑ Marg Gilks, Paula Fleming, and Moira Allen (2003). "Science Fiction: The Literature of Ideas". WritingWorld.com.
- ↑ For example, Patrick Parrinder comments that "[d]efinitions of science fiction are not so much a series of logical approximations to an elusive ideal, as a small, parasitic subgenre in themselves." Parrinder, Patrick (1980). Science Fiction: Its Criticism and Teaching. London: New Accents.
- ↑ http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/index.html
- ↑ SRSFF
- ↑ srsff.ro
- ↑ Silver, Steven H. (1 October 2003) "First Annual Norton Awards Presented" SF Site News, last accessed 20 October 2010
- ↑ Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards, official website
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
- (Russian) Ковтун Е. Н. Художественный вымысел в литературе 20 века. — Высшая школа, 2008. — 1500 экз. — ISBN 978-5-06-005661-7.
- (Russian) Жанры — рубрика журнала «Мир фантастики»
- (Russian) Вячеслав Бабышев Внешние и внутренние жанры фантастики // Уральский следопыт. — 2014. — № 11 (689). — С. 81-84.
- (Russian) Жанры фантастики на Фантлабе.
- (Russian) Классификация фантастики на сайте «Фэнта Зиландия».
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