Science in science fiction
Encyclopedia
Science in science fiction is the study of how science is portrayed in works of science fiction. It covers a large range of topics, since science takes on many roles in science fiction. Hard science fiction
is based on engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry), whereas soft science fiction
is based on the "soft" sciences, and especially the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, and so on).
Likewise, the accuracy of the science portrayed spans a wide range - sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a far-out technology, and sometimes it is simply a plot device that looks scientific, but has no basis in science. Examples are:
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
is based on engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry), whereas soft science fiction
Soft science fiction
Soft science fiction, or soft SF, like its complementary opposite hard science fiction, is a descriptive term that points to the role and nature of the science content in a science fiction story...
is based on the "soft" sciences, and especially the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, and so on).
Likewise, the accuracy of the science portrayed spans a wide range - sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a far-out technology, and sometimes it is simply a plot device that looks scientific, but has no basis in science. Examples are:
- Realistic case: In 1944, the science fiction story Deadline by Cleve CartmillCleve CartmillCleve Cartmill was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy short stories. He is best remembered for what is sometimes referred to as "the Cleve Cartmill affair", when his 1944 story "Deadline" attracted the attention of the FBI by reason of its detailed description of a nuclear weapon...
depicted the atomic bomb. This technology was real, unknown to the author. - Extrapolation: Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
wrote about space elevatorSpace elevatorA space elevator, also known as a geostationary orbital tether or a beanstalk, is a proposed non-rocket spacelaunch structure...
s, basically a long cable extending from the Earth's surface to geosynchronous orbitGeosynchronous orbitA geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
. While we cannot build one today, it violates no physical principles. - Plot device: The classic example of an unsupported plot device is faster-than-light drive. It is unsupported by physics as we know it, but needed for galaxy-wide plots with human lifespans.
Hard science in science fiction
- Kinetic energy weapons in science fiction
- Planets in science fictionPlanets in science fictionPlanets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media, especially those of the science fiction genre, as story-settings or depicted locations.-History:...
- Time travel in science fiction
- Technology in Science FictionTechnology in Science FictionTechnology in science fiction has helped create many common topics found in science fiction today. There have been authors who have taken innovations and have elaborated and created what they thought future technology would be and how it would be used. Today, new technology has brought about new...
- Portals in science fictionPortals in science fictionA portal in science fiction and fantasy is a magical or technological doorway that connects two distant locations separated by spacetime. It usually consists of two or more gateways, with an object entering one gateway leaving via the other instantaneously....
- Weapons in science fictionWeapons in science fictionStrange and exotic weapons are a recurring theme in science fiction. In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now been made a reality...
- Materials science in science fictionMaterials science in science fictionMaterial science in science fiction is the study of how materials science is portrayed in works of science fiction. The accuracy of the materials science portrayed spans a wide range – sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a...
Social science in science fiction
- Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction
- Religious ideas in science fictionReligious ideas in science fictionScience fiction works often present explanations, commentary or use religious themes to convey a broader message. The use of religious themes in the SF genre varies from refutations of religion as primitive or unscientific, to creative explanations and new insights into religious experience and...
- Women in science fiction
- Gender in speculative fiction
- Reproduction and pregnancy in speculative fiction
- Political ideas in science fictionPolitical ideas in science fictionThe exploration of politics in science fiction is arguably older than the identification of the genre. One of the earliest works of modern science fiction, H. G...
- World government in science fictionWorld government in science fictionIn both science fiction and utopian/dystopian fiction, authors have made frequent use of the age-old idea of a global state and, accordingly, of world government.- Overview :...