hard science fiction
Scientifically plausible futurism
Hard science fiction is a subgenre that emphasizes scientific accuracy and technical detail.
The science—typically physics, astronomy, or engineering—must be plausible given current knowledge, not merely a backdrop for adventure.
Writers like Arthur C.
Clarke and Kim Stanley Robinson exemplify the form: The novel's orbital mechanics were so precise it qualified as hard science fiction.
Modifying worlds for habitability
- exoplanetsWorlds orbiting other stars
- interstellar travelVoyaging between distant suns
- space colonizationSettling beyond Earth
- first contactHumanity's alien introduction
megastructures · asteroid mining · generation ships · extraterrestrial life
Science of matter and energy
- astronomyScience of celestial objects
- astrophysicsPhysics of celestial bodies
- quantum mechanicsPhysics at nanoscopic scales
- biologyStudy of organisms
chemistry · engineering · cosmology · genetics · neuroscience · orbital mechanics · thermodynamics · relativity
Vehicle for outer space
- nanotechnologyAtomic-scale manipulation science
- roboticsAutomaton design field
- artificial intelligenceMachines mimicking human thought
- fusion powerEnergy from nuclear combination
space elevator · cryonics · propulsion systems · life support · solar sails · generation ships
Seeming likely true
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
- infodumpExcessive explanatory overload
- problem-solvingAddressing challenges methodically
terraforming
Modifying worlds for habitability
- exoplanetsWorlds orbiting other stars
- interstellar travelVoyaging between distant suns
- space colonizationSettling beyond Earth
first contact · megastructures · asteroid mining · generation ships · extraterrestrial life
physics
Science of matter and energy
- astronomyScience of celestial objects
- astrophysicsPhysics of celestial bodies
- quantum mechanicsPhysics at nanoscopic scales
biology · chemistry · engineering · cosmology · genetics · neuroscience · orbital mechanics · thermodynamics · relativity · particle physics
spacecraft
Vehicle for outer space
- nanotechnologyAtomic-scale manipulation science
- roboticsAutomaton design field
- artificial intelligenceMachines mimicking human thought
fusion power · space elevator · cryonics · propulsion systems · life support · solar sails · generation ships
plausibility
Seeming likely true
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
- infodumpExcessive explanatory overload
sense of wonder · problem-solving · peer review · Asimov · Clarke
hard science fictionsoft science fiction
Sci-fi emphasizing social themes
fantasy · science fantasy · space opera · high fantasy · magical realism
hard science fictionsoft science fiction
Sci-fi emphasizing social themes
space opera · literary fiction · romance · action-adventure · soap opera
hard science fictionfantasy
Imaginative mental wandering
science fantasy · slipstream · magic realism · absurdist fiction · dream logic
harden, hardened, hardening, harder, hardest, hardly, hardness, science, sciences