Science Fiction, also known as Sci Fi or simply SF, is a genre of narratives that address fantastical, but not improbable, events and settings. While the definition of Science Fiction is variable and often contested, there are several important aspects that make a story Science Fiction, rather than similar genres such as Horror or Fantasy. The biggest of these is that imaginary elements must be plausibly derived from in-universe scientific research, technology, or advances, even if they are unlikely or require suspension of disbelief from the reader. For example, H.G. Wells's novella The Time Machine enacts time travel as the result of an invention which follows specific theoretical scientific rules for operation and is needed for the protagonist to return home. However, if the time travel had been achieved by simply touching a magic stone and no explanation or rationalization had been given for how it worked, that would make it Fantasy.
Science Fiction stories often address the question "What if?" and tends to be a genre that invites deep thought and rational examination of the situations and settings. Common elements of Science Fiction include outer space, aliens, alternate dimensions or histories, robots, unique political or societal systems, and especially futuristic technology.
Appeal Factors
The greatest appeal of the Science Fiction genre lies in its story and setting. Stories about space travel or strange dimensions offer escapes and mind puzzles that stories about troubled families and disintegrating relationships cannot. In good Science Fiction, the world building is nearly as important as the plot. The novelty of a colony on the moon requires far more detail in order to be understood, while realistic fiction that takes place in a familiar, established location-- New York, perhaps-- already conforms to known societal and political structures. It is not surprising that Science Fiction lends itself well to serialization; once an engaging world and story is set up, neither author nor reader is eager to leave it! Similarly, collections of short stories are also popular in the genre, providing a variety of different worlds for the reader to travel to.
The tone and language of the stories can vary greatly, depending on the subject matter. Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a very different book than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick; the former is comedic and flippant, while the latter is darker and full of jargon. Both, however, are well loved by fans.
The genre can often lend itself to diversity; characters of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals have been present in Science Fiction for a long time. Dystopian settings and questions regarding the rights of aliens and robots in society are common and function as analogs for discrimination in modern society. As a genre of intellect and speculation that often focuses on outsiders, it is also a genre of subversion and potential enlightenment.
"Hard" Sci Fi vs. "Soft" Sci Fi
A distinction to make between different subgenres of Science Fiction is whether the science featured in the story is "hard" or "soft." The hard sciences are biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy, and hard SF deals with plots derived from these disciplines. The science driving the story must be internally consistant and theoretically plausible, and often great detail is given to explaining exactly how and why the science works as it does. Examples of authors who write hard Sci Fi are Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Larry Niven, Harlan Ellison, and Gwyneth Jones.
Soft science fiction deals with themes relating to the soft (or social) sciences-- psychology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, economics, etc. Usually stories in the soft sciences are less about the exacting technological and scientific detail, but more about the people, the plot, characterizations and literary meaning. Science in the story may be inconsistently applied or require greater suspension of disbelief from the reader. A good example of a soft Science Fiction subgenre is the Dystopian novel, as the oppressive rulers often require technology to subjugate the characters and impressive world building is a key part of the narrative, but the focus of the plot is less on the science behind the curtain and more on the human struggles of the protagonists within the regime. Examples of soft Sci Fi writers include Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Suzanne Collins, Madeline L'Engle, and Phillip K. Dick.
Saricks, J. G. (2009). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago: American Library Association.
