Popular elements of science fiction

Science fiction (SF) is a genre growing in popularity through both novels and movies. Even though it has a very small target group, it manages to satisfy and impress everyone within that target group. Here are a few subgenres that are pretty commonly addressed in SF.

• Contents hide

  1 Time travel

  2 Space opera

  3 Superhuman

  4 Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic

  5 Modern science fiction

  Time travel

This is one of the most interesting topics in SF. Any script based on time travel must be well built and must be consistent without loopholes.The grandfather paradox is the classic topic often touched upon in time travel and never manages to disappoint the one reading the story or viewing the film. A topic rich with endless possibilities and consequences, this sure is the most popularly known, intriguing subgenre of science fiction.

• Space opera
  

  Bored of living on planet earth? This is adventure science fiction set mainly or entirely in outer space or on sometimes distant planets. Space opera gives you a feel of what you can expect about life in other planets. Space exploration because of a rotting and slowly dying planet earth sounds like a highly probable setting of such stories. Just as in these stories how the planet slowly dies, this field of science fiction as well, hasn’t been doing any good lately, constantly overshadowed by vibrant and energetic genres that make space opera look too simple. These are the kind of stories that can be read/watched once, with no thoughts to take back home. Simple subgenre and easily understandable.

• Superhuman
  

  It is obvious that superhero movies are the ones that have the greatest peer group. The subgenre that is easiest to write also has endless possibilities to attribute content to the script. These are often termed as low-grade science fiction as they are not built up upon proper theories. They are much famous as comics and superhero movies. These stories usually focus on the alienation that these beings feel as well as society’s reaction to them. This subgenre is closely interconnected with another popular subgenre: Biopunk.The main underlying theme within these stories is the attempt to change the human body and engineer humans for specific purposes through enhancements in genetic and molecular makeups. Many examples of this subgenre include subjects such as human experimentation, the misuse of biotechnology and synthetic biotechnology.

• Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic

The human civilization is coming to an end because of war, pandemic, astronomic impact, ecological disaster, or some other general disaster. This is the cliché setting for an apocalypse. The introduction of zombies seems to be a popular choice for such plots as it combines science fiction with horror. Not a fan of movies or books? Apocalyptic science fiction is quite popular in the field of gaming too. Post-apocalypse deals with how the humans struggle to start a civilization soon after an apocalypse the reason for which remains hidden most of the time.

• Modern science fiction
  

  Think out of the box by putting a cat in the box. This line summarizes this subgenre. A large variety of concepts emerging from existing theories in quantum mechanics form a basis for the development of such stories. Schrodinger’s cat coupled with Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle squeezes the mind of the well-educated public. ‘Life-changing’: people call it because it makes them question reality and transports them to an uncertain world which doesn’t have a science rulebook to follow. Parallel universes, another intriguing concept forms the other part of this subgenre. A single universe diverges into many from every point where a decision has to be made. These concepts applied to various situations in life gives us a story to remember and cherish.

  Thank you for reading J.