How to Write Science Fiction

...and yet more subgenres.

Metahuman / Superhuman

Supers, enhanced humans, metahumans, superhumans - call them what you will. They are an endless source of new narratives for Science Fiction. Often verging on the edges of fantasy, the whole Superhuman subgenre is tremendously broad. Whether you look at Superman, The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, or The Flash, the softer pseudo-science side of the genre gives rise to characters that have fascinated fans for decades, whether through film and TV, comics, or stories.

As a genre, it can be very clichéd sometimes with genetic mutation, radioactive alteration, and bites or serums often used as the method of ‘gifting’ special abilities to the main characters. These abilities can be physical, mental, or some combination of the two.

In these stories, the hero (or heroine) is nearly always beset by doubt, a flaw, or a specific weakness that will allow their nemesis to almost beat them, but the Hero of the story will usually win, even if they are scarred from the encounter. Groups of Superhumans are all common within the genre, and the interaction, and even co-dependance of some heroes makes for interesting storylines.

Another common storyline within the genre is where the Superhumans is created for the purposes of military intervention. This and other Superhuman stories can end up delving heavily into the ethics of altering humans, and the discussion of where humans end, and machines begin.

But, whether your Super is altered, enhanced, mutated, or simply a kid in a pair of underpants who’s been bitten by a termite, it can be a fantastic genre to play with, and the Supervillain is as much a part of the story as the Hero.  

Military / Battle / Invasion SciFi

Science Fiction involving military characters and / or a warlike setting tend to rely heavily on use of advanced technology and weaponry. The environments where combat take place can be Earthlike, in space, on ships, on alien planets or environments, or any and all of the above. Each type of warfare may demand different technology, armaments, or strategies, and the environments and battle scenarios will dictate how the scenes in the story are played out.

The militaristic aspects of honour, duty, and courage are often at the forefront of stories in this sub-genre (for example Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers), yet many also focus on the horrific nature of conflict, and ultimate futility of waging war and the losses suffered.

Many stories in this subgenre cross over into the softer subgenre of Space Opera (Ender’s Game, Star Wars - see subgenre Space Opera below), and in the film industry such stories are often heavily endowed with laser effects, lightspeed capable travel, and massive fleets of spacecraft.

Space Western

One of the more unusual genres, Space Western, recreates the frontier feel of the American ‘Wild’ West, but utilises the great unknown of space exploration as its canvas.

Mavericks, lawlessness, the lone gunman, the long arm of the law, and frontier life are all explored in this genre with endless scope for world creation.

Probably the best (in my opinion), and most well regarded example of this subgenre is the television series Firefly, and its film-length continuation, Serenity. It has everything; the frontier worlds, exploration, a guy with a gun slung low on one hip, a maverick group of outcasts, a hero who fought for the ‘wrong’ side in a Civil War, and—of course—a smidgen of Science Fiction.

As a subgenre, Space Western has remarkable scope for exploration though, and writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert A. Heinlein, and Andre Norton, are all credited with writing in the genre. Space Western as a genre can be as gritty and hard-beaten as the original Wild West frontier, and is great fun to write.

Space Opera

Space Opera is a subgenre of Science Fiction which tends towards the romantic or softer, pseduo-science side of SciFi. In film in particular it can rely heavily on melodrama, and on individuals set on putting things ‘right’. But, due to its setting, it tends to utilise climactic battle scenes, and technologically advanced weaponry and equipment to bring the story to a close (Star Wars is a prime example).

As with operatic performance on stage, everything tends to be larger than life, loud, in your face, and on a grand scale. It can be a joy to read, write, and watch, but the ‘science’ involved can often be taken with a pinch of salt.

Space Opera is a term which has been seen as almost derogatory in the past, and some still use it to indicate a poorer quality of Science Fiction. But, as I’ve stressed before, SciFi is a broad genre and I prefer to think of Space Opera as a more fun side of SciFi. It’s not over ‘til the Wookie sings after all.

The Punks

The subgenres listed above tend to be the larger, or more explored genres, but others are gaining traction all the time. The lovely folk at ForbiddenPlanet (see Dedication) have listed countless more for your enjoyment, but we’re going to draw the line with a few Punks, as this is the tip of the iceberg. The more you get into the genre, and subgenres, the more you can explore the boundaries yourself, and maybe even invent your own.

The most well-known type of Punk fiction is Steampunk. Steampunk Science Fiction typically features steam-powered machinery, and, more often that not, is inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century.

Stories are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century's British Victorian era, but writers of the genre have also explored the American "Wild West", post-apocalyptic futures where steam power has regained mainstream use, or, in a more sci-fantasy context, where steam power rules over technology.

One of the most fascinating traits of the genre is the reinvention of ‘modern’ technologies or retro-futuristic inventions, with the progression of steam technology through into the modern day. This means that steam permeates the society through its technological advances, with its culture, architecture, music and social background all influenced and shaped by steam power.

The technology itself may include fictional machines like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the books of modern authors like Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld, Stephen Hunt, and China Miéville. Parallel Victorian type technologies such as airships are also heavily explored in the genre, and examples of analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Babbage's Analytical Engine are also present.

Steampunk often incorporates elements from the genres of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, alternate history, or other branches of speculative fiction, and it’s possibly the most hybrid genre in the spectrum of what is regarded as Science Fiction.

With the rise of Steampunk, other ‘Punks’ have also been spawned, and apart from the more well known ones like Dieselpunk, Clockpunk, and Cyberpunk, we also have examples of Bio, Nano, Green and Stone punks, and the list appears to be lengthening daily.

This is where I’m going to have to curtail the exploration of subgenres for now, as The Punks in particular are an ever-expanding list of weird, wonderful, and eccentric sub genres.

And Finally, the Main Genres

Ultimately, whatever genre you write, it can, and probably should, have elements of other genres in it, whether that be romance, comedy, fantasy, historical fiction or any other genre you can think of. All fiction revolves around its characters and setting, and how those characters interact with each other and their environment will drive your story.

Science Fiction is a wonderful genre, but if you include elements of other genres too, you can create a story with great depth, and a wonderfully rich panoply of deep characters and scenarios.

And that all comes under the construction of your story, which is where we venture next.