Science Fiction Literature

This is an introduction to the genre of science fiction, its history, its place in literature, and its current practice. We will define the genre, mention many of the sub-genres, and provide an overview of the history of science fiction.

We will focus especially on the authors whose work staked out the territory, those who have become masters in the field, and we will work to cover authors who are currently writing in the genre and expanding its frontiers today.

Throughout, please bear in mind that many works are written in more than one sub-genre at a time, so the lines can be blurry. For example, an author writing for young adults can also be writing in the Lost Worlds genre too.

There is a large quantity of good science fiction being written by authors in languages other than English. With the exception of Jules Verne, most English speakers would be challenged to name even one of these other authors.

Since this is intended as textbook, we will include discussion questions, and suggest exercises to help the student and teacher, master the material. We will also include suggestions for further reading.

Sub-genres of Science Fiction (Titles are examples only). Entries [in square brackets] represent well known film/TV adaptations.
1. Adventure ([Ready Player One]/Two, Rendezvous With Rama)
  1. Lost Worlds (Cadwal Chronicles, Dragonriders of Pern, Pax / Astra)
  2. Military SF (Berserkers, Ender Wiggins [Ender's Game], Hammers Slammers, Honor Harrington, Northworld, The Forever War)
  3. Soldiers of Fortune (John Grimes, Matador)
  4. New Frontiers (Cluster, the Ship series)
  5. Planetary Exploration and Colonization (Engines of God, Gaea, the Grand Tour, the Mars Trilogy, [The Martian], Artemis, The Martian Chronicles)
  6. Space Opera ([Dune] series, [Foundation] series, Lensmen series, Vorkosigan Saga, A Fire Upon The Deep, Revelation Space series, Gateway)
  7. New Space Opera (The Culture series, Xeelee, Viriconium, The Night's Dawn trilogy, The Gap series, Leviathan Wakes+ [The Expanse], The Collapsing Empire)
2. Alien Beings
  1. First Contact ([Contact], Childhood's End, Skylark series, Slaughterhouse-Five)
  2. Alien Societies (Cheela, Mission Earth, Helliconia series)
  3. Interspecies Relations (Saga of the Exiles, Sector General, Way Station, The Mote in God's Eye, Skylark series, [The Man Who Fell to Earth])
  4. Alien Invasion and Occupation (Colonization series, Dahak, [The War of The Worlds], Footfall, The Color Out of Space, Battlefield Earth, The Day of The Triffids)
3. Anthropology / Sociology (Neanderthal Parallax Trilogy, Doomsday Book)
4. Alternate History (Guns of the South, Worldwar/Colonization series)
5. Bleak Futures and Dystopias
  1. Ecological Disasters (Earth Abides, Battle Circle, Jenny Casey trilogy, Jerry Cornelius, Obernewtyn Chronicles, Termination Shock)
  2. Nuclear / Post-Apocolypse (A Canticle for Leibowitz, Xenogenesis, Endworld, [The Postman], Lucifer's Hammer, SeveNeveS, The Road, [World War Z], [I am Legend])
  3. Dystopian ([1984], Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, [The Children of Men], [The Handmaid's Tale], [The Hunger Games] series, [A Clockwork Orange], A Scanner Darkly)
6. Hard Science (Spiderworld, Project Hail Mary, [The Andromeda Strain], Blindsight, The Terminal Man)
7. Technology (Chobits, Legacy of the Aldenata, Instrumentality, [iRobot], Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [Blade Runner/2049], [Jurassic Park])
8. Science Fantasy (John Carter of Mars [John Carter], Jules Verne’s stories, [His Dark Materials] series, [Wicked], Frankenstein, Out of The Silent Planet, American Gods)
9. Humor (Stainless Steel Rat, [Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy], Old Man's War series, Flatland)
10. Love and Romance (Tower and the Hive, [The Time Traveller's Wife])
11. Mystery and Detectives (Elijah Bailey, Greg Mandel, In Death, Ukiah Oregon, [Altered Carbon], [Sphere], The Caves of Steel, The Sirens of Titan, The Demolished Man)
12. Social Criticism (Transmetropolitan, The Lathe of Heaven, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Chrysalids, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress)
  1. Sex and Gender Roles (Uglies, The Left Hand of Darkness, Time Enough for Love)
  2. Political ([The Man in the High Castle], [Starship Troopers])
  3. Religion (Left Behind, Hyperion Cantos, Anathem, Lord of Light)
13. Species Evolution (Amber series, Beggars trilogy, Wildcards, The Uplift War)
14. Cyberpunk (Neuromancer, Snow Crash, The Stars My Destination, The Diamond Age)
15. World Versions (Eon, Ilium)
16. Young Adult / Children's (Witch World, Ember, early Heinlein, [A Wrinkle in Time], [Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children], [The Maze Runner] series, [Holes], Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club)
17. Short Stories (Story of Your Life [Arrival], The [Minority Report], The Sentinel [2001: A Space Odyssey], We Can Remember It for Your Wholesale [Total Recall])
18. Graphic Novels ([Watchmen])
19. Comics (Letter 44)
National and World Literatures
1. Soviet / Russian
  1. We (Yevgeny Zamyatin)
2. French
  1. [Planet of the Apes] (Pierre Boulle)
  2. The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne)
3. Scandinavian
4. Japanese
  1. [Battle Royale] (Koushun Takami)
  2. [Godzilla] (Shigeru Kayama)
5. German
6. East European
  1. [Solaris] (Stanislaw Lem, Poland)
7. Spanish speaking
8. China
  1. Remembrance of Earth's Past [3 Body Problem] (Liu Cixin)
9. Other World SF literature
  1. Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction (Ed: Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, et al)
Venues for Publication of Science Fiction Literature and Future Trends
1. Professional Magazines and Publishers
2. Fanzines and Amateur Publications
Recognition and Awards
1. Hugo Award
2. Nebula Award
3. Locus Award
4. Robert A. Heinlein Award
5. Arthur C. Clarke Award

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