Science in science fiction is the study or of how
science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
is portrayed in works of
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
, including novels, stories, and films. It covers a large range of topics.
Hard science fiction is based on engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry).
Soft science fiction is based on the "soft" sciences, and especially the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, of political science).
The accuracy of the science portrayed spans a wide range - sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a realistic or plausible portrayal of a technology that does not exist, but which is plausible from a scientific perspective; and sometimes it is simply a
plot device that looks scientific, but has no basis in science. Examples are:
*Realistic case: In 1944, the science fiction story ''
Deadline'' by
Cleve Cartmill depicted the
atomic bomb.
Atomic Energy Collection Section 15. Fiction, Poetry, Drama, etc., 1912-1989
This technology was real, unknown to the author.
*Extrapolation: Arthur C. Clarke wrote about space elevators, basically a long cable extending from the Earth's surface to geosynchronous orbit. While we cannot build one today, it violates no physical principles.
*Plot device: The classic example of an unsupported plot device is faster-than-light drive, often called a "warp drive". It is unsupported by physics as we know it, but needed for galaxy-wide plots with human lifespans.
Criticism and commentary on how science is portrayed in science fiction is done by academics from science, literature, film studies, and other disciplines; by literary critics and film critics; and by science fiction writers and sci fi fans and bloggers.
Hard science in science fiction
* Planets in science fiction
* Time travel in science fiction
* Weapons in science fiction
* Materials science in science fiction
* Genetics in fiction
Social science in science fiction
* Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction
* Women in science fiction
* Gender in speculative fiction
* Reproduction and pregnancy in speculative fiction
See also
* Category ''Fiction about physics''
* Physics and ''Star Wars''
References
Bibliography
*'' The Science in Science Fiction'' by Brian Stableford, David Langford, & Peter Nicholls (1982)
Science Fiction with Good Astronomy & Physics
{{Science fiction
Fiction about science
Science fiction themes