Intro
Whatever genre you find yourself reading frequently, we can all agree that science fiction, or sci-fi, has created monstrously influential works over the ages. By the end of this blog post, you will learn more about this genre of writing, alongside some writing prompts to get you inspired!
What is Science Fiction?
Science Fiction is different from fantasy in the sense that the imagined inventions, worlds, and problems are plausible in the real world. Authors explore possible outcomes in technology and society by relying on science and logic. Think robots, aliens, computers that have consciousness, and surgens bringing people back from the dead.
According to the Britannica article “Science Fiction” this genre has been cemented by
“prophetic warnings, utopian aspirations, elaborate scenarios for entirely imaginary worlds, titanic disasters, strange voyages, and political agitation of many extremist flavours, presented in the form of sermons, meditations, satires, allegories, and parodies—exhibiting every conceivable attitude toward the process of techno-social change, from cynical despair to cosmic bliss.”
Inspired to become exposed to this genre? Check out the short story “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” by Harlan Ellison, which is only 11 pages long, uncovering heavy themes of the harm artificial intelligence can inflict on a society.
When Was the Genre Invented
Many scholars argue about which story was the first to be classified as science fiction. Although it is common to say Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein was the first science fiction novel, the true winner dates back further than 1818. Lucian’s A True Story, written in 2nd century A.D., is about people flying on birds and visiting the moon, which, according to the Medium’s article “The History of Science Fiction: Beginnings,” is the first
“because it features space or the ‘heavens’, as they were understood, it could be seen as early planetary exploration.”
As we know, Science Fiction explores realistic possibilities through the lens of scientific theories. This story contains the first example of a new world, in this instance space, before we had the technology to discover it deeply.
The Various Genres of Science Fiction
Like all genres, there are subgenres as a way to categorize. According to MasterClass article “What Is Science Fiction Writing? Definition and Characteristics of Science Fiction Literature,” there are 8 genres: fantasy, supernatural, utopian, dystopian, space opera, space western, cyberpunk, and steampunk.
- Fantasy: based on mythology and folklore
- Supernatural: characters with hidden knowledge or abilities
- Utopian: ideal/perfect societies
- Dystopian: problematic societies
- Space Opera: takes place in outer space
- Space Western: involves themes from the western genre
- Cyberpunk: advanced technology in a broken society
- Steampunk: involves steampowered machinery
Inspirational Authors
As Science Fiction evolves, many notable authors have grown in fame, expanding the genre and advancing its popularity.
- Mary Shelly
- H.G. Wells
- Aldous Huxley
- H.P. Lovecraft
- Arthur C. Clarke
- Ray Bradbury
- Octavia E. Butler
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- William Gibson
- Orson Scott Card
- Anne McCaffrey
Interested in reading some classic science fiction novels and exposing yourself to new authors? Check out Goodreads lists.
Science Fiction Writing Prompts
After learning more about the genre, here are two questions to consider?
- Have you or will you read a novel in this genre?
- Would you write a science fiction story?
Now, you’re ready to start writing. Here are some prompts below to get the wheels turning. If you are unsure of how writing prompts work, go to this blog post below to understand before you start.
- They turned their heads slowly. The voice spoke again. The only other object surrounding them was a black pair of glasses collecting dust.
- Out the window, the mechanical birds were calling. Their squawks sounded like robotic sirens.
- She lifted her sleeve, revealing a metal pitchfork attached at the elbow. She must have stabbed it in there long ago, for you could see the healed trauma encircling it.
- He decided to grab a quick chat with his compadre before heading back into the rocket.
- “I present the flying squirrel, a mix between an eastern grey squirrel and a barn owl. We will now have flying rodents that can survive by staying off the chemically intoxicated ground.”
- One alien made a hand motion, somehow signaling all three hundred soldiers to remove their helmets and breathe Earth’s air.
- They were taking longer to come back from their office, and she started to notice the additional clothing he wore now. Interestingly, he never had his arms exposed since he told us he was studying the DNA of reptiles.
- The abandoned lab smelled like sewer water and sweat. The lights started to flicker once they approached the mysterious mass hiding under a dusty sheet.
- She steadied herself against the wall, feeling her back and hands become sticky. She tried to rub them clean off her pants before realizing they were stuck there.
- Today, they invaded the new territory on Mars. Everyone went to their section in the data center and plugged their brain into their computer before hearing the BEEP of their robot syncing up.
- “I told you. I can’t read. No one can. That’s what our online assistants are for.”
- In the heat of it all, you could still hear the faint screaming of his child five hundred yards away. His body was frozen, and his eyes widened to golfballs, as the twenty-foot-tall birds pecked at the fresh corpses around them.
- On a planet where there is one gender of identical aliens, a scientist decides to experiment with the laws of anatomy.
- “ONE, TWO, THREE! NOW!” They grabbed each other’s hands before jumping into the spiraling beam of light, waking up in Antarctica, which was now an ocean of warm water and extinct life.
- Before lingering with his gaze too long, he grabbed his weapon and turned away. “That was the first woman I’ve seen IN YEARS,” He muttered.
- Despite their warnings, he decided to see for himself the last tree ever being cut down just across the junkyard of leftover bomb remains.
- She grabbed the flash drive and jammed it in the back of her head. The white office before her transformed into a beach party that happened just three years prior.
- “Why do you have a twin?” She tried to remain calm while unwillingly remembering the heinous things she had done to this identical copy of her servant. Only this one had metal hands and unblinking eyes.
- He took a walk outside after putting on his helmet, pumping air into his lungs. The robotic birds buzzed at him. The crossbreeds of rodentia and reptiles slithered and jumped near his feet.
- An overwhelming feeling of hatred filled her looking at her late husband and his proud invention. This…thing was another woman- one that couldn’t say no.
- How beautiful it all was! The air was crisp, not a piece of trash was in sight, and no buildings stood within this utopia.
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