What is Science fiction: Definition and 94 Discussions

Science fiction (sometimes shortened to sci-fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. It has been called the "literature of ideas", and often explores the potential consequences of scientific, social, and technological innovations.Science fiction, whose roots go back to ancient times, is related to fantasy, horror, and superhero fiction, and contains many subgenres. Its exact definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers.
Science fiction literature, film, television, and other media have become popular and influential over much of the world. Besides providing entertainment, it can also criticize present-day society, and is often said to inspire a "sense of wonder".

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  1. gmax137

    Stephen Coonts, Saucer Series

    I recently picked up Stephen Coonts, "Saucer" at a public library book sale. Have just finished it, a very fast read 340 pages. In another thread I learned: I had no idea that this is a three-book series. I suppose now I will have to find the other two books. It is a good example of...
  2. jedishrfu

    What once was Science Fiction now is Fact

    Today I learned that once again a Star Trek story is soon to become fact: In the story of the M5 computer, human engrams were used to augment a new class of computers to supercede the duotronic ones on the starship Enterprise. Now in real life, we have one based on mouse cells...
  3. Maarten Havinga

    ChatGPT and the movie "I, robot"

    For those who do not know the movie/story: this thread is about whether AI such as chatGPT is - on the long run - a danger to humanity, and why or why not. With its popularity rising so quickly, chatGPT has influence on our societies, and it may be prudent to ponder about them. I, Robot is a...
  4. X

    B Could satellite be geo-stationary away from equatorial plane?

    I hope this is okay to ask here. I'm working on a sci-fi short story, and for the purposes of the story I want to have a small ship that maintains its position over a specific location on the Earth's surface. Originally, I thought this would be easy. After all, that's what geostationary...
  5. DennisN

    Dune (2021) movie discussion (incl. spoilers)

    This is a thread for discussing the SF movie Dune (2021). Please post your opinions and reviews of the movie here, which may contain spoilers. There will be spoilers in this thread so please don't read it if you haven't seen the movie and don't like it spoiled! My short review: I really liked...
  6. BWV

    Is Science Fiction really a genre?

    So is Science Fiction really a separate genre, or just a way to create a new setting for existing genres (action, war, sea stories, spy, westerns, horror, epic fantasy etc)?
  7. DennisN

    Collection of Science Fiction jokes

    I recently saw some very funny memes about Star Wars (which I'll post below), so I thought about starting a thread about jokes about science fiction, e.g. SF movies. Please share funny jokes, pictures and memes about SF and their stories in this thread. And, yes, I know, I'm such a huge SF...
  8. The Bill

    The real 2020 as a 1980s science fiction story?

    What could a good science fiction writer of the 1980s have made with details consistent with the real world of 2020? So, fictional cahracters, but with technology and broad events the same as what's happened this year? Which author would you think would have made the most entertaining stories...
  9. Quotidian

    EMP in Science Fiction

    I'm a sometime visitor here over the years, and have posted a few questions about philosophy of physics. But I'm now working on a sci-fi novel - actually the genre is 'hard sci-fi', that is, sci fi with a realist edge. Which is what leads me here. I have what I consider to be a good idea, but I...
  10. Lars278

    All science fiction movies are wrong

    According to the Drake Equation there are probably 10,000 communicable civilizations in the Milky Way at the same level of development as the human civilization on Earth or even more advanced. And if there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe there should be 10^15 communicable civilizations...
  11. M

    Which of these would be the hardest to do (based on known science)?

    Hardest to do in the real world AND hardest to do in the Star Wars universe so two. They can also be the same one. 1.) SQUID like device- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.engadget.com/amp/2009/07/31/movie-gadget-friday-strange-days/ 2.) Mind scanner- Something that can scan an organic beings...
  12. X

    Writing: Input Wanted Questions about Rovers

    Alright, so I'm a screenwriter and I've come across a problem; scientific accuracy. I'm not very smart in terms of science, so I need a little help. The premise of the story goes like this; A group of NASA scientists send a rover up to Europa. It gives them video footage, and they can control...
  13. Lren Zvsm

    Slightly More Plausible Barriers Than Force Fields

    I am contemplating writing a science fiction story involving flexible barriers that can be erected in a very short time. Force fields are pervasive in science fiction, but from what little I've read, they're not very plausible. Is there a flexible material, or class of materials, that...
  14. ZapperZ

    Artificial Gravity in Science Fiction

    We get this type of question now and then, even in the main physics forums. One such question in the Sci Fi forum is from this one: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/what-is-the-largest-possible-rotating-wheel-space-station.950770/ So I don't know of people have seen this video from a few...
  15. P

    Quantum Locking and the Earth's Magnetic Field

    Don't know if this is the right place to post this, but it seemed like the best place to start. I'm wondering how much stronger would the Earth's magnetic field need to be in order to make quantum levitation using Earth's magnetic field alone a possibility. Bonus: Effects the change in strength...
  16. hsdrop

    Physics science fiction?

    I have a fun idea that I would love to get outside input on to help character building. What if the laws of our universe were beings that keep the laws in place by being them: like entropy, gravity, or electromagnetism? I'm not looking so much for how that would look but more personalities of...
  17. F

    Need Forum for Outlandish Science Ideas

    Hello, Does anyone know of a science forum that deals with far out, controversial theories & ideas? This would be similar to the science fiction forum here at PF but may even be more outlandish, however postings would receive serious consideration. I have made some simple animations that I...
    • forex10
    • Thread
    • Animation Electronics Forum Graphics Ideas Physics Science Science fiction
    • Replies: 3
    • Forum: General Discussion
  18. W

    Writing: Input Wanted Alternative energy sources? How about photons?

    I'm looking to get into the realm of science fiction writing and am currently working out how the main "SciFi energy source" works in this world I'm trying to make. Fusion reactors are the obvious go-to, but I wanted to get creative, that said: how plausible/effective would it be to directly...
  19. RosutoTakeshi

    Superman created virtual particles?

    Comic is Superman/Batman #80 Superman explains that virtual particles are always spontaneous generated And that he's using his heat vision to (excite) the vacuum in order to accelerate the process. He's generating more virtual particles So my question is, how much energy or heat did...
  20. S

    I Mysterious Agent Blows Up Moon: Can Earth Survive?

    Story in brief: An unknown agent blows up the moon, initially into 7 major pieces and a bunch of little ones. The pieces are gravitational bound, but collisions between the pieces continues the break up process. Stephanson postulates that the number of pieces reaching the Earth's atmosphere...
  21. B

    Research for Science Fiction Story

    I'm researching a topic for a sci-fi story. One of the elements is a "space glove", basically a network of nets that "catch" rods of ballistic projectiles launched from the peaks of mountains by railgun. Any comments or insights would be helpful. Here is a data dump of my scribblings on the...
  22. Aaron1947

    Quantum entanglement: need ideas for creative writing....

    So I'm working on a creative writing exercise, and I need some ideas. It's futuristic science fiction, set about 100 years in the future. The plot in a nutshell is that a rogue element of the government (think DARPA, only more evil) is trying to develop faster than light communication using...
  23. Carlos PdL SdT

    Airflow speed into vacuum

    I have a weird question here. At what speed does air flow from a pressurized container at one atm into vacuum (rupture in ISS for example). I was watching the Martian and I wanted to see how much deltaV Mark Wattney can get by puncturing his suit, so I did my homework and saw that the spacesuit...
  24. GW150914

    I What would the world be like if c→∞ and h=0?

    What would the world be like if the speed of light is infinity and the Planck constant is zero (therefore the world is totally Newtonian)?
  25. Hoverdasher

    Rules for Buckyballs

    I am completing a science fiction novel. The novel takes place in a universe that is twin to ours. Two children and a bitter maid--via scientific accident--were scanned and copied through a tear (created by resonance) in the membrane separating this universe and my make believe universe. In...
  26. N

    B Why technology & science progress slow / slower than sci-fi?

    In science fiction (sci-fi), everything seems to be much more 'cool' / cooler than in reality. Space travel (like Interstellar), teleport / teleportation, time travel / time machine, going to another planet / another dimensions / another universes, cell regeneration even to the point of...
  27. hsdrop

    Science fiction stuff that could never happen

    I would not mind hearing about some of the things that we have either read or watched in the sci-fi world that could never happen in real life (pet peeves and/or total imposables) just to have a little fun debunking and setting strate some of the thing that we have all seen that other may...
  28. VNV

    How can you negate impact force?

    In my science fiction universe, I have a small technology called a 'Kinetic Absorption Module'. It's not mentioned very often, but it's a key component of my supersoldiers' armor. How it works is it acts like a shock absorber, but within a small, one inch long by one and a half inch wide...
  29. W

    B Could a parallel universe exist?

    I'm just being introduced to quantum mechanics and physics, and I was wondering if the possibility of a parallel universe could exist. And if so, how do we know? I read some articles about the research done with Australian researchers who theorize that parallel universes do exist and interact...
  30. N

    I Why teleportation, time travel, virtual reality haven't happened yet?

    (I apologize beforehand if I'm asking such an 'amateur' question , I admit that I'm not a physics student / physicist nor scientist / science student ,.. but , as just a 'normal ordinary' person, at least I am very interested in these things ,. and how I deeply wish Humanity / Mankind can 'leap...
    • nikiwonoto
    • Thread
    • Reality Sci-fi Science fiction Teleportation Time Time travel Time traveling Travel Virtual
    • Replies: 13
    • Forum: Other Physics Topics
  31. DCR

    I need some science fiction help

    Hello, all. In my spare time I enjoy writing short stories in various themes. The one I'm currently working on is in the Science Fiction genre—a fairly standard "starships and space exploration" job. I've devised some extensive background for this particular storyverse (I intended these...
  32. writer

    I Time dilation time travel for novel - I need a calculation

    Hi! I've written a novel in which my main character travels through time (into the future) 18 years. While the concept of time travel is necessary to the plot, the details are not. Meaning, the book isn't sci-fi, but contains elements that wouldn't normally exist in a contemporary novel, so...
  33. Khatti

    Science Reading List for Science Fiction Authors

    This question is for the scientists and academics out there. What books on the scientific disciplines do you wish Science Fiction writers would read? I can think of books written by people like Brian Epstein and Michio Kaku. Another source would be textbooks. Anyone out there have any thoughts...
  34. Ogi

    Writing Sci-Fi Story: Creating an Alien World - Help Needed

    Hi, everybody :) I joined this forum because I'm currently writing a sci-fi story and I want to create an alien world that is scientifically correct, but due to my lack of knowledge and experience I'm facing some big troubles. I have a ton of questions(I hope I won't bother you much). So here is...
  35. Toby N

    An Endless Fall: Exploring a Fictional Paradox

    So I'm just really curious and this question is fictional, I'm new so i don't know if this is the right place to post this. Anyway, if there is 2 portal facing each other vertically and a person jump on to it, end up falling forever, i wonders how much could that person reach and is there anyway...
  36. L

    High Speed Transit Help

    Hi everyone, I am an aspiring writer, and I have come here seeking some insight/a second opinion. I recently decided to work on my one novel, a science fiction story, and unlike some other sci-fi writers, I want to make my book as scientifically plausible as I can, without relying on something...
    • LaLiLuLeLo
    • Thread
    • Future High speed Science fiction Space Speed Train Transit Writing
    • Replies: 7
    • Forum: Mechanics
  37. K

    How to defend against lasers?

    Suppose lasers become a common weapon for medium range anti-drone use. Maybe they've gotten too good at dodging gunfire. What kind of laser countermeasures exist? I was thinking, maybe some kind of mist generator to block out vision of the drone. But that would be limited to drones moving at low...
  38. M

    Literary Science Fiction

    An coworker's loves Charles Dickens and reads all sorts of other books with "high literary content". Most science fiction doesn't qualify as great literature. Lots of shallow character development, generally simplistic moral conflicts, etc. Mostly we have good stories in interesting...
  39. X

    Fiction/Nonfiction novel explaining Magnetism?

    Hi, I am new to the forums and thought of asking this question convenient right here. So, I was wondering that we have many novels explaining Astronomy and Particle physics for non physicists or physics enthusiasts. For example books on Biographies of say Einstein go a little deep into his...
  40. B

    Overpowered technology and Murphy's law

    I am going to write a scifi comic and it has technology that we would see in the 22nd century. People have become spacefaring and they have built colonies on the moon and mars. Nanotechnology, robots and AI such as Cortana are commonplace. Extinct species can be cloned along with a lot of other...
  41. I

    Radius and Mass of an Unknown Planet

    About: As a project, I'm trying to solve for the approximate radius and mass of a approximately earth-sized planet, Mann, from Interstellar. According to what was provided, g = 7.84m/s2 The solid part of the planet is composed of a honeycomb of rock and ice The space inside the honeycomb is...
  42. T

    Exomoon in Permenant Shade?

    Hello, thank you for reading my post. For a story I am working on I am wondering about the plausibility of some star and planet configurations. I have done some web research on my own and learned a lot, but for some things I think my vocabulary and knowledge is too limited to search for exactly...
  43. GiantSheeps

    Hard Science Fiction Fans: Recommendations & Farside by Ben Bova

    If anyone else here is a fan of hard science fiction, do you have any recommendations? I just read Farside by Ben Bova and I really enjoyed it, so I'd say it's worth a read if you come across it.
  44. A

    Can an AI write a credible novel with Wikipedia and YouTube?

    I always wanted to create a toolbox of critical analysis tools for young people to analyze, debate, and anticipate the near term future given our human nature and our history, especially since the scientific revolution. This is what my novel is intended to do, but writing a first (crap) edition...
    • aalaniz
    • Thread
    • Ai Automata Engineering Novel Physics Science fiction Singularity Thermodynamics Wikipedia Youtube
    • Replies: 3
    • Forum: General Discussion
  45. S

    Hiring astronomer for science fiction?

    I'd like to hire an astronomer to help me with a writing project (fiction). Do you guys have any tips on how I can go about doing this? The work should be somewhat simple (I would think at least), it involves crafting a fictional galaxy and a few star systems therein. Sorry if this is the...
  46. S

    What are good time travel theories to use for Science Fiction?

    Hello! Sorry, I'm not not exactly sure if this post is in the right thread. But I would just like to ask what time travel theory is appropriate, and hopefully much easier to use, for science fiction? I am planning to write a semi sci-fi short story, and it involves using time travel: to the...
  47. ZapperZ

    VOTE PF Photo Contest - Science Fiction

    This will be an interesting contest to vote on since we have quite a variety of photos even from a small selection. Please vote for the photo that best represents our theme, which should reflect something related to "Science Fiction" 1. ZapperZ 2. Andy Resnick...
  48. ZapperZ

    PF Photo Contest - Science Fiction (9/7-9/13)

    Science Fiction The theme this week could be a challenge. The subject matter is all about Science Fiction. This could be images related to a sci-fi movie, books, TV shows, etc., or something that might easily be considered as a science fiction, such as a spaceship-looking building. Things...
  49. M

    What does science fiction really mean

    Science fiction in my opinion means something scientific that isn't real (at the moment). Looking through history, star trek ect a lot of science fiction there has become a reality. I'm interested in hearing from people who teach / research physics if there was ever a time when something was...
  50. K

    Deja Vu: one amazing science fiction movie

    De javu is the best science fiction movie i have ever watched,,, the characters are amazingly matching although it is so confusing about this moves from past to present and vice versa but the movies is great :cool:
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