What is Speculative Fiction?
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| Name | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy | Includes elements and beings originating from or inspired by traditional stories, such as mythical creatures (dragons, elves, dwarves and fairies), magic, witchcraft, and potions. | The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, Elric of Melniboné, Dungeons and Dragons, The Legend of Zelda, A Song of Ice and Fire, Magic: The Gathering, Warcraft, The Witcher |
| Science fiction | Features technologies and other elements that do not actually exist, but may be imagined as being created or discovered in the future through scientific advancement, such as advanced robots, interstellar travel, aliens, time travel, mutants and cyborgs. Many science fiction stories are set in the future. | Frankenstein, Halo, The Time Machine, Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator, Doctor Who, Stranger in a Strange Land, Blade Runner, The Expanse, Transformers, The Three-Body Problem, Stargate, Babylon 5, Andromeda, Dune, Star Trek, Patternist series, Lilith's Brood |
| Science fantasy | Hybrid genre that draws on or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. | Star Wars, Barsoom, Space Dandy, ThunderCats, Masters of the Universe, Warhammer 40,000 |
| Superhero | Centers on superheroes (i.e., heroes with extraordinary abilities or powers) and their fight against evil forces such as supervillains. Typically incorporates elements of science fiction or fantasy, and may be a subgenre of these. | DC Universe, Marvel Universe, Kamen Rider, My Hero Academia, Super Sentai, Metal Heroes |
| Space Western | Hybrid genre that draws on or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and the Western genre. | The Mandalorian, BraveStarr, Firefly, Outlaw Star, Space Dandy, Trigun, Bucky O'Hare, Cowboy Bebop, ThunderCats, Masters of the Universe, Buck Rogers, Dan Dare, Flash Gordon, Duck Dodgers |
| Weird West | Also known as Weird Western—the hybrid genres of fantasy Western, horror Western and science fiction Western, combining elements of the Western genre with those of fantasy, horror and science fiction. | Jonah Hex, Dead in the West, The Dark Tower, Westworld, Bone Tomahawk, Cowboys & Aliens, Undead Nightmare, Hard West |
| Supernatural | Similar to horror and fantasy, this genre overlaps with Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Occult Detective Fiction, and Paranormal Fiction. It exploits or requires plot devices or themes that often contradict commonplace, materialist assumptions about the natural world. | The Castle of Otranto, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Big Wolf on Campus, Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Stranger Things, Paranormal Activity, Dark, Fallen, The Vampire Diaries, Charmed, The Others, The Gift, The Skeleton Key, SCP Foundation, Fledgling |
| Horror | Focuses on stories that inspire fear. Villains may be either supernatural entities, such as monsters, vampires, ghosts and demons, or mundane people, such as psychopathic and cruel murderers. Often features violence and death. | Dracula, The Exorcist, Cthulhu Mythos, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Us, Books of Blood, The Hellbound Heart, Resident Evil, The Blair Witch Project |
| Utopian | Takes place in a highly desirable society, often presented as advanced, happy, intelligent, or even perfect and problem-free. | Island, Ecotopia, 17776 |
| Dystopian | Takes place in a highly undesirable society, often troubled by strict control, violence, chaos, brainwashing, or other negative elements. | Neon Genesis Evangelion, 1984, Brazil, The Handmaid's Tale, A Clockwork Orange, The Hunger Games, Judge Dredd, |
| Alternate history | Focuses on historical events as if they had occurred differently, and the resulting implications for the present. | The Man in the High Castle, The Last Starship from Earth, Inglourious Basterds, The Guns of the South, Fatherland, The Years of Rice and Salt, Wolfenstein |
| Apocalyptic | Takes place before and during a global catastrophe, typically a large-scale pandemic, natural disaster, or nuclear holocaust. | Godzilla, On the Beach, Threads, The Day After Tomorrow, Birdbox, 2012, War of the Worlds, World War Z, Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents |
| Post-apocalyptic | Focuses on groups of survivors after global disasters. | Planet of the Apes, The Stand, Mad Max, Waterworld, Fallout, Metroid Prime, Metro 2033, The Last Of Us, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Wasteland, Z213: Exit |
| Speculative evolution | Focuses on a hypothetical alternative or future evolution of humans and/or animals. | Expedition, After Man: A Zoology of the Future, All Tomorrows, The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution, Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future, Snaiad |