List of science fiction themes

The following is a list of articles about recurring themes in science fiction.

Overarching themes[]

First contact with aliens
Artificial intelligence
- Machine rule/Cybernetic revolt/AI takeover
Extraterrestrials in fiction
End of humanity: Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
The future
- Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: Apocalypses or worldwide disasters and new societies that develop after the event
History
- Alternate history
- Scientific prediction of the future (e.g. psychohistory)
Human fears: List of science fiction horror films
Language
- Alien languages (e.g. Klingon, Huttese)
- The Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis (e.g. Babel 17, The Languages of Pao)
- Universal translators (e.g. Babel fish)
Military/conflicts
- Interstellar war
- Weapons in science fiction
Parallel worlds or universes
Philosophies and philosophical ideas
Political ideas
Religious ideas
Sex and sexuality
- LGBT themes
- Gender
- Reproduction and pregnancy
Simulated reality and consciousness
Social science fiction
Technological singularity
Themes of fantasy fiction

Artificial intelligences
- Androids and Gynoid
- Artificial life
- Biological robot
- Cyborgs
- Robots and humanoid robots
- Replicants
- Simulated consciousness
Characters
- The Absent-minded professor
- The Golem
- The Mad Scientist
- Redshirt
- Space Pirate
- Super Soldier
Clones
Dinosaurs
Extraterrestrial life
- Hypothetical types of biochemistry
- Alien invasion
- Astrobiology
- - Principles of non-interference (e.g. Prime Directive)
  - Message from space
Living planets (both sentient and non-sentient)
Hive minds
Infomorphs—memories, characters, and consciences of persons being uploaded to a computer or storage media
Mutants
Shapeshifters
Superhumans
Superorganisms
Symbionts
UFOs
Uplifting—using technology to "raise" non-human animals to human evolutionary levels
- Ancient astronauts
- Progressor

Biohacking/Amateur biotechnicians
Artificial organs
Additional or improved senses^{[page needed]}
- X-ray vision
Cloning
Exocortex
Genetic engineering
- Super race
Intelligence amplification
Invisibility
Life extension, Biological immortality, Universal immortalism and immortality
- Cryonics
- Digital immortality
- Mind uploading
- Organ transplantation
- Organlegging
Prosthetics
Memory
- Memory erasure/editing
- - Group mind
- Mind control
- Mind swap
- Mind uploading
- Neural implants to directly interface with machinery
Psi powers and psychic phenomena
- Clairvoyance
- Precognition
- Pyrokinesis
- Retrocognition
- Telepathy
- Telekinesis
Parasitism^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]
Psychedelia
Resizing (size-changing, miniaturization, magnification, shrinking, and enlargement)
Shapeshifting
Superhuman strength
Teleportation
Transhumanism and Posthumanism

Artificial worlds
Alien Zoo—a zoo where humans are kept as exhibits
Arcologies—enormous habitats (hyperstructures) of extremely high human population density
Cyberspace—the new, virtual territory of societal interaction
Domed city
Floating city
Future of the Earth
- Climate change—science fiction dealing with effects of anthropogenic climate change and global warming at the end of the Holocene era
Megacity
Seasteading and ocean colonization
- Pirate utopia
Reality Television
Space colonization
- Colonization of the Moon
- Pantropy
- Other planets
  - Desert planet
    - Mars
- Terraformed planets
Space stations and habitats
Underground city

Adhocracy
Anarcho-capitalism
Capitalism
- Evil corporation
- Megacorporation
- Neo-feudalism
Cognitive liberty
Dystopias and utopias
- Environmental pollution
- Overpopulation
- Technological utopianism
- Totalitarianism
Galactic empires
Government by algorithm
Legal personality
Libertarianism
Mass surveillance
Mind reading and mind control
National security state
Post-scarcity economy
Socialism
- Nanosocialism
Technoethics
- Bioethics
Technophobia
Techno-progressivism
Terrorism
- Bio-terrorism
- Eco-terrorism
Totalitarianism vs. Libertarianism

Accidental travel
Colonization of other planets, moons, asteroids, etc.
- Embryo space colonization
- Generation ship
- Interstellar ark
- Uploaded astronaut
- Terraforming
Space exploration
- Interstellar travel/Starships
  - Faster-than-light travel and communications
    - Hyperspace
    - Slipstream
    - Warp drives
    - Wormholes
    - Ansibles
  - Close to light speed
    - Bussard ramjets
    - Ursula K. Le Guin's NAFAL ships, and the Twin paradox
  - Much slower than light
    - Generation ship
    - Sleeper ship
- Space stations
Teleportation
- Teletransporter
Time travel
- Alternate history: time travel can be used as a plot device to explore parallel universes. While alternate history has its own category (see above), it often occurs in time travel stories as well.
- Alternate future
- Time loop
Travel to the Earth's center
- Hollow Earth

^ "Parasitism and Symbiosis". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 10 January 2016.
^ Guarino, Ben (19 May 2017). "Disgusting 'Alien' movie monster not as horrible as real things in nature". The Washington Post.
^ Glassy, Mark C. (2005). The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema. McFarland. pp. 186 ff. ISBN 978-1-4766-0822-8.
^ Moisseeff, Marika (23 January 2014). "Aliens as an Invasive Reproductive Power in Science Fiction". HAL Archives-Ouvertes.
^ Williams, Robyn; Field, Scott (27 September 1997). "Behaviour, Evolutionary Games and .... Aliens". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 November 2017.

Speculative fiction

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