Soft science fiction, or soft SF, is a type of science fiction that has two main meanings. It differs from hard science fiction, which focuses on real scientific details. Soft science fiction often explores subjects like psychology, political science, and sociology, which are called “soft” sciences.
Hard science fiction is a type of science fiction that focuses on scientific accuracy and logical reasoning. The term was first written about in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W.
Science fiction, often called sci-fi or SF, is a type of speculative fiction that imagines future scientific or technological advances. Over time, common elements in science fiction have expanded. These include space exploration, alien life, time travel, and robotics.
Weird fiction is a type of speculative fiction that began in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It either avoids or changes the typical villains found in supernatural horror stories, such as ghosts, vampires, and werewolves. Some writers, like China Miéville, use the term “the tentacle” to describe this kind of writing.
Horror is a type of fiction that aims to make people feel scared or uneasy. It is often divided into two categories: psychological horror and supernatural horror. In 1984, literary historian J.
Mythopoeia, which means “myth-making” in Ancient Greek, is a type of story found in modern books and movies. It involves creating fake or made-up myths, often using ideas from real myths. Writers use this method to build new stories that include characters and themes from old myths.
Magical realism, also called magic realism or marvellous realism, is a style of writing and art that shows the real world while including magical or unusual elements. This style often makes it hard to tell where real life ends and imagination begins. The term “magical realism” is most often used to describe literature, especially stories that include magical or supernatural events in a normal, everyday setting.
Low fantasy, also called intrusion fantasy, is a type of fantasy story where magical events happen in a world that is mostly normal. This is different from high fantasy, which takes place in completely imaginary worlds with their own special rules and ways things work. In intrusion fantasy, the story happens in a realistic setting, but some magical or strange elements are included.
High fantasy, also called epic fantasy, is a type of fantasy story that has big, exciting settings or characters, themes, or plots. These stories usually take place in a make-believe, fictional world, not the real world we live in. This fictional world has its own rules, which are different from the rules in our real world.
Dark fantasy or fantasy horror is a type of fantasy found in books, art, and movies that includes scary or unsettling ideas. The term is sometimes used to describe stories that mix horror with common types of fantasy stories.