genre-diversity

Science fiction encompasses a wide range of subgenres including hard science fiction, space opera, horror, fantasy, and social commentary, each with distinct reader communities.

1 chapter across 1 book

Science Fiction: What It's All About (1971)Sam J. Lundwall

book is the same as the one you have in your hand now.

The chapter explores the essence and diversity of science fiction as a genre, emphasizing its core 'Sense-of-Wonder' through illustrative examples from early speculative works to fantasy elements like BEMs and dragons. It discusses the lack of a unified definition for science fiction, highlighting various subgenres and reader factions, and traces the historical labeling and evolution of the genre, including the influential but flawed work of Hugo Gernsback.