by Currie Jean

Created on: February 27, 2008

While like fantasy and horror, science fiction centers around subjects contrary to known reality, the latter takes things to the next level by adding feasible explanations. The extraordinary objects and events of science fiction are based not in the supernatural, but in scientifically known aspects of physics, technology, and the general sciences.

While hard science fiction may follow the rule most closely, this basic overarching difference is characteristic of all sub-genres of science fiction. Apparent scientific feasibility isn't the only important trait of science fiction, however. The eight most common characteristics are as follows.

Sciences

As one might expect, science fiction just wouldn't be itself without its dependence upon the sciences. Accepting known scientific facts and philosophical knowledge, science fiction extrapolates into the unknown, disregarding humanity's unfounded assumptions to create something new.

No sub-genre focuses more closely on scientific detail than hard science fiction. Hard science fiction, predictably, is based in the hard, quantitative, material sciences, like physics, astronomy, and chemistry. Arthur C. Clarke, James Blish, and Tom Goodwin are a few hard science fiction authors.

This isn't to say that the soft sciences, like sociology, political science and psychology are left out. These subjects, being more philosophical in nature, are addressed in soft science fiction. Although soft science fiction is a more difficult genre to categorize, being filled with multitudes of different works, Frank Herbert, Eric Idle, and George Orwell can be considered authors of soft science fiction.

Extraterrestrials

E.T.s, aliens, or extraterrestrials are a common, but by no means necessary, motif of the science fiction genre. Many publicly recognized scientists, like Carl Sagan, have admitted that life is likely to exist on other planets, and while it may be a great feat for any of these life forms to visit us, it certainly isn't impossible.

Because of the feasibility and purely fascinating nature of intelligent alien life, science fiction has been rife with alien stories for more than a century. The alien invasion story, first introduced by H. G. Wells in 'The War of the Worlds' is now a recurring motif, as are the peaceful sorts of visitors like 'E.T.' and the aliens from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'

Aliens can secretly rule governments, using politicians as puppets. They can launch a surprise attack on humanity, decimating cities

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