List of SF genres and sub-genres

A series of genres & sub-genres, with sometimes conflicting definitions.

major breakdown

alphabetical alternative history alternate universe. see also fanfic AU. anthropomorphic (furry) Bangsian fantasy biopunk comic fantasy (aka humorous fantasy) contemporary fantasy cyberpunk dark fantasy. see also horror dying earth story dystopia elfpunk epic fantasy fable fabulation fabulism fairy tale fanfic AU fantaserye / telefantasya (fantasy + telenovelas) fantasy feminist SF (of course) filk first contact folklore folk tales furry future noir ghost story giant monster story. see also monster story. gothic gothica hard science fiction heroic fantasy high fantasy historical fantasy horror interstitial fiction Lost World fantasy magical realism mannerpunk military SF monster story myth mythic art / mythic fiction myths mythpunk new wave fabulism new weird occult story parables planetary romance political science fiction psychological horror religious science fiction romantic fantasy satire science fantasy science fiction science fiction romance scientifiction sciffy sci-fi SF SF western slasher horror slipstream social science fiction space opera space western speculative fiction speculative sensibilities splatterpunk steam punk / steampunk superhero story supernatural fiction / paranormal surrealism survival horror sword and planet sword and sorcery time travel Tolkienesque fantasy urban fantasy utopian fiction (including dystopias) weird fiction wuxia

taxonomic fantasy. setting is the key. Bangsian fantasy comic fantasy (aka humorous fantasy) contemporary fantasy dark fantasy. see also horror elfpunk epic fantasy heroic fantasy high fantasy historical fantasy Lost World fantasy mannerpunk romantic fantasy science fantasy steam punk / steampunk sword and planet sword and sorcery Tolkienesque fantasy urban fantasy wuxia folktale / mythic fiction. psychology is the key. fable fabulism fairy tale folklore folk tales myth mythic art / mythic fiction myths mythpunk new wave fabulism parables surrealism horror / gothic. psychology is the key. dark fantasy ghost story giant monster story. see also monster story. gothica monster story psychological horror slasher horror splatterpunk survival horror science fiction. setting is the key. cyberpunk first contact future noir hard science fiction science fiction romance space opera time travel speculative fiction. thought experiments. alternative history dystopia utopian fiction (including dystopias) liminal interstitial fiction magical realism slipstream speculative sensibilities uncategorized anthropomorphic (furry) dying earth story fabulation filk furry military SF new weird occult story planetary romance satire scientifiction sciffy sci-fi SF SF western superhero story supernatural fiction / paranormal weird fiction

Based on setting

Based on earth era

Historical SF

• Alternative history (usually imagines the world as it would have been had a major event occurred differently)
• Secret history (secret conspiracy or organization or species; supposedly normal life persists. Secret history stories pop up particularly in science fiction. They are, effectively, a subcategory of alternate history; but rather than supposing some major event went another way, they suppose a group of manipulators, hidden conspirators, minor events, unknown events, that conspired to get us here, today, to the place we are.)
• Alternative universe (very similar to earth-normal but tweaked in significant, or insignificant, ways)
• Time travel

Based on plot

• Mystery
• Western
• Romance

Based on plausibility

• Speculative fiction - what if this happens?
• Science fiction - This could theoretically happen
• Fantasy - this could not happen

Based on sensibility / literary mode

• Horror
• Prose
• Poetry

Further reading

• Lee Masterson's "Science Fiction Sub-Genres"
• The Terraformer
• Nonny Morgan, "Subgenres Demystified"