The Sub-Genres of Science Fiction: A Map of Ideas (The Literary List)

Note: Titles in italics are novels and titles in quotation marks are shorter works.

PART ONE: SETTINGS

Section 1: Settings in Space

I. In the Solar System

1. THE SUN
Examples: "The Golden Apples of the Sun" Ray Bradbury; "Out of the Sun" Arthur C.Clarke

2. MERCURY
Examples: "Runaround"; The Big Sun of Mercury Isaac Asimov; Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C.Clarke (see chapter 19); "Hot Planet" Hal Clement; Blue Mars Kim Stanley Robinson (see the introduction to Part Eleven)

3. VENUS
Examples: Farewell Fantastic Venus! ed. Brian W.Aldiss and Harry Harrison; Space Cadet; Between Planets Robert A. Heinlein; "Becalmed in Hell" Larry Niven.

4. EARTH
Examples: Earth David Brin; Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner

5. THE MOON
Examples: Millennium Ben Bova; The Moon is Hell John W.Campbell Jr; "The Sentinel", A Fall of Moondust Arthur C.Clarke; "It's Great to be Back", "The Black Pits of Luna", "Gentlemen - Be Seated", "The Menace from Earth", Rocketship Galileo, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A.Heinlein; "The Lineman" Walter M.Miller Jr; The Trouble with Tycho Clifford D.Simak; "Project Hush" William Tenn; Steel Beach John Varley; "The Ghosts of Luna" Ian Watson; The First Men in the Moon H.G.Wells; "The Moon Era" Jack Williamson

6. MARS
Examples: "Heredity" Isaac Asimov; Moving Mars Greg Bear; The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury; The Sands of Mars Arthur C.Clarke; No Man Friday Rex Gordon; Red Planet Robert A.Heinlein; Out of the Silent Planet C.S.Lewis; "Crucifixus Etiam" Walter M.Miller Jr; Man Plus Frederik Pohl; The Martian Inca Ian Watson; "In the Hall of the Martian Kings" John Varley; Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars Kim Stanley Robinson; "A Martian Odyssey" Stanley G.Weinbaum.

7. ASTEROIDS
Examples: The Hammer of God Arthur C. Clarke; Space Cadet Robert A. Heinlein; "How to Blow-up an Asteroid" Duncan Lunan; "Mother in the Sky with Diamonds" James Tiptree Jr; "The Hoaxters" Richard Wilson.

8. JUPITER
Examples: "Bridge" James Blish; "Call Me Joe" Poul Anderson; "A Meeting with Medusa" Arthur C.Clarke; Against Infinity Gregory Benford; Farmer in the Sky Robert A.Heinlein

9. SATURN
Titan John Varley; Imperial Earth Arthur C. Clarke

10. URANUS

11. NEPTUNE

12. PLUTO
Examples: "Pipeline to Pluto" Murray Leinster

13. COMETS
Examples: Heart of the Comet Gregory Benford and David Brin.

14. VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Example: Kinsman Ben Bova; Across the Zodiac Percy Gregg

II. Planets Outside the Solar System (COLONIZATION)
Examples: Planet of No Return ; The Avatar Poul Anderson; Songs of Distant Earth Arthur C. Clarke; Eight Keys to Eden Mark Clifton; Syzygy; Hello Summer, Goodbye Michael G. Coney; Capella's Golden Eyes Christopher Evans; Midworld Alan Dean Foster; Tunnel in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein; Legacy of Heorot Larry Niven, Steve Barnes and Jerry Pournelle.

IIIa. Spaceships

- SHUTTLES
Examples:

- INTERPLANETARY
Example: In the Ocean of Night; Across the Sea of Suns; If the Stars are Gods Gregory Benford; Prelude to Space, 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke

- STARSHIPS:

- FTL (faster than light)
Examples: Tau Zero Poul Anderson; Catchworld Chris Boyce; The Flight of the Dragonfly Robert Forward; Starman Jones Robert A. Heinlein

- GENERATION STARSHIPS
Examples: Non-Stop (a.ka. Starship ) Brian W. Aldiss; Seed of Light Edmund Cooper; Captive Universe Harry Harrison; Orphans of the Sky Robert A. Heinlein

IIIb. SPACE STATIONS
Examples: The Brick Moon Edward E. Hale

IIIc. SPACE HABITATS (artificial planets)
Examples: Worlds Joe Haldeman

Section 2: Settings in Time (see also Time as a theme)

I. PREHISTORY (The past as it perhaps was)
Examples: Evolution Stephen Baxter; No Enemy But Time Michael Bishop

II. FUTURE HISTORY (The future as it might be)

III. ALTERNATE HISTORY (History as it might have been)
Examples: Frankenstein Unbound Brian W. Aldiss; The Alteration Kingsley Amis; The Last Starship from Earth John Boyd; Queen Victoria's Bomb Ronald Clark; Charisma Michael G. Coney; The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick; A Trans-Atlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!; West of Eden Harry Harrison

PART TWO: THEMES

Section 3: Technological Themes

I. Human Technology (see also Spaceships)

- ROBOTS, ANDROIDS, and CYBORGS
Examples: The Caves of Steel; The Naked Sun; The Robots of Dawn; Robots and Empire Isaac Asimov; Great Sky River Gregory Benford; Who? Algis Budrys; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick

- COMPUTERS
Examples: Catchworld Chris Boyce; Shockwave Rider John Brunner; 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke; When Harlie Was One David Gerrold; Neuromancer William Gibson

- COMMUNICATIONS
Examples: The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe D.G. Compton

- ENERGY
Examples: Nerves Lester Del Rey

- TERRAFORMING
Example: Farmer in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein

- MISCELLANEOUS
Examples: The Fountains of Paradise Arthur C. Clarke (space elevator)

II. ALIEN TECHNOLOGY (a.k.a. Alien artifacts)
Examples: Eon Greg Bear; Against Infinity Gregory Benford; Rogue Moon Algis Budrys; Gate of Ivrel C.J. Cherryh; 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke; The Orchid Cage Herbert W. Franke

Section 4: Physical Science Themes

I. ASTRONOMY

II. PHYSICS
- GRAVITY
Examples: Raft Stephen Baxter; Mission of Gravity Hal Clement; Dragon's Egg Robert Forward

III. CHEMISTRY

IV. BIOLOGY
- ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT and POPULATION
Examples: Hothouse (a.k.a. The Long Afternoon of Earth ); Earthworks Brian W. Aldiss; The Godwhale T.J. Bass; This Crowded Earth; Ladies Day Robert Bloch; The Sheep Look Up John Brunner; The Stone That Never Came Down John Brunner; The Lost World A. Conan Doyle; Make Room! Make Room! Harry Harrison

- BIOENGINEERING
Examples: Moreau's Other Island Brian W. Aldiss; Blood Music Greg Bear; Golem 100 Alfred Bester; The Seedling Stars James Blish; Startide Rising, The Uplift War David Brin; Joshua, Son of None Nancy Freedman

- INTELLIGENT ALIENS
Examples: The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov; Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke; The Alien Way Gordon R. Dickson; The Genocides Thomas M. Disch; The Lovers Philip Jose Farmer; Dragon's Egg; The Flight of the Dragonfly Robert Forward; The Thing; Alien; Aliens; Alien 3 Alan Dean Foster; The Star Beast; Have Spacesuit, Will Travel Robert A. Heinlein

- ALIEN ANIMALS and Other Life-forms
Examples: The Pollinators of Eden John Boyd; The Andromeda Strain Michael Crichton; Deathworld Harry Harrison; The Puppet Masters Robert A. Heinlein

- SEX & GENDER
Examples: Five to Twelve Edmund Cooper

V. LIFE SPAN THEMES

- YOUTH

- AGE
Examples: Greybeard Brian W. Aldiss

- IMMORTALITY
Examples: Methusela's Children Robert A. Heinlein

- REJUVENATION

- SUSPENDED ANIMATION

- REANIMATION

VI. MEDICINE
Examples: Nerves Lester Del Rey

VII. EARTH SCIENCES

- EARTH OCEANS
Examples: The Deep Range, The Ghost from the Grand Banks Arthur C. Clarke; The Maracot Deep A. Conan Doyle

- ALIEN OCEANS

Section 5: Mathematical Themes

Section 6: Social Science Themes

I. Sociological & Urban Themes

- THE CITY
Examples: The Caves of Steel Isaac Asimov; Earthman Come Home; They Shall Have Stars; A Clash of Cymbals; A Life for the Stars James Blish; The City and the Stars Arthur C. Clarke; 334 Thomas M. Disch

- URBAN DECAY & VIOLENCE
Examples: High-Rise J.G. Ballard; A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess

II. Psychological Themes

- PSYCHIC PHENOMENA
Examples: The Demolished Man Alfred Bester; The Whole Man John Brunner; Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein

- SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE
Examples: Brainwave Poul Anderson; Out of the Silence Erle Cox; Camp Concentration Thomas M. Disch

- INTELLIGENT EARTH ANIMALS
Examples: Brainwave Poul Anderson; War with the Newts Karel Capek

- ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS & Abnormal Psychology
Examples: Barefoot in the Head Brian W. Aldiss; All Fool's Day Edmund Cooper; The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich; A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick

III. Time & History (see also Time as a setting)
- TIME TRAVEL
Examples: The Corridors of Time Poul Anderson; The End of Eternity Isaac Asimov; Future Times Three Rene Barjavel; The Time Ships Stephen Baxter; Timescape Gregory Benford; No Enemy But Time Michael Bishop; Lest Darkness Fall L. Sprague De Camp; The Ship that Sailed the Time Stream G.C. Edmondson; Time's Last Gift Philip Jose Farmer; The Man Who Folded Himself David Gerrold; The Door into Summer Robert A. Heinlein

- TIME VIEWING
Examples: Macroscope Piers Anthony; "The Dead Past" Isaac Asimov; "The G.M. Effect" Frank Herbert; "E for Effort" T.L. Sherred

- TIME DILATION
Examples: Time for the Stars Robert A. Heinlein

- OTHER TIME THEMES
Examples: Time Out of Joint Philip K. Dick

IV. Apocalypse & Post Apocalypse
Examples: Greybeard Brian W.Aldiss; Rings of Ice Piers Anthony; The Day The Machines Stopped Christopher Anvil; The Crystal World; The Wind From Nowhere; The Drought ; (a.k.a. The Burning World; The Drowned World J.G.Ballard; A Scent of New-Mown Hay John Blackburn; After The Rain John Bowen; The Long Tomorrow Leigh Brackett; The Postman David Brin; Some Will Not Die Algis Budrys; The Hamelin Plague A.B.Chandler; The World in Winter ; The Death of Grass ; A Wrinkle in the Skin J.Christopher; Dark December Alfred Coppel; Dr. Bloodmoney P.K.Dick; The Rest Must Die Richard Foster; Alas, Babylon Pat Frank; Commander 1 Peter George; Late Final Lewis Gibbs; The Committed Men Michael J. Harrison The Day the Earth Froze Gerald Hatch; The Inferno Fred Hoyle; The Stand Stephen King; The Wanderer Friz Leiber; The Darkest of Nights ; Thirst! Charles Eric Maine; One in Three Hundred J.T.McIntosh; The Fittest J.T.McIntosh; Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle; The End of the World Dean Owen; Mutant 59: The Plastic Eater Kit Pedlar & G.Davis; Nuclear Subtraction Colin Roberts; The Furies Keith Roberts; The Purple Cloud M.P.Shiel; On the Beach Nevil Shute; The Coming of the Rats George H.Smith; Earth Abides George R.Stewart; The Sea and Summer George Turner; Sixty Days to Live Dennis Wheatley; The Day of the Triffids ; The Kraken Wakes John Wyndham; The End of the Dream Philip Wylie

V. Economics, Business & Commerce
Examples: Satan's World Poul Anderson; The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester; Citizen of the Galaxy; Podkayne of Mars Robert A. Heinlein

VI. Politics & Law
- UTOPIAS
Examples: Looking Backward Edward Bellamy; Erewhon Samuel Butler; Across the Zodiac Percy Gregg; Beyond This Horizon Robert A. Heinlein

- DYSTOPIAS
Examples: Farenheit 451 Ray Bradbury; Quicksand John Brunner; The Prisoner Thomas M. Disch

- GALACTIC CIVILIZATION
Examples: Pebble in the Sky; Foundation; Second Foundation; Foundation and Empire; Foundation's Edge; Foundation and Earth Isaac Asimov

VII. Military, War (overt & covert)
Examples: The People of the Wind Poul Anderson; The Stars in Shroud Gregory Benford; The Mendelov Conspiracy Martin Caidin; Ender's Game Orson Scott Card; The Forever War; All My Sins Remembered Joe Haldeman; Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein

Section 7: Religion
Examples: A Case of Conscience James Blish; A Far Sunset Edmund Cooper; "If This Goes On-" Robert A. Heinlein

Section 8: Art

Section 9: Humor

- SATIRE
Examples: Planet of the Apes Pierre Boulle; The Star-Crossed Ben Bova; When They Come from Space Mark Clifton; Bill, the Galactic Hero Harry Harrison

- BURLESQUE
Examples: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams; Prostho Plus Piers Anthony; What Mad Universe? Frederick Brown; The Stainless Steel Rat Harry Harrison

- PARODY

Section 10: SF & Other Genres

- SCIENCE FICTION as a theme
Examples: "Grimm's World" Vernor Vinge; The Star-Crossed Ben Bova; What Mad Universe? Frederick Brown

- SF MYSTERIES
Examples: The Caves of Steel Isaac Asimov

- SF WESTERNS
Examples: Westworld Michael Crichton