Science Fiction Sub Genres
Science Fiction. I always look forward to #SciFi January where I feature science fiction films but first let’s discuss what it is. The biggest debate in the scholarly community is whether it’s sci-fi or fantasy. Scholars have been complaining at each other and arguing about it through books, essays and interviews for a long time. They use dense academia language and I read these so you don’t have to. Suffice it to say I can’t take a definitive stance on the matter as it’s just waaay to gray. I also don’t want scholars yelling at me in big words. That’s scary. But I will classify films for the sake of ease and expediency with a caveat. These are the sub genres I like to highlight. Some are clearly sci-fi and some are clearly fantasy but many are just idk. I see a lot of sci-fi combined with fantasy classifications. Although, that’s not how it works, it’s either one or the other but I respect not wanting to touch this debate with a ten foot pole. I won’t be doing that though. The main genre is actually “speculative fiction” with sci-fi as the sub genre and sub sub genres below that. There are several of these but here are the sub genres I would like to feature. Some of them I made up.
Post apocalyptic sci-fi. With only one exception I will not be featuring this sub genre. Here’s why. 1) We all just went through a very scary few years. We really don’t need more of it. 2) I met someone who had a sincerely held belief that the zombie apocalypse will happen. I know there are more too. So clearly many people can’t handle it. 3) if you truly believe the world will end (regardless of how) you tend to make really crappy decisions. Seeing a lot of that irl. 4) At this point I don’t see them adding too much to our collective conversations about the future and so many are just gratuitous. Netflix managed to make a feel good post apocalyptic series (Sweet Tooth). Ummm No! You really missed the point Netflix. With that all said I don't want to watch or feature these
Time Loops. Gosh I just love this genre. I think I have seen the vast majority of them. They are all based on just one film “Groundhogs Day” and I just love that. The rules of the genre are also all based on this film. Who’da thunk it back in ‘93 that Bill Murray would inspire so many filmmakers. If you haven’t already go watch it. Most of the time the reason for the loop is not known. But sometimes a mythical being ie Santa Claus wants to teach you a lesson. As I mentioned earlier this is popping up a lot on Xmas movies. There are only a handful that have a science reason. In that regard some are fantasy and some are sci-fi. I think it should be it’s own stand alone genre but there are not enough yet….For now I’m going to lump them into sci-fi until there are more.
Superhero films. Despite the likes of Iron Man who is all tech, Superman, who is alien, and Spider-Man who was bitten by a radioactive spider, I’m going to classify these films as fantasy. Ok I’m going into hiding now. But here is why I think that. 1) besides the heroes mentioned above we also have Amazons, Thor, Loki and more. These are all mythological ie fantasy. 2) here is the kicker for me. Never mind the content and look at how they are perceived. They are modern mythology and being modern there is an element of science coexisting with fantasy. In the old days people would gather around the storyteller of the village and hear tales of heroes and gods and tales or warnings and origins. People loved it and needed it. Nowadays we gather at the cinema and do the same thing. We need it now like we needed it then. I think these films should be their own genre. With only a few exceptions I will not be featuring them. Right now there are blogs, vlogs, journalist and eager fans dedicated to analyzing these films and I don’t think we need more of that. If you wanted to see them thence you already have and if you don’t then you won’t. What I say makes no difference whatsoever. I also think being modern mythology, how you judge them should be different. My grandma used to tell me a Slavic myth about a demon who lived in the stove. You had to keep the stove clean otherwise the demon would get mad and do bad things. How do you judge that? Gee grandma the middle act was slow but you sure finished strong. I give it 3 stars. To this day I get anxious if the stove is dirty. And that’s how you judge these
Time Travel. This is also one of my favorite genres. Although, it’s really hard to write and so many leave dangling threads of “that don’t make no sense”. But writers are being more careful now and it’s getting better. It’s been around for awhile and well loved. I will do my best to point out the many gems of this genre.
Dirty Sci-fi. Unlike Noir, Sci-fi does not have a visual style. But this sub genre (I came up with it) kinda does. It’s dirty, rusty and the tech looks like it’s held together with duct tape and quite mismatched. By the look of it you would not want to get in a space ship in dirty sci fi. Life is a bit rougher in this genre and people are more disheveled. There aren’t that many but a few gems are out there.
Fondue. Only the best SciFi cheese. These are bad movies and as such are good. Think Mystery Science Theater. I must admit that I am terrible with this sub genre and there is a lot of them. How do you judge Fondue? Well I have several men in my life who love them. I don’t know why but they do. So it’s usually, did my husband and friend have fun watching it? Well then we have a winner. Although, I have an immense amount of respect for Roger Corman the king of Fondue. He was very creative with the money he was given or lack there of. He was a master of low budget. He was also very generous and gave people a solid start in the industry regardless of who you were. He’s still alive but very old and not active.
Hard SciFi. This sub genre has a focus on the harder sciences. We’re talking robots, AI and other tech. It tends to be “let’s just stop for a moment and think about moving forward with X” I think the anthology series Black Mirror on Netflix did this best. Sometimes the answer is “yeah this would be cool” or a solid “oh hell no”. If you haven’t yet go watch this. I like this genre but the current incarnation seems to revolve around AI. But there are quite a few gems here.
Soft Sci fi. Ok this is going to get people, so warning!! Soft sci fi is focused on what is considered the softer sciences such as Phycology , sociology, politics and to a certain degree history (Man in the High Castle). These are basically world building which can even include religion. The basic premise is what would happen if……? What would that society look like? What would society look like if we had contact with Aliens (Star Trek). What would society look like if religion was more “tangible” (Dune and Star Wars). What would society look like if…? You get the idea. There is crossover on these with other genres. It can also focus on the conflicts within humans in these societies and not the science itself (HG Wells Things to Come and Time Machine). Like soft sciences these can be hard to define and tends to have a lot of bickering in its ranks. But the main focus is the society. good luck and have fun. When in doubt just go with it.
Kaiju. Toho in Japan really owns this sub genre and it’s hard to compete with the likes of Godzilla. I won’t be posting on the Toho Kaiju cuz really a lot has been said about them already. But there are a few non Toho kaiju. The genre generally involves science (hard and soft, radiation to lost species), a large monster threatening communities and can include a monster whisperer that often nobody listens to. Oh and sometimes the monster is misunderstood. If you have not already watched the 1954 Godzilla. Go watch it. It will explain a lot.
Space Opera. This is one of my favorite sub genres. This involves space ships, space weapons, aliens, alien planets, epic adventures, risk taking and even romance. It can cross other genres quite easily such as horror in Alien or comedy in Galaxy Quest. Unfortunately, the good ones have been discussed ad nauseum and the ones that haven’t aren’t as good. But there are a few left.
Low Budget films. SciFi is dripping films with low and ultra low budgets. Here are my thoughts. I will forgive a lot and I do mean a lot BUT certain things are unforgivable. 1) I should be able to see what I’m supposed to see. 2) I should be able to hear what I’m supposed to hear. 3) for gawds sake have a good idea and spell it out. Low budgets are no excuse for violating these laws.
The Mad Scientist. In the early days there were a crap ton of these but it has since leveled off. It revolves around a scientist who pushes the boundaries of science and ethics, mostly ethics though. They stand out in their communities and are usually outcasts. Kinda (as in a lot) cra cra but smart. The sub genre is usually married to horror with the message. Please don’t do this, you tuckwit. I really like this sub genre and there are some really good ones too.
When speaking about film history especially sci-fi film history it tends to be cis male euro centric. There is no doubt that Lucas, Cameron, Spielberg, Scott and Kubrick made significant contributions to the genre and film in general but it can’t be stressed enough that other countries/communities have made huge, gigantic awesome contributions too. This is not just in terms of making good art but driving the sci-fi genre in new directions. I try to find these gems even though some are ridiculously hard to find and showcase them. This to me is not about inclusion for inclusions sake but filling out the genre to its fullest potential.
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