History Main / AsimovsThreeKindsOfScienceFiction

Note that this is ''not'' SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That is a measure of how closely a premise sticks to real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise, wherever it may fall on the scale.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (though Asimov ''has'' written stories of all three types in which those laws are the invention in question--the stories in his collection ''Literature/IRobot'' starts with their invention and working out the kinks, moves on to some adventure stories relying on the Laws, and ends up with social science fiction about the impact of Three Laws-compliant AI on society, setting up his ''Robot'' novels).

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That is a measure of how closely a premise sticks to real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise, wherever it may fall on the scale.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (though Asimov ''has'' written stories of all three types in which those laws are the invention in question--the stories in his collection ''Literature/IRobot'' starts with their invention and working out the kinks, moves on to some adventure stories relying on the Laws, and ends up with social science fiction about the impact of Three Laws-compliant AI on society, setting up his ''Robot'' novels).

* ''Literature/20000LeaguesUnderTheSea'' contains all three: The Nautilus is a technological marvel described in loving detail (some of which haven't stood the test of time, having been extrapolated from what was the cutting-edge of science), allowing the exploration of the seas more closely than any other method, and the implications of a rogue submariner running around sinking British ships in revenge for their colonial mishandlings.

[[Administrivia/ExampleSectionectomy Please, No Examples]], at least in the main page. However, feel free to list this on a work's trope page and discuss it there.
%%Trying to emulate the example of The Bechdel Test page here; examples on this page would quickly degenerate into Natter magnets. Also, almost any work of science fiction could potentially be described as fitting into at least one of these categories...

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''[[Magazine/{{Analog}} Astounding Stories]]'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein. Asimov, Heinlein, and a few others in turn influenced NewWaveScienceFiction of the 1960s and 70s, which leaned ''heavily''--some might say almost exclusively--into the Social (Creator/PhilipKDick, Creator/FrankHerbert, and Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin being the most prominent examples).

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''[[Magazine/{{Analog}} Astounding Stories]]'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein, who in turn influenced NewWaveScienceFiction of the 1960s and 70s (which leaned ''heavily''--some might say almost exclusively--into the Social).

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''[[Magazine/{{Analog}} Astounding Stories]]'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein, who in turn influenced NewWaveScienceFiction of the 1960s and 70s (which leaned ''heavily'' into the Social).

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''[[Magazine/{{Analog}} Astounding Stories]]'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein.

[[ExampleSectionectomy Please, No Examples]], at least in the main page. However, feel free to list this on a work's trope page and discuss it there.

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That is a measure of how closely a premise sticks to real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise, wherever it may fall on the scale.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (though Asimov ''has'' written stories of all three types in which those laws are the invention in question).

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That is a measure of how closely a premise sticks to real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise, wherever it may fall on the scale.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics (Though Asimov ''has'' written stories of all three types in which those laws are the invention in question).

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''AstoundingStories'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein.

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That is a measure of how closely a premise sticks to real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise, wherever it may fall on the scale.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That measures how well the main premise of the piece measures up to accepted real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise.[[note]]Confusing the issue further is the fact that sociology and psychology are often referred to as "soft sciences", that is, sciences that build models based on statistical consensus rather than underlying mechanisms or strict mathematical laws. A work with a social focus can have a very "hard" (realistic) treatment of a soft science, and vice-versa.[[/note]] Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

* ''Social'': The focus of the story is on how the presence of the invention affects people's daily lives, whether for good or for ill. The chief distinction between this and the other two types is that the presence of the invention causes the plot rather than affecting it or being the goal.

-> Writer Y invents the automobile in a hurry, but now there is a gang of ruthless crooks intent on stealing this valuable invention. First they steal the inventor's beautiful daughter, whom they threaten with every dire eventuality but rape (in these adventure stories, girls exist to be rescued and have no other uses). The inventor's young assistant goes to the rescue. He can accomplish his purpose only by the use of the newly perfected automobile. He dashes into the desert at an unheard-of speed of twenty miles an hour to pick up the girl who otherwise would have died of thirst if he had relied on a horse, however rapid and sustained the horse's gallop. This is '''adventure''' science fiction. (ibid.)

-> Gadget sci-fi: Man invents car, holds lecture about his invention.\\

* ''Adventure'': The invention is used as a dramatic prop. It may be the solution to a problem, or it may be causing the problem itself, but the main focus is on how the invention affects the events of the plot.

Note that this is ''not'' MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness. That measures how well the main premise of the piece measures up to accepted real-world scientific theories; this categorizes a story on how it uses that premise. Also don't confuse this with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

Prior to the rise of Creator/JohnWCampbell and his ''AstoundingStories'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and RobertAHeinlein.

Prior to the rise of JohnWCampbell and his ''AstoundingStories'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and RobertAHeinlein.

In 1953, IsaacAsimov published an article titled "Social Science Fiction" in ''Modern Science Fiction''. In that article he stated that every science fiction plot ultimately falls into one of three categories: Gadget, Adventure, or Social.

Prior to the rise of John W. Campbell and his ''Astounding Stories'', the vast majority of science fiction fell under either Gadget or Adventure science fiction, with most of the characters being flat and stereotyped (though there were a few exceptions). Campbell wanted good ''stories'', not merely good ''science''; he wanted people to write science fiction that could stand on its own literary merits and seriously examine the consequences of technology on future society. His philosophy influenced authors such as Asimov and RobertAHeinlein.

%%Trying to emulate the example of The Bechdel Test page here; examples on this page would quickly degenerate into Natter magnets.

Social sci fi: Man invents car, get stuck in traffic in the suburbs.

-> Writer Z has the automobile already perfected. A society exists in which it is already a problem. Because of the automobile, a gigantic oil industry has grown up, highways have been paved across the nation, America has become a land of travelers, cities have spread into the suburbs--and what do we do about automobile accidents? Men, women, and children are being killed by automobiles faster than by artillery shells or airplane bombs. What can be done? What is the solution? This is '''social''' science fiction. (ibid.)