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1ScienceFiction, {{Fantasy}}, AlternateHistory and everything in between.
2
3The term Speculative Fiction was originally a [[FunWithAcronyms backronym]] for the initials SF; at the time, during the NewWaveScienceFiction movement of the 1960s, some writers felt that science fiction, or 'sci-fi,' was equated to flying saucers and rubber monsters, and wanted to distinguish themselves with a new genre label. The desire for a separate category became even greater when people began to apply the sci-fi label to horror films containing blatantly supernatural elements (such as various immortals), but few if any science based elements whatsoever. Over time, however, the term 'Speculative Fiction' grew to become a SuperTrope, covering not only what self described Speculative Fiction authors wrote, but also the SciFi and Horror B-movies they were trying to distinguish themselves from. Nevertheless, Speculative Fiction can be applied to a work -- correctly or incorrectly -- in order to help it avoid the SciFiGhetto; it can allow the more pretentious to believe that their favorite work is a proper 'literary' work with no connection to, and thus obvious superiority over that geeky science fiction or fantasy.
4
5Today Speculative Fiction covers practically the entire fantastic end of the SlidingScaleOfRealisticVersusFantastic, including {{Fantasy}}, ScienceFiction, {{Horror}}, and other, less well known genres. (In this genre, JustHereForGodzilla is in full effect.) However, there are many speculative fiction stories that fall on the border between genres, and others that may be completely unclassifiable. Furthermore, many of these genres can be either used to [[NightmareFuel terrify]] or PlayedForLaughs, with the latter producing such genres as comic sci-fi and comedy horror.
6
7See the [[Analysis/SpeculativeFiction Analysis page]] for why the boundary between {{Fantasy}}, ScienceFiction, and {{Horror}} is fuzzy, and why a broad term like Speculative Fiction is necessary.
8
9The individual tropes are listed on SpeculativeFictionTropes. See the '''SpeculativeFictionCreatorIndex''' for a list of pages for Speculative Fiction creators.
10----
11[[index]]
12[[foldercontrol]]
13
14[[folder:Works]]
15* SpeculativeFictionSeries
16[[/folder]]
17
18[[folder:Science Fiction]]
19* '''ScienceFiction''': The fiction of technology, the future, and the question "WhatIf..."
20** AlienWorks: Stories centered around creatures from other planets.
21*** [[AlienInvasion Alien Invasion Stories]]: Stories centered around aliens invading the Earth.
22** AlternateTechline: Alternate History where technology develops in different ways.
23*** TeslaTechTimeline: Alternate Techline stories that feature [[UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla Nikola Tesla's]] technology becoming prominent instead of [[UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison Thomas Edison's]].
24** MechaShow: Stories centered around [[HumongousMecha piloted giant robots]].
25*** RealRobotGenre: Military Science Fiction stories centered around mecha.
26*** SuperRobotGenre: Stories centered around [[SuperheroStories superheroic]] depictions of mecha.
27** MilitaryScienceFiction: Science fiction centered around technology's evolution in warfare.
28** MundaneDogmatic: Hard sci-fi that focuses on mundane elements.
29** MutantMedia: Stories centered around [[{{Mutants}} mutants or mutated creatures]].
30** NewWaveScienceFiction: A more [[LitFic literary]] and [[{{Postmodernism}} experimental]] form of sci-fi that was popular in the [[TheSixties the 1960s]] and [[TheSeventies 1970s]].
31** PastoralScienceFiction: Sci-fi stories set in the countryside which depicts the simple, peaceful life in rural areas.
32** PlanetaryRomance: Heroic Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery-like stories set on alien planets or in the distant future.
33** RobotAndAIWorks: Stories about robots and/or artificial intelligences.
34** SpaceOpera: Epic-scale action/adventure stories set in space (often visiting several alien planets along the way).
35** SpaceWestern: Sci-fi stories inspired by old Westerns, with outer space and alien worlds as the 'new frontier'.
36** SpeculativeBiology: Sci-fi stories about hypothetical evolution of creatures.
37** SpeculativeDocumentary: Sci-fi documentaries that use hypothetical to educate viewers on real world science.
38** TimeTravelTales: Sci-fi stories centered around travelling temporally to another time period.
39** TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Sci-fi stories that are set only a few years/decades from the present day, as opposed to centuries in the future.
40** VideoGameStories: Stories set in fictional and/or futuristic video games.
41[[/folder]]
42
43[[folder:Fantasy]]
44* '''{{Fantasy}}''': The fiction of magic and mythology.
45** AngelWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[AngelicTropes Angels]].
46** ComicFantasy: Fantasy blended with comedy (often lighthearted and parodic).
47** DarkFantasy: Fantasy blended with horror.
48** DeityFiction: Stories centered around gods and/or demigods.
49** DemonWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[InfernalTropes Demons]].
50** DragonWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[DragonTropes Dragons]].
51** ElfWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[ElfTropes Elves]].
52** {{Fable}}: Short stories that teach a moral, often through anthropomorphized animals and other beings.
53** FairyFiction: Fantasy works themed around [[FairyTropes Fairies]].
54** FairyTale: Short fantasy stories, often with some kind of message or aesop, and heavy on symbolism.
55*** FracturedFairyTale: A [[{{Parody}} parodic]] or DarkerAndEdgier take on a fairy tale, usually with subversive elements to them.
56** GenieWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[GenieTropes Genies]].
57** GhostFiction: Stories centered around ghosts.
58** GoblinWorks: Fantasy works themed around [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Goblins]].
59** HeroicFantasy: Fantasy with a High Fantasy-type setting but smaller-scale conflicts and more personal stakes.
60** HeavyMithril: Fantasy-themed HeavyMetal.
61** HighFantasy: Fantasy with epic-scale action/adventure, the epitome of which is ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.
62** HistoricalFantasy: Fantasy set during periods of history from our own world.
63** LeprechaunFiction: Fantasy works themed around {{Leprechaun}}s.
64** LowFantasy: Fantasy that downplays and/or deconstructs the more fantastical elements of the genre.
65** MagicRealism: "Hey! You got magic in my whimsical [[LitFic literary epic]]!"
66** MagicalLand: A SubGenre of High Fantasy in itself, and common in works for children. This overlaps with Modern Fantasy.
67** MedievalEuropeanFantasy: Fantasy stories with settings that closely resemble Medieval Europe.
68** MermaidMedia: Stories about mermaids.
69** MummyMedia: Stories about living/undead mummies (as in mummified corpses, not mothers).
70** MundaneFantastic: Fantasy elements intrude on mundane everyday life.
71** {{Mythopoeia}}: Fictional mythologies, or 'myth-making'.
72** ParanormalRomance: Romance stories with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and occasionally horror.
73** SupernaturalSoapOpera: A {{soap opera}} where fantasy elements and beings are commonplace.
74** SlowLifeFantasy: Fantasy starring a protagonist that ignores greater conflicts for unremarkable concerns.
75** SwordAndSandal: Epic action/adventure stories set in ancient times (particularly Ancient Greece or Rome); the ones that delve into mythology especially count while others aim to be more grounded.
76** SwordAndSorcery: Heroic Fantasy, only ''much'' DarkerAndEdgier in terms of characters and settings (often BloodierAndGorier too).
77** TrollTales: Fictional works about [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]].
78** UnicornWorks: Stories about unicorns.
79** UrbanFantasy: Fantasy set in modern times (or modern for when it was released), including often being set in actual urban environments.
80** VampireFiction: Stories about vampires.
81*** VampireDetectiveSeries: Vampires solve mysteries and fight crime.
82** WerebeastWorks: Stories about werebeasts.
83*** WerewolfWorks: Stories about werewolves.
84** WitchWorks: Stories about witches.
85** {{Wuxia}}: Chinese Heroic Fantasy, with [[KnightErrant all]] [[ImplausibleFencingPowers the]] [[TheQuest elements]]. Usually marketed as LitFic outside China.
86*** SpiritCultivationGenre: Chinese High Fantasy, with a focus on [[TheAgeless immortal heroes]] with SupernaturalMartialArts and FullContactMagic.
87** LitRPG: Literary Role Playing Game
88[[/folder]]
89
90[[folder:Horror]]
91* '''{{Horror}}''': The fiction of [[NightmareFuel fear and terror]]. [[note]]Usually (though not always) mixed with fantasy or sci-fi elements.[[/note]]
92** {{Cosmic Horror|Story}}: Horror fiction in which the threat comes from mysterious, powerful and malevolent entities that are difficult (if not impossible) to fully understand.
93** DigitalHorror: Horror focusing on digital media, often using nostalgia to its advantage.
94** GothicHorror: Horror stories with heavy emphasis on Romanticism (sometimes including an actual romance arc), and often focusing on mystery and symbolism; had a great deal of influence upon many modern Speculative Fiction genres/sub-genres.
95** ExplorerHorror: Video game genre in which the player goes through a horror story with emphasis on exploration, puzzle-solving and atmosphere over fighting enemies.
96** FoundFootage: Horror taken with an InUniverseCamera.
97*** AnalogHorror: A more recent WebOriginal subgenre of Found Footage, most often in the form of TV broadcasts and VHS tapes.
98** HorrorComedy: Can refer to {{Comedy}} stories which parody horror tropes for laughs ([[BlackComedy often in a very morbid manner]]) or Horror stories which use comedic scenes.
99** MascotHorror: A video-game only variant that involves a horror story marketed by a seemingly child-friendly mascot, often with themes of SubvertedKidsShow. Related to but distinct from other cases of horror media with mascots (i.e. slasher films, creepypastas).
100** PsychologicalHorror: Horror stories centered around how the events impact the characters' psyches and vice versa.
101*** PsychosexualHorror: A subgenre that explores psychosexual development as a subject matter, including themes of sexual development and sexual activities.
102** ReligiousHorror: Horror stories inspired by or based around organized religions.
103*** FolkHorror: Horror stories inspired or based around folklore (particularly those outside or predating Abrahamic religions).
104** SplatterHorror: Horror that uses the [[BloodyHorror fragility of the human body]] to scare.
105** SurrealHorror: Horror that relies on strange or bizarre imagery in order to unsettle viewers. Essentially, it's what you would expect from an actual nightmare.
106** SurvivalHorror: Video game genre where the player has to survive a horror story against overwhelming odds and with limited resources. Very frequently feature supernatural or fantastical threats and scenarios.
107** WorkplaceHorror: Horror can take place in the mundane setting of a job. There's often an expectation to keep performing your job regardless of what monsters, stalkers, or conspiracies are lurking around the shelves and office cubicles, despite your own survival instincts telling you to get out of there.
108[[/folder]]
109
110[[folder:Punk]]
111* '''PunkPunk''': When speculative elements meet social commentary, philosophy, action, and intrigue.
112** TheApunkalypse: Sci-fi stories set AfterTheEnd (or JustBeforeTheEnd) with emphasis on societal collapse, rising anarchy and tribalism, and cool punk-inspired outfits.
113** BioPunk: Sci-fi stories that focus on the issues and dangers of biological-based technology.
114** {{Capepunk}}: Stories that deconstruct and/or present superheroes in a more grounded manner.
115** CattlePunk: Steam Punk meets the Western.
116** ClockPunk: Sci-fi stories set in/inspired by the Renaissance era (14th century to 17th century).
117** {{Cyberpunk}}: Punk fiction's firstborn child; often focusing on the dangers of misusing technology and corporate greed.
118*** CyberpunkForFlavor: Stories where cyberpunk elements and aesthetics are included, but they don't strictly fall under the cyberpunk banner.
119*** PostCyberpunk: Reconstruction of and/or more idealistic take on cyberpunk.
120** DesertPunk: Sci-fi stories with a desert setting and appropriate technology.
121** DieselPunk: Sci-fi with settings and technology inspired by the early-20th century (usually no later than the 1940s).
122** {{Mythpunk}}: Classical folklore and fairy tales with a hyper-poetic postmodern flavor.
123** OceanPunk: Sci-fi stories with ocean settings and appropriate technology.
124** RaygunGothic: Sci-fi based around/inspired by what people in the mid-twentieth century thought the future would be like.
125** SandalPunk: Sci-fi/fantasy stories set in/inspired by ancient cultures/civilizations (Bronze Age at earliest, anything just before the Middle Ages at latest).
126** ScavengedPunk: Stories featuring settings and cultures based around scavenging and repurposing things, especially technology.
127** SolarPunk: Sci-fi with an emphasis on eco-friendly technology and living in harmony with the natural world.
128** SteamPunk: Sci-fi stories with settings and technology inspired by the 19th century, especially the Victorian Era.
129** StonePunk: Sci-fi taking place in prehistoric-inspired settings, with primitive Stone-Age technology.
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Other Genres]]
133* Hybrid sub-genres that [[GenreBusting straddle category boundaries]], and other major sub-genres of speculative fiction.
134** ActionHorror: Horror stories in which the human protagonists are {{action hero}}es who fight back against the monsters.
135** {{Afrofuturism}}: Fantasy and science fiction with a Black/African aesthetic.
136** AlternateHistory: WhatIf stories about radical changes to world history. Can often (though not always) involve fantasy or sci-fi elements.
137** BeastFable: A story presents an aesop or allegory about a real-world issue using animal characters.
138** BizarroFiction: Literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store.
139** DungeonPunk: An {{adventure friendly|World}} smashup of Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Punk, and TwoFistedTale; heavy on the [[SlidingScaleOfShinyVersusGritty grit]].
140** FantasticComedy: A comic work, usually a sitcom, with minor but central fantastical elements.
141** FantasticNoir: A story with the plot structure of a FilmNoir mystery story with the more colorful elements of fantasy and sci-fi.
142** FeministFantasy: Fantasy and sci-fi stories with strong female protagonists, often exploring themes around female empowerment and equality, etc.
143** GaslampFantasy: Whimsical hybrid of punk and fantasy, generally lighthearted or dramatic.
144** GothicPunk: Hybrid of GothicHorror and punk with a predominantly dark flavor.
145** KaijuWorks: Fantasy or sci-fi works themed around {{Kaiju}}s.
146** MagicalGirl: Young female superheroes with magic-based powers.
147*** MagicalGirlGenreDeconstruction: A DarkerAndEdgier, [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructive]] flavor of the Magical Girl genre.
148** MonsterMedia: Fantasy or sci-fi works themed around [[OurMonstersAreDifferent various or miscellaneous monsters]].
149*** MonsSeries: Fantasy or sci-fi works themed around {{Mon}}s.
150** NewWeird: Non-derivative horror, sci-fi, and fantasy mostly blended together.
151** ParanormalInvestigation: A mix of the supernatural and the scientific, with a variable level of the fantastic to the mundane.
152** PostApocalyptic: Stories set AfterTheEnd.
153** PsychicStories: Fictional works about those with PsychicPowers.
154** ScienceFantasy: {{Hybrid|Genre}}ized sci-fi and fantasy elements.
155** SciFiHorror: Science-fiction played for horror.
156*** SpaceIsolationHorror: Sci-fi horror stories where the horror is primarily sourced from being trapped in the vastness of space.
157** SlipstreamGenre: Weird next-door neighbor to {{realism}}, who may or may not be an alien wizard.
158** SpeculativeFictionLGBT: Sci-fi and fantasy with prominent LGBT themes.
159** SuperheroStories: Sci-fi/fantasy stories about people with superhuman powers/abilities, who use them to [[{{Superhero}} fight]] (or [[{{Supervillain}} commit]]) crime.
160** SupernaturalFiction: It's all about ghosts, witches, suspense, and mystery. They tend to be more grounded compared to other fantasy works, such as by only focusing on one or two fantastical elements and how ordinary people react to this.
161** TwoFistedTales: Works inspired by the {{pulp magazine}}s of the early 20th century.
162** WeirdWest: TheWestern combined with fantastical and[=/=]or speculative elements.
163** {{Xenofiction}}: Stories that try to realistically/believably present the narrative from the perspective of non-human characters (especially animals); they sometimes overlap with other genres by including more fantastical elements.
164** ZombieStories: Stories about zombies.
165[[/folder]]
166[[/index]]

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