Speculative Fiction Tropes - Television Tropes & Idioms

Tropes that are specific to Speculative Fiction, encompassing Science Fiction, Fantasy, and everything in between...

See also:

The Grand List Of Overused Science Fiction Cliches
Turkey City Lexicon

Tropes:

Absent Aliens
Absurdly Sharp Blade
Abusive Precursors
Adam And Eve Plot
Aesoptinum
A Form You Are Comfortable With
Agony Beam
AIs
AI Is A Crapshoot
Airborne Aircraft Carrier
Alien Abduction
Alien Arts Are Appreciated
Alien Invasion
- How To Invade An Alien Planet
Alien Kudzu
Aliens Of London
Alien Sky
Aliens Are Bastards
Aliens Speaking English
Aliens Steal Cable
The Alliance
All Myths Are True
All Nations Are Superpowers
All Planets Are Earth Like
All The Myriad Ways
Alternate Reality Episode
Alternate Universe
Alternative Calendar
Amazon Brigade
Ambiguously Human
Amusing Alien
Anatomy Arsenal
Ancient Astronauts
Ancient Conspiracy
- Milkman Conspiracy
Ancient Tradition
And Man Grew Proud
Androids And Detectives
Animate Inanimate Object
- Living Ship
- Living Toys
Antagonists Assimilate
Apocalypse How
Apocalypse Wow
Apocalyptic Log
Applied Phlebotinum
Arbitrary Maximum Range
Arbitrary Skepticism
Area 51
Arm Cannon
Artificial Gravity
Artificial Limbs
Ascended Fanboy
A Shared Suffering
As You Wish
Asteroid Miners
Asteroid Thicket
Atlantis Is Boring
Aura Vision
Automaton Horses
Ave Machina
Baby Planet
Bad Blue Lighting
Bad Moon Rising
Balance Between Good And Evil
Balkanize Me
Barrier Busting Blow
The Battlestar
Because Destiny Says So
Become A Real Boy
Becoming The Genie
Beethoven Was An Alien Spy
Benevolent Alien Invasion
Benevolent Genie
Beware Of Hitchhiking Ghosts
Big Dumb Object
Big Fat Future
Bio Augmentation
Bizarre Alien Biology
- Spare Body Parts
Bizarre Baby Boom
Blade Below The Shoulder
Blind Jump
Blood Sport
Body Snatcher
- Body Surf
Boldly Coming
Books That Bite
Brain In A Jar
Brain Uploading
The Bridge
Call A Rabbit A Smeerp
- Call A Smeerp A Rabbit
California Doubling
- BBC Quarry
- Here There Be Lions
- Kirks Rock
Can Only Move The Eyes
Can't Argue With Elves
Capital Letters Are Magic
Captains Log
Cargo Cult
Casual Interstellar Travel
Catchy AI
Chest Burster
City In A Bottle
Clap Your Hands If You Believe
Clarke's Third Law
Clockwork Creature
Cloning Blues
- Clone Degeneration
- Clone Jesus
Coca Pepsi Inc
Coconut Superpowers
Cold Sleep Cold Future
Colony Drop
Color Coded Wizardry
Coming In Hot
Compound Interest Time Travel Gambit
The Computer Is Your Friend
Connecticut Yankee
Conspiracy Placement
Contemporary Caveman
Continuous Decompression
Contagious Powers
Cool Airship
Cool Boat
Cool But Inefficient
Cool Gate
Cool Horse
Cool Chair
Cool Starship
Cosmic Keystone
Cosy Catastrophe
Counter-Earth
Crazy Cultural Comparison
Creative Sterility
Creepy Monotone
Crossing The Streams
Crossover Cosmology
Crush Kill Destroy
Crystal Clear Picture
Crystal Spires And Togas
Cult Colony
Culture Clash
Curse Escape Clause
Cut The Juice
Cyborg
Dawn Of An Era
Days Of Future Past
Dead To Begin With
Death From Above
Death Ray
Deaths Hourglass
Death World
Decade Dissonance
Decontamination Chamber
Deflector Shields
Demi Human
Demon Slaying
Depopulation Bomb
Detachment Combat
Deus Est Machina
Deus Sex Machina
Devil But No God
Dhampyr
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu
- Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu
Did You Just Scam Cthulhu
Did We Just Have Tea With Cthulhu?
Dilating Door
Die Or Fly
Disappears Into Light
Discount Lesbians
Disintegrator Ray
Disposable Superhero Maker
Distress Call
Divided States Of America
Divine Ranks
Do Androids Dream
Do Anything Robot
Doing In The Scientist
Doing In The Wizard
Dolphins Dolphins Everywhere
Do Not Adjust Your Set
Down The Rabbit Hole
Dramatic Space Drifting
Dreaming Of Things To Come
Drop Ship
Dyson Sphere
Dystopian Edict
Earth Is The Center Of The Universe
Earth Shattering Kaboom
Earth That Was
Easily Detachable Robot Parts
Easily Thwarted Alien Invasion
Elaborate Underground Base
Elemental Baggage
Elvis Has Left The Planet
Elvis Lives
Emergency Transformation
Emotion Bomb
Emotions Vs Stoicism
End Of An Age
The End Of The World As We Know It
End Of The World Special
Enemies With Death
Energy Economy
Energy Weapon
- Frickin Laser Beams
- Laser Blade
- Wave Motion Gun
Escape Pod
E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi
Eternal English
Eternal Prohibition
Eternal Recurrence
Ethnic Magician
Everyone Is A Super
Evil Costume Switch
Evil Detecting Baby
Evil Detecting Dog
Evil Hand
Evil Me Scares Me
Evilutionary Biologist
Evil Weapon
Evolutionary Levels
Evolutionary Stasis
Exotic Equipment
Explosive Decompression
- Thrown Out The Airlock
Explosions In Space
Expo Label
Exposition Intuition
Expospeak
Express Delivery
Extra Strength Masquerade
Exty Years From Now
The Eyes Have It
Face Full Of Alien Wing Wong
Failsafe Failure
The Fair Folk
Fan Of The Past
Fantastic Arousal
Fantastic Caste System
Fantastic Nuke
Fantastic Racism
- Fantastic Slurs
Fantastic Religious Weirdness
Fantasy Axis Of Evil
Fantasy Gun Control
Fantasy Kitchen Sink
Fantasy Pantheon
Fantasy World Map
- Left Justified Fantasy Map
Faster Than Light Travel
Familiar
The Federation
Feed It With Fire
Fetish Fuel Future
Feudal Future
Fight Off The Kryptonite
First Contact
First Contact Math
Fish People
Five Races
Flat Earth Atheist
Flawed Prototype
Flesh Versus Steel
Fling A Light Into The Future
Floating Continent
Flying Saucers
The Fog Of Ages
Food Pills
Forgotten Phlebotinum
Freak Lab Accident
From A Single Cell
Future Badass
Future Imperfect
Future Music
Future Slang
Gaias Lament
GaiasVengeance
Gattaca Babies
Gender Rarity Value
Gendercide
Generation Ships
Generican Empire
Genetic Engineering Is The New Nuke
Genetic Memory
Genie In A Bottle
The Genie In The Machine
Genocide Dilemma
Ghost In The Machine
Giant Flyer
Glamour Failure
Goddamn Orks
God Job
Going Critical
Golem
Government Drug Enforcement
Gone Horribly Wrong
- Gone Horribly Right
Grey Goo
Grows On Trees
Half Human Hybrid
Harmony Versus Discipline
Hate Plague
Have You Tried Not Being A Monster
Heart Trauma
Heavyworlder
Heinz Hybrid
Hellhound
Hemisphere Bias
Here There Be Dragons
Heroic Lineage
Hive Caste System
Hive Mind
Holodeck Malfunction
Hologram
Holographic Terminal
Homemade Inventions
Homosexual Reproduction
Horde Of Alien Locusts
Horse Of A Different Color
Hour Of Power
Hover Board
How Unscientific
Huge Holographic Head
Hugh Mann
Human Aliens
Humanity's Wake
Humanoid Aliens
Human Mom Nonhuman Dad
Human Popsicle
Human Resources
Humanity Is Superior
Humans Are Flawed
Humans Are Special
Humans Are Bastards
Humans Are Psychic In The Future
Humans Are Ugly
Humans Are Warriors
Humans By Any Other Name
Hunter Of His Own Kind
Hurl It Into The Sun
Hyperspeed Escape
Hyperspace Is A Scary Place
I Can't See Myself
I Come In Peace
I Know That Gun
I Love Nuclear Power
I Say What I Say
Im Having Soul Pains
Im Melting
Imaginary Enemy
Immortal Life Is Cheap
Immortality Immorality
Immune To Bullets
Infinite Supplies
Innocent Aliens
Inside A Computer System
Insignificant Little Blue Planet
In Space Everyone Can See Your Face
In Spite Of A Nail
Instant AI Just Add Water
Instant Cooldown
Insufficiently Advanced Alien
Intangible Man
Intelligent Gerbil
Interplanetary Voyage
Interspecies Romance
In The Future Humans Will Be One Race
Invisible Aliens
Invocation
In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves
ISO Standard Human Spaceship
It Only Works Once
It's A Small World After All
Jackass Genie
Jigsaw Puzzle Plot
The Jor El
Julius Beethoven Da Vinci
Jungle Opera
Jungle Princess
Jury Of The Damned
Just One Second Out Of Sync
Kill And Replace
Killed To Uphold The Masquerade
Killer Robot
Kill All Humans
Kill It With Water
Kill Sat
Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better
The Kingdom
Kiss Me, I'm Virtual
The Kobayashi Maru
Kryptonite Factor
- Kryptonite Ring
Landfill Beyond The Stars
Law Of Alien Names
Literal Surveillance Bug
Least Common Skin Tone
Lensman Arms Race
Ley Line
The Library Of Babel
Lie To The Beholder
Life Energy
Lightning Gun
Lilliputians
Lilliputian Warriors
Liquid Assets
Literal Genie
- Wishplosion
Literary Work Of Magic
Loads And Loads Of Races
Lockdown
- Trapped In Containment
Look On My Works Ye Mighty And Despair
Losing Your Head
Lost Colony
Lovecraft Lite
Lowest Cosmic Denominator
Low Low Fantasy
Ludd Was Right
Luke Nounverber
MacGuffin Girl
Machine Monotone
Made Of Phlebotinum
Mad Scientist Laboratory
Magic And Powers
Magic Carpet
Magic Feather
Magic Genetics
The Magic Goes Away
The Magic Versus Technology War
Magicians Are Wizards
Magic Pants
Magic-Powered Pseudoscience
Magic Versus Science
Magitek
The Magocracy
Malus Ex Machina
Manchurian Agent
Mars Needs Women
Masquerainment
Mithril
Matrix Raining Code
May Contain Evil
Masquerade
- The Unmasqued World
Meanwhile In The Future
Mechanical Horse
Mechanical Lifeforms
Mechanical Monster
Mega Corp
Menstrual Menace
Mental World
Mercurial Base
Metamorphosis Monster
Metaphysical Fuel
Methuselah Syndrome
The Metric System Is Here To Stay
Mexico Called They Want Texas Back
Microts
Middle Eastern Coalition
Mid Season Upgrade
Mike Nelson Destroyer Of Worlds
The Milky Way Is The Only Way
Military Mashup Machine
Military Science Fiction
Mind Hive
A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Read
Mini Mecha
Minovsky Particle
Mix-And-Match Man
Mobile Suit Human
Mohs Scale Of Science Fiction Hardness
Monster Of The Week
More Than Infinite
The Morlocks
The Mothership
Mundane Utility
Muggle Foster Parents
Mulder Moment
Mutant Draft Board
The Multiverse
Murderous Mannequin
Mutants
My Sensors Indicate You Want To Tap That
My Skull Runneth Over
My Species Doth Protest Too Much
Mysterious Antarctica
A Mythology Is True
Named After Their Planet
Naming Your Colony World
Nanomachines
Nay Theist
The Necrocracy
Negative Space Wedgie
Never The Selves Shall Meet
Neural Implanting
Neuro Vault
The Neutral Zone
Never Recycle Your Schemes
New Eden
New Neo City
No Big Deal
No Biochemical Barriers
No Blood For Phlebotinum
No Conservation Of Energy
No Control Group
No Endor Holocaust
No Immortal Inertia
No New Fashions In The Future
No Paper Future
No Seat Belts
No Sex Allowed
No Such Thing As Space Jesus
No Such Thing As Wizard Jesus
No Transhumanism Allowed
Not The Nessie
No Waterproofing In The Future
Non Mammal Mammaries
Note To Self
Not Using The Z Word
Not Wearing Tights
No Warping Zone
Now Do It Again Backwards
Nuke Em
Numbered Homeworld
Of The People
Old School Dogfighting
One Federation Limit
One World Order
Only Fatal To Adults
Only The Author Can Save Them Now
Only You Can Repopulate My Race
Operator Incompatibility
Opposite Sex Clone
Order Reborn
Organic Technology
Organ Theft
Our Doors Are Different
Our Dwarves Are All The Same
Our Giants Are Bigger
Our Monsters Are Different
Our Wormholes Are Different
Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions
Out Of Time Out Of Mind
Pals With Jesus
Panspermia
Pardon My Klingon
Patrick Stewart Speech
Patronymic
People Farms
People Jars
Perfect Pacifist People
Person Of Mass Destruction
Personality Chip
Phantasy Spelling
- Magick
Phantom Zone Picture
Phlebotinum Induced Stupidity
Phlebotinum Killed The Dinosaurs
Pick Your Human Half
Pinocchio Syndrome
Place Of Protection
Planar Shockwave
Planet Eater
Planet Looters
Plausible Deniability
Playing With Syringes
Plot Relevant Age Up
Pluto Is Expendable
Popsicle Splat
Population Control
Portal Network
Portal Splat
Portal To The Past
Post Modern Magik
The Power Of Love
Powers That Be
Precursors
- Neglectful Precursors
- Precursor Killers
Prime Directive
Projected Man
Prophecies Rhyme All The Time
Psychic Link
- Hive Mind
Psychoactive Powers
Psycho Prototype
Psycho Serum
Pulling Themselves Together
Puny Earthlings
The Puppetmasters
Puppies Are Precious Strawberries Are Steep
The Quest
Ragnarok Proofing
Ramming Always Works
Ram Scoop
Random Teleportation
Rape Is Okay If Its Divine On Mortal
Ray Gun
Raygun Gothic
Recursive Reality
Red Alert
Reentry Scare
Refugee From TV Land
Ret Gone
Ribcage Ridge
Richard Nixon The Used Car Salesman
Ridiculous Future Inflation
Ridiculously Human Robots
Robeast
Robosexual
Robo Speak
Robotic Reveal
Robot Maid
Room101
Roswell That Ends Well
Saharan Shipwreck
Sand Is Water
Sand Worm
Salvage Pirates
San Dimas Time
Save The Day Turn Away
Scale Of Scientific Sins
Scannable Man
Scary Dogmatic Aliens
The Schlub Pub Seduction Deduction
Science Cannot Comprehend Phlebotinum
Science Fiction Versus Fantasy
Science Marches On
Scifi Ghetto
Sci Fi Name Buzzwords
Sci Fi Writers Have No Sense Of Scale
Screw You Elves
Script Reading Doors
Second Chance
Secret Government Warehouse
Secret Handshake
Secret Mutant Hero Team
Seeker White Blood Cells
See Thru Specs
Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Send In The Clones
Sexbot
Shapeshifter Guilt Trip
Shapeshifting Squick
Shattered World
Sheep In Wolf's Clothing
Shiny Looking Spaceships
Shooting Superman
Showing Off The New Body
Silicon Based Life
Silly Reason For War
Single Biome Planet
Single Line Of Descent
The Singularity
Single Phlebotinum Limit
Skeletons In The Coat Closet
Skepticism Failure
Skeptic No Longer
Sky Surfing
Sliding Scale Of Realistic Versus Fantastic
Small Universe After All
Some Kind Of Force Field
Someone Has To Do It
Something For Everyone
Society Marches On
Soul Jar
Soylent Soy
Space Amish
Space Base
Space Battle
Space Brasilia
Space Cadet
Space Clothes
Space Cold War
Space Cossacks
Space Elevator
Space Filling Empire
Space Friction
Space Is An Ocean
- Space Sailing
Space Is Cold
Space Is Magic
Space Is Noisy
Space Is Slow Motion
Space Madness
Space Marine
Space Navy
Space Pirates
Space Plane
Space Police
Space Romans
Space Station
Space Whale
Special Effect Branding
Speculative Documentary
Speculative Fiction Tropes
Spell Book
Spice Of Life
Split At Birth
Spock Speak
Square Cube Law
Stalker With A Test Tube
Standardized Space Views
Standard Sci Fi Setting
Standard Time Units
Stanley Steamer Spaceship
The Stars Are Going Out
Starfish Aliens
Starfish Language
Starship Luxurious
Star Scraper
Stat O Vision
Stay With The Aliens
Stealth In Space
Story Breaker Power
Storyboarding The Apocalypse
Strange Syntax Speaker
Straw Vulcan
Streaming Stars
Street Samurai
Subspace Or Hyperspace
- Subspace Ansible (FTL Radio)
Sufficiently Advanced Alien
Summon Everyman Hero
Sunken City
Super Hero Speciation
Super Multi Purpose Room
Super Powered Robot Meter Maids
Super Soldier
Supervillain Lair
Superweapon Surprise
Super Wheel Chair
Suspended Animation
Swiss Army Appendage
The Symbiote
Takes One To Kill One
Talking In Your Dreams
Talking Lightbulb
Technology Levels
Technopath
Techno Wizard
Technological Pacifist
Teleporters And Transporters
- Portal Cut
- Portal Splat
- Random Teleportation
- Tele Frag
Telescoping Robot
The Television Talks Back
Theme Table
Terminator Twosome
Terraform
Thank The Maker
That's No Moon
That Sounds Familiar
The Game Come To Life
There Are No Global Consequences
The Trope History Of The Universe
They Called Me Mad
They Walk Among Us
Thunderbolt Iron
Time Abyss
Time Dilation
Time Stands Still
Time Travel
- Wrong Time Travel Savvy
Tinman Typist
Toasted Buns
Token Nonhuman
To Serve Man
Touch Of The Monster
Touched By Vorlons
Tower Of Babel
Tractor Beam
Translation Convention
Translator Collar
Translator Microbes
Transplanted Humans
Tretonin
Trigger Phrase
Tripod Terror
Tron Lines
Truly Single Parent
The Tunguska Event
Two-D Space
Two Of Your Earth Minutes
Ultimate Evil
Undead Tax Exemption
Unguided Lab Tour
Unit Confusion
United Europe
Universal Universe Time
Unnecessarily Large Interior
Unpredictable Results
Unusual User Interface
Upgrade Artifact
Uplifted Animal
Used Future
Useless Superpowers
Vampire Detective Series
Vampire Fiction
Veganopia
Vertebrate With Extra Limbs
Vertical Kidnapping
Very Loosely Based On A True Story
Vichy Earth
Vicious Cycle
Virtual Celebrity
Virus And Cure Names
Voice Of The Resistance
Waking Up At The Morgue
Walking Transplant
The Wall Around The World
Wayback Trip
Weapons That Suck
We Are As Mayflies
We Can Rebuild Him
We Will Not Have Appendixes In The Future
We Will Not Use Photoshop In The Future
We Will Not Use Stage Make Up In The Future
We Will Use Manual Labor In The Future
Weaksauce Weakness
Weaponized Exhaust
Weird Science
Wetware CPU
Whatevermancy
What Is This Thing You Call Love
What Measure Is A Non Super
Whedon'th Thyndrome
Which Me?
Who You Gonna Call
Why Am I Ticking
Why You Should Destroy The Planet Earth
The Wild Hunt
Win To Exit
Wishplosion
Witch Species
A Wizard Did It
Wizard Duel
Wizards From Outer Space
Wonder Twin Powers
World War III
The World Is Not Ready
World Shapes
- Flat World
- Hollow World
- Ring World Planet
- World In The Sky
World Sundering
Worthless Yellow Rocks
Year Inside Hour Outside
You No Take Candle
You Sexy Beast
Your Mind Makes It Real
Your Universe Or Mine
Zeerust
Zeppelins From Another World
Zeroes And Ones
Zero G Spot
Zeroth Law Rebellion

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