What is Science Fiction?

What is Science Fiction?

Science fiction, also often known as 'sci-fi',is a genre of literature that is imaginative and based around science. It relies heavily on scientific facts, theories, and principles as support for its settings, characters, themes, and plot. Many of the storylines and plots within pieces of science fiction are possible or plausible according to science.

Science fiction is usually futuristic and often presents alternative ways of life and living that are made possible by technological change. Science fiction novels are similar to fantasy in that they imagine alternative worlds that exist outside the realms of our real world.

If you want to take it right back to basics and understand more about what science is before delving into the world of science fiction, check out our science teaching wiki.

What are the five elements of Science Fiction story writing?

Similar to other forms of fiction writing, science fiction contains the usual elements of the novel. These include a specific setting, character development, plot (central conflict, complications, climactic events, resolution), themes, and structure.

1. Setting:Setting is the context in which a story or scene occurs and includes the time, place, and social environment. It is important to establish a setting in your story, so your readers can visualize and experience it. Science fiction settings tend to include space travel, new galaxies or futuristic times.
2. Character:A character is a person in a story; either a human, a fantasy character, mythical character or even an animal. Science fiction is no exception to this element of fiction writing and the characters in these stories often include aliens, time travellers and heroic adventurers.
3. Plot: The plot is the main event or events of a play, novel, film, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence. The plot of science fiction usually centres around technological discoveries, time travel and alien invasions.
4. Themes: Theme is the main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a story. Many of science fiction's most common themes include space travel, time travel, utopias and dystopias, and encounters with alien life forms.
5. Structure: A structure is the basic events of a story and how its plot unfolds. Science fiction stories are usually full of action, adventure and plot twists that make up the structure.

What are some main components of Science Fiction novels?

Here are some of the main features of science fiction novels:

• Time travel
• Teleportation
• Mind control, telepathy, and telekinesis
• Alien life forms, and mutants
• Space travel and exploration
• Parallel universes.

Can you think of any novels you've read recently that have any of these features?

What are some famous Science Fiction novels and writers?

Here are some examples of famous science fiction novels that you might have heard of or might want to check out. These novels have been crucial in defining the question 'what is science fiction?'

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of a gifted scientist called Frankenstein who creates a monster. However, the monster is not the perfect specimen that he imagined it to be – it turns out to be a hideous creature who is rejected by mankind and Frankenstein himself. We have lots of resources about Frankenstein for Key Stage 3 and 4 students that you can find here.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games depicts a story of a post-apocalyptic nation called Panem in North America that is run by the Capitol that exercises political control over the rest of the nation.
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This story is set in 2045 and follows Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality game. The discovery of this leads him to inherit the game creator’s fortune.

Check out this KS2 Creative Writing Science-Fiction PowerPoint and encourage your children to have a go at writing their own science fiction stories.

Where did Science Fiction originate from?

The exact origins and definitions of science fiction have been widely disputed, but the term science fiction was thought to have been invented in the 1920s by one of the first advocates for the genre, Hugo Gernsback. There are annual awards that began in 1953 by the World Science Fiction Society that was named after him and celebrate achievements of the top science fiction writers, editors, illustrators and films of the world.

Why is Science Fiction important?

The science fiction genre is an important genre, and it’s very popular, too. Science fiction often creates an opportunity for people to turn scientific theories into full stories about what is possible and/or imaginable. People use scientific facts to do things like:

• Suggest what could happen in the future.
• Explore what could happen if certain events or circumstances came to be.
• Suggest future consequences of technological and scientific advancements and innovation.

How to start a Science Fiction story

Starting a story in a new genre can be tricky, so how can you learn to start a science fiction story with your kids? Twinkl if here to help, check out a few of our pointers, tips and tricks to help you start your own science fiction story:

• Keep it short: For children who are writing their first stories, keeping it short can be the best way to perfect the key components of storytelling. Why not try a flash fiction Science Fiction story?
• Find your hook: Every great story needs a great opening line to hook in your reader. A strong beginning in a science fiction story will make the readers want to know more.
• Plan only one or two interesting characters: Interesting characters are one of the most important parts of any story. However, too many characters will make the story too complex, and the readers won't be able to tell them apart.
• Pick a common science fiction theme or trope: Most science fiction stories explore themes such as technology, aliens, adventure and space. Picking a common trope or theme from science fiction can help children focus on their stories. Try these common themes and tropes from science fiction stories:

  • Space exploration/ adventure

  • Advanced tech shows a glimpse of a future

  • The fate of the world is in the balance

  • Aliens invade Earth

For more support, here are just a few ways you could use the resources in this pack to teach children how to write a science fiction story:

• Open up the Story Starters PowerPoint presentation. This fantastic PowerPoint features a range of 'Continue the sci-fi story...' prompts, alongside illustrations to help inspire your pupils further. You could use one prompt a day to encourage your pupils to get stuck in with this topic.
• Print out the word mat as a visual aid for your class. You could challenge your pupils to write a paragraph or a short story that includes at least five of the words on the resource. This is a brilliant way to build vocabulary.
• Help your class to plan their story with the Story Question Prompts Posters. These feature questions about what the story will be like, such as 'What problems will your characters encounter?'. This teaches them how to structure a narrative.

Hard Science Fiction novels vs soft Science Fiction novels

Science fiction is divided into two broad categories: hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi. These terms are vague and flexible, but they give readers a good idea of what to expect from the novel before reading it. Here is the difference between these two types of sci-fi books:

• Hard sci-fi novels are based on scientific fact. They are inspired by “hard” natural sciences like chemistry, physics, and astronomy.
• Soft sci-fi novels can be either not scientifically accurate or they’re inspired by “soft” social sciences like psychology, anthropology, and sociology.

Mini Science Fiction quiz questions

Try these science-fiction quiz questions to see how well you can identify if a text is science fiction or not. Each question features a made-up story, and you have to guess whether you think it would fit in the science fiction genre or another genre. Try and answer all of these questions before scrolling down to find the answers!

1. A story about an alien teenager growing up on Mars whilst navigating his way through teenage life.
2. A story about a detective who has to follow a series of clues to catch a criminal.
3. A story about a princess who decides she doesn’t want to be a princess anymore, so she gives up her position and joins a regular school and tries to hide her past.
4. A story about a group of people whose flight takes a wrong turn and sends them to another planet.

Did you manage to answer all the questions? Try reading this wiki page again. You might find the answers you’re looking for.

Here’s the correct answer for each question:

1. This story would be a piece of science fiction.
2. This story is not a piece of science fiction – it falls into the detective and crime fiction genre.
3. This story would be a piece of teen fiction or young adult fiction.
4. This story would be a piece of science fiction.

If you got all four answers correctly, congratulations! If not, don’t worry – why not check out some of our teaching resources below to learn even more about science fiction?

More Science Fiction teaching resources

If you’re looking for more science fiction teaching resources, you’ve come to the right place. We have plenty of resources to teach your children about science fiction and why it’s important. We even have resources that will help your children to have a go at writing their science fiction!

At Twinkl, we create resources that are designed to save you some time and make your life a little bit easier, so you can strive for a better work-life balance. All you need to do to start using our resources is click ‘download now,’ print them out or stick them up on your whiteboard, and you’ll be set. So, what are you waiting for? Get downloading! Check out some of our favourite science fiction resources below:

• Pencil-Themed Science Fiction Story Writing Prompts: This set of pencil-themed science fiction story writing prompts will help bring your children’s science fiction writing to life and help transform their creative writing by providing prompts that tick off all the main features of the science fiction genre.

• KS2 Sci-Fi Story Writing Resource Pack: this sci-fi writing resource pack will help inspire your students and teach them all about how to write a science fiction story.

• A Galaxy Far Away: An Introduction to Science Fiction Lesson Pack: this lesson pack is a great way to introduce your students to the world of science fiction and teach them about the main components of science fiction texts.

How to write a Science Fiction story

We have a great collection of resources and support aids to help you teach your KS2 students how to write a science fiction story for themselves. Science fiction is a great experimental genre for children to write about because there are truly no bounds. These stories typically deal with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and alien life. Children can use their imagination to create exciting stories, building their knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and spelling along the way.

So, what are you waiting for? Download this KS2 Sci-Fi Story Writing Resource Pack and jump aboard the spaceship and share these inspiring writing prompts and resources with your pupils. You can go on an out-of-this-world adventure without even leaving the classroom.

Recommendations for a Science Fiction story

Now that we have learnt the basics of science fiction, how to write a science fiction story and how you can teach it in the classroom, what are some examples of a science fiction story you can read with your children? There are a lot of classic examples of science fiction writing that your older students might love to explore. These include 'Dune' by Frank Herbert, 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury, 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells and 'The War of the Worlds' by H.G. Wells. For more fantastic science fiction stories that you can bring into your classroom reading corner, try:

1. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer:Determined to restore his family’s fortunes and defeat the terrifying, crafty high-tech fairies with his cunning intelligence, Artemis Fowl is the inimitable twelve-year-old criminal mastermind at the heart of Colfer’s international bestseller.
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams:It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON'T PANIC.
3. The Danger Gang by Tom Fletcher:Franky can't wait to move to his new town - although he wishes he didn't have to leave his best friend Dani behind. But everything changes after the storm, when strange green lightning and powerful thunder crash down on the town. From that night on, the kids who live on Franky's street start to change. One by one, they become a little odd. A little unusual. A little... magical.