# List of science fiction themes

The following is a list of articles about recurring themes in science fiction.

## Overarching themes

* First contact with aliens
* Artificial intelligence
** Machine rule/Cybernetic revolt/AI takeover
* Extraterrestrials in fiction
* End of humanity: Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
* The future
** Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: Apocalypses or worldwide disasters and new societies that develop after the event
* History
** Alternate history
** Scientific prediction of the future (e.g. psychohistory)
* Human fears: List of science fiction horror films
* Language
** Alien languages (e.g. Klingon, Huttese)
** The Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis (e.g. Babel 17, The Languages of Pao)
** Universal translators (e.g. Babel fish)
* Military/conflicts
** Interstellar war
** Weapons in science fiction
* Parallel worlds or multiverse
* Philosophies and philosophical ideas
* Sex and sexuality
** LGBT themes
** Gender
** Reproduction and pregnancy
* Simulated reality and consciousness
* Social science fiction
* Technological singularity
* Themes of fantasy fiction

## Beings and entities

* Artificial intelligences
** Androids and Gynoid
** Artificial life
** Biological robot
** Cyborgs
** Robots and humanoid robots
** Replicants
** Simulated consciousness
* Characters
** The Absent-minded professor
** The Golem
** The Mad Scientist
** Redshirt
** Space Pirate
** Super Soldier
* Clones
* Dinosaurs
* Extraterrestrial life
** Hypothetical types of biochemistry
** Alien invasion
** Astrobiology
** God-like aliens
*** Principles of non-interference (e.g. Prime Directive)
*** Message from space
* Living planets (both sentient and non-sentient)
* Hive minds
* Infomorphs—memories, characters, and consciences of persons being uploaded to a computer or storage media
* Mutants
* Shapeshifters
* Superhumans
* Superorganisms
* Symbionts
* UFOs
* Uplifting—using technology to "raise" non-human animals to human evolutionary levels
** Ancient astronauts
** Progressor

## Body and mind alterations

* Biohacking/Amateur biotechnicians
* Artificial organs
* Additional or improved senses
** X-ray vision
* Cloning
* Exocortex
* Genetic engineering
** Super race
* Intelligence amplification
* Invisibility
* Life extension, Biological immortality, Universal immortalism and immortality
** Cryonics
** Digital immortality
** Mind uploading
** Organ transplantation
** Organlegging
* Prosthetics
* Memory
** Memory erasure/editing
** Memory sharing
*** Group mind
** Mind control
** Mind swap
** Mind uploading
** Neural implants to directly interface with machinery
* Psi powers and psychic phenomena
** Clairvoyance
** Precognition
** Pyrokinesis
** Retrocognition
** Telepathy
** Telekinesis
* Parasitism
* Psychedelia
* Resizing (size-changing, miniaturization, magnification, shrinking, and enlargement)
* Shapeshifting
* Superhuman strength
* Teleportation
* Transhumanism and Posthumanism

## Habitats

* Artificial worlds
* Alien Zoo—a zoo where humans are kept as exhibits
* Arcologies—enormous habitats (hyperstructures) of extremely high human population density
* Cyberspace—the new, virtual territory of societal interaction
* Domed city
* Floating city
* Future of the Earth
** Climate change—science fiction dealing with effects of anthropogenic climate change and global warming at the end of the Holocene era
* Megacity
* Pastoral science fiction—science fiction set in rural, bucolic, or agrarian worlds, either on Earth or on Earth-like planets, in which advanced technologies are downplayed.
* Seasteading and ocean colonization
** Pirate utopia
* Reality Television
* Space colonization
** Colonization of the Moon
** Ecumenopolis
** Pantropy
** Other planets
*** Desert planet
**** Mars
** Terraformed planets
* Space stations and habitats
* Underground city

## Political themes

* Adhocracy
* Anarcho-capitalism
* Capitalism
** Evil corporation
** Megacorporation
** Neo-feudalism
* Cognitive liberty
* Dystopias and utopias
** Environmental pollution
** Overpopulation
** Technological utopianism
** Totalitarianism
* Galactic empires
* Government by algorithm
* Legal personality
* Libertarianism
* Mass surveillance
* Mind reading and mind control
* National security state
* Post-scarcity economy
* Socialism
** Nanosocialism
* Technoethics
** Bioethics
* Technophobia
* Techno-progressivism
* Terrorism
** Bio-terrorism
** Eco-terrorism
* Totalitarianism vs. Libertarianism

## Technologies

* Artificial gravity
* Artificial intelligence
* Asteroid mining
* Astronomical engineering
* Brain–computer interface
* Cloaking device
* Emerging technologies
* Robots
* Self-replicating machines
* Simulated reality
* Star lifting and stellar engineering
* Stasis device
* Mecha
* Megascale engineering and planetary engineering
** Megastructures
** Dyson sphere
* Molecular manufacturing and Nanotechnology
** Molecular assembler
* Alien technology
* Virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality
** Infosphere
** Metaverse
* Weapons in science fiction

## Travel

* Accidental travel
* Colonization of other planets, moons, asteroids, etc.
** Embryo space colonization
** Generation ship
** Interstellar ark
** Uploaded astronaut
** Terraforming
* Space exploration
** Interstellar travel/Starships
*** Faster-than-light travel and communications
**** Hyperspace
**** Slipstream
**** Warp drives
**** Wormholes
**** Ansibles
*** Close to light speed
**** Bussard ramjets
**** Ursula K. Le Guin's NAFAL ships, and the Twin paradox
*** Much slower than light
**** Generation ship
**** Sleeper ship
** Space stations
* Teleportation
** Teletransporter
* Time travel
** Alternate history: time travel can be used as a plot device to explore parallel universes. While alternate history has its own category (see above), it often occurs in time travel stories as well.
** Alternate future
** Time loop
* Travel to the Earth's center
** Hollow Earth