Welcome to Cyclopaedia 27: Hard Science Fiction. Cyclopaedia is a monthly article on the InnRoads Ministries website. My wife and I just finished watching the second season of The Expanse so my head is swimming with hard science fiction and visions of space. I remember the first time I read 2001: A Space Odyssey and being hooked by it, then later reading Andromeda Strain and being engaged so much by the science within my fiction. And recently, reading The Martian and being awed by it all. My passion for science as a kid has never diminished, and thus my love for hard science fiction mixes that passion for science with my fascination for the futurist views of science fiction. Engage your grav boots and let’s take a walk in zero-G.
If you have questions about this article or topics you would like me to consider researching for future Cyclopaedia articles, please leave a comment below.
Overview
Hard Science Fiction is a subgenre of science fiction with an emphasis on scientific and technical accuracy. The term hard science fiction was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell’s Islands of Space in Astounding Science Fiction to help differentiate the genre from earlier genres like space opera. Even though the term was coined in the 50s, the early stories of Jules Verne, such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea published in 1870, with its scientific rigor, are considered part of the genre.
Ben Bova states “The rule of thumb for a writer of ‘hard’ science fiction is that the writer is free to use anything his or her imagination can invent and depict — so long as no one can show that it contradicts the tenets of known science.”
With hard science fiction’s emphasis on scientific consistency and an attitude of respect for known science, boundaries are set up that guide creators who wish to stay true to the genre. But these boundaries are flexible enough for hard science fiction authors to be prophetic in their writings. The genre truly follows its speculative fiction origins and encourages creators to extrapolate from known scientific facts and theories to possibilities that may seem unbelievable when written but, in the future, become prophetically true.
Hard science fiction delves into how the universe impacts humanity and humanity impacts the universe while following the tenets of science in fact and philosophy.
Creatures And Monsters of Mythology
Science fiction has so many sub-genres. How do you define Hard Science Fiction and delineate it from others such as Space Opera?
- Inside realm of scientific possibility
- Not outside known physical laws
- Emphasis on accuracy
- Advancements in technology
- Stories are accurate, logical, consistent, and credible
Following are sources of information pertaining to Hard Science Fiction to assist prospective game masters, game designers, writers, and storytellers in knowing where to start their research.
ARTICLES
“The Closely Reasoned Technological Story”: The Critical History of Hard Science Fiction
By Westfahl, Gary
Source: Science Fiction Studies, v20 n2 (19930701): 157-175
The Literary Experience of Hard Science Fiction
By Pierce, John J
Source: Science Fiction Studies, v20 n2 (19930701): 176-183
BOOKS
2001: A Space Odyssey
By Clarke, Arthur C.
Accelerando
By Stross, Charles
Altered Carbon
By Morgan, Richard
The Andromeda Strain
By Crichton, Michael
Beggars in Spain
By Keress, Nancy
Blindsight
By Watters, Peter
Collapsing Empire
By Scalzi, John
The Color of Distance
By Thomson, Amy
Consider Phelbas
By Banks, Ian M.
Contact
By Sagan, Carl
Cyteen
By Cherryh, C.J.
The Diamond Age
By Stephenson, Neal
Diaspora
By Egan, Greg
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
By Dick, Philip K.
Dragon’s Egg
By Forward, Robert
Ender’s Game/Ender’s Shadow
Card, Orson Scott
Evolution
By Baxter, Stephen
The Forever War
By Haldeman, Joe
Foundation
By Asimov, Isaac
The Fountains of Paradies
By Clarke, Arthur, C.
Incandescence
By Egan, Greg
I, Robot
By Asimov, Isaac
Jurassic Park
By Michael Crichton
The Leviathan Wakes
By Corey, James S. A.
Lilith’s Brood
By Butler, Octavia E.
Makers
By Doctorow, Cory
The Martian
By Weir, Andy
Mission of Gravity
By Clement, Hal
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
By Heinlein, Robert A.
On Basilisk Station
By Weber, David
Polaris
By McDevitt, Jack
The Quantum Thief
By Rajaniemi, Hannu
Rainbows End
By Vinge, Vernor
Red Mars
By Robinson, Kim Stanley
Rendezvous with Rama
By Clarke, Arthur C.
Revelation Space
By Reynolds, Alastair
Ringworld
By Niven, Larry
The Rolling Stones
By Heinlein, Robert
Seveneves
By Stephenson, Neal
The Shockwave Rider
By Bunner, John
Starfish
By Watts, Peter
Stories of your Life
By Chiang, Ted
Synners
By Cadigan, Pat
Tau Zero
By Anderson, Poul
The Three-Body Problem
By Cixin, Liu
The Time Machine
By Wells, H.G.
Timescape
By Benford, Gregory
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under Tthe Sea
By Verne, Jules
Use of Weapons
By Banks, Iain M.
Vorkosigan Saga
By Bujold, Lois McMaster
World War Z
By Brooks, Max
GAMES
2300 AD – RPG
BattleFleet Marts – Tabletop Game
Colony – Tabletop Game
Diaspora – RPG
Eclipse Phase – RPG
EVE Online – Video Game
The Expanse Board Game – Tabletop Game
First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet – Tabletop Game
I-War – Video Game
Kerbal Space Program – Video Game
Pandemic – Tabletop Game
Stars Without Number – RPG
Terraforming Mars – Tabletop Game
Traveller – RPG
CINEMA
2001: A Space Odyssey
2010: The Year We Make Contact
The Andromeda Strain
Arrival
Automata
Black Mirror – TV
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
Caprica – TV
Children of Men
Dark Star
Deep Impact
District 9
Ender’s Game
Europa Report
Ex Machina
The Expanse – TV
Falling Skies – TV
Frau im Mond
Gattaca
Gravity
Her
Interstellar
Jurassic Park
Legends of the Galactic Heroes – Anime
Logan’s Run
The Martian
The Man from Earth
Marooned
Max Headroom – TV
Mobile Suit Gundam – Anime
Moon
Moonlight Mile – Anime
Planetes – Anime
Primer
ReGenesis – TV
Robot & Frank
seaQuest DSV – TV
Silent Running
Solaris
Soylant Green
Space Brothers – Anime
Sphere
THX 1138
World War Z
LOCATIONS
Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction
http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
Johnson Space Center
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html
Kennedy Space Center
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
National Air and Space Museum
https://airandspace.si.edu/
Space Camp
https://www.spacecamp.com/
Space Center Houston
http://spacecenter.org/
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
http://www.gctc.su/
PEOPLE
Isaac Asimov
Greg Bear
Ben Bova
C.J. Cherryh
Arthur C. Clarke
Michael Crichton
Philip K. Dick
Cory Doctorow
Robert A. Heinlein
Larry Niven
Alaastair Reynolds
Carl Sagan
Peter Watts
I hope you find these resources informative and inspiring for your adventures, storytelling, or game design.
Stay Creative!
T.R. Knight
( If you would like to save this list of resources as a convenient PDF for later reference, you can find that HERE )
WHO IS T.R. KNIGHT?
He is a freelance editor, proofreader, and writer in the game industry. He is also a Husband and Caregiver to his wife Angie, Father of Twins Emily and Rachel, Gardner and Hobby Chef, and Director of Academic Technology and User Services at Taylor University. You can learn more about T.R. at his blog http://www.thomasrknight.com.