The Sub-Genres of Science Fiction - A Map of Ideas (The Movie List)

Part One: Settings

Section 1: Settings in Space

I. In the Solar System

1. The Sun
2. Mercury
3. Venus
4. Earth
- Ocean
Examples: The Abyss

- Interior
Examples: At the Earth's Core; The Core; Journey to the Center of the Earth

5. The Moon
Examples: The First Men in the Moon
6. Mars
Examples: Conquest of Space; Ghosts of Mars; Mission to Mars; Red Planet; Robinson Crusoe on Mars; Total Recall

7. The Asteroids
8. Jupiter
9. Saturn
10. Uranus
Example: Journey to the Seventh Planet

11. Neptune
12. Pluto
13. Comets

II. Planets Outside the Solar System
Examples: Forbidden Planet; Pitch Black

IIIa. Spaceships

- Capsule
Examples: Apollo 13; Marooned;

- Interplanetary
Examples: 2001: A Space Odyssey; Conquest of Space; Destination Moon; From the Earth to the Moon

- Starships
- FTL (faster than light)
Examples: Lost in Space; Supernova

- Generation starships

IIIb. Space Stations

IIIc. Space Habitats

Section 2: Settings in Time

I. Prehistory (The past as it perhaps was)

II. Future History (The future as it might be)
Examples: The Fifth Element; Planet of the Apes; Things to Come; Zardoz

III. Alternate History (The present as it might have been but is not)
Examples: Fatherland

Part Two: Themes

Section 3: Technological Themes

I. Human Technology

- Space technology (other than spaceships, stations, habitats)

- Robots, Androids, and Cyborgs
Examples: A.I.-Artificial Intelligence; Bicentennial Man; Blade Runner; Hardware; I, Robot; Robocop; Screamers; The Stepford Wives; The Terminator

- Computers
Examples: 2001: A Space Odyssey; Colossus- The Forbin Project; The Matrix; War Games

- Biotechnology and Medicine
Examples: Frankenstein; Gattaca; The Boys From Brazil; The Island of Doctor Moreau; Jurassic Park; The Terminal Man

- Invisibility
Examples: The Invisible Man; The Hollow Man

- Mind Recording
Examples: Brainstorm, Strange Days

- Behaviour control
Examples: The Manchurian Candidate; A Clockwork Orange

- Energy
- Terraforming
Examples: Aliens

- Miscellaneous inventions
Examples: The Man in the White Suit; Dr.Cyclops

II. Alien Technology
Examples: 2001: A Space Odyssey; Contact; Flight of the Navigator; Forbidden Planet; The Iron Giant; Quatermass and the Pit; Supernova

Section 4: Psychological Themes

- Psychic phenomena
Examples: Altered States; Akira

- Intelligence
- Human
Examples: Charly

- Intelligent non-alien animals

Section 5: Xenological Themes

I. Alien Persons
Examples: E.T.-The Extraterrestrial; Predator; Predator 2; Starman; Superman; The Abyss; Alien Nation; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; The Day the Earth Stood Still; The Man Who Fell to Earth; Solaris

II. Alien Animals and Other Life-forms
Example: Alien; Aliens; Alien 3; Alien Resurrection; The Andromeda Strain; Pitch Black; The Thing

III. Alien Invasion
Examples: Independence Day; Invasion of the Body Snatchers; The Monitors; Village of the Damned; War of the Worlds; The Puppet Masters; The Arrival

Section 6: Artistic Themes

Section 7: Sociological Themes
Examples: The Truman Show; Z.P.G.

Section 8: Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Themes
Examples: A Boy and His Dog; Armageddon; The day After Tomorrow; The Day the Earth Caught Fire; Deep Impact; Dr.Strangelove; Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within; Five; La Jetee; Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior; The Last Man on Earth; Meteor; Miracle Mile; The Omega Man; On the Beach; Panic in the Year Zero!; The Postman; The Quiet Earth; Reign of fire; The Ultimate Warrior; Waterworld; When Worlds Collide; The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

Section 8a: Giant Monsters
Examples: Mimic; Tremors; The Beast From 20 000 Fathoms; The Fly; Godzilla; The Incredible Shrinking Man; Jurassic Park; King Kong; The Lost World; Them!

Section 9: Political Themes

- Utopias
- Dystopias
Examples: Fahrenheit 451; Rollerball; Gattaca; The Handmaid's Tale; Metropolis

- Galactic civilisation
Examples: Star Wars; Titan A.E.

Section 10: Military Themes

Examples: Soldier; Starship Troopers; Universal Soldier

Section 11: Religious Themes

- Human
Examples: Dune
- Alien

Section 12: The Earth Sciences (Including their application to
other planets)

- Ecology and Environment
Examples: Soylent Green

- Geology
- Meteorology
- Oceans

Section 13: Humour

- Satire
Examples: Dr.Strangelove; Men in Black

- Burlesque
Examples: Mars Attacks!; Galaxy Quest; Morons from Outer Space; Sleeper

- Parody
Examples: Spaceballs

- Farce
Examples: Multiplicity

Section 14: Life Span

- Youth
- Age
- Immortality
- Rejuvenation
Examples: Cocoon

- Suspended animation
Examples: Forever Young; Iceman
- euthanasia
- Reanimation
Examples: Frankenstein; Re-Animator

Section 15: Time as a Theme

- Time travel
Examples: Back to the Future; The Final Countdown; La Jetee; Somewhere in Time; The Terminator; Time After Time; Timeline; The Time Machine [1960]; The Time Machine [2002]; Timescape

- Time dilation

Section 16: Miscellaneous Themes

- Sexuality
- Mathematics
Examples: The Cube; Hypercube; Pi

- Science fiction as a theme
- Astronomy
- The city