Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
science fiction
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Starship Enterprise
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and the birth of Frankenstein
Discover science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's views on Edgar Allan Poe's “The Fall of the House of Usher”
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Robida illustration Amazing Stories Aelita Metropolis Flash Gordon Lock Martin and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
For Students
Forbidden Planet poster
science fiction summary
Quizzes
Lobby card for the motion picture film "Things to Come" (1936); directed by William Cameron Menzies. (science fiction, futurism)
Science Fiction Writers Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
William Shatner and Leonard Nimroy as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock in the tv show Star Trek 1966-1969
50th Anniversary of Star Trek
poem. A poet in a Heian period kimono writes Japanese poetry during the Kamo Kyokusui No En Ancient Festival at Jonan-gu shrine on April 29, 2013 in Kyoto, Japan. Festival of Kyokusui-no Utage orignated in 1,182, party Heian era (794-1192).
World Poetry Day
Discover
Ethel Rosenberg arrested in August 1950. Photograph dated Aug. 8, 1950. American civilians executed for espionage. Spies, communists, Julius Rosenberg
Spies Like Us: 10 Famous Names in the Espionage Game
Drinking water is poured into a glass.
Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts
Internet http://www blue screen. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, media news television, crowd opinion protest, In the News 2009, breaking news
Who Invented the Internet?
Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding
7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers
Dancers at a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Mission District, San Francisco, California. (Photo dated 2019.) holidays
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?

science fiction: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/science-fiction
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As SF • speculative fiction • sci-fi

Photos and Videos

Starship Enterprise
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Robida illustration
Amazing Stories
Aelita
Metropolis
Flash Gordon
Lock Martin and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Poster for Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
2001: A Space Odyssey
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and the birth of Frankenstein
Discover science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's views on Edgar Allan Poe's “The Fall of the House of Usher”
The science behind Marvel's superheroes the Avengers
Know about the grandfather paradox and the concept of traveling back in time
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Richard Matheson
American author and screenwriter
Julius Schwartz
American editor
H.G. Wells
H.G. Wells
British author
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis
Irish-born author and scholar
The master of chills and suspense
Stephen King
American novelist
Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
British author and scientist
Ted Chiang
Ted Chiang
American author
James Tiptree, Jr.
American author
Jules Verne
Jules Verne
French author
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
American writer
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
American author
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
American novelist
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
American artist
Stanisław Lem
Polish author
Nnedi Okorafor
Nnedi Okorafor
Nigerian American author
promotional poster for Creature from the Black Lagoon
Jack Arnold
American director
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz
British author
Liu Cixin
Liu Cixin
Chinese author
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
American astronomer
N.K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin
American author

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Lobby card for the motion picture film "Things to Come" (1936); directed by William Cameron Menzies. (science fiction, futurism)
Science Fiction Writers Quiz