---

---

Check back soon for more!

MORE ABOUT FLASH SCIENCE FICTION

Science fiction has always meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Fans of sci fi from all corners of the world will argue what sci fi is to them, what they consider to be a part of the genre, and what is considered to be science fantasy – the genres closely related cousin. And let’s not even delve into the many sub-genres that science fiction has!

But, what does Lore mean when we say Sci Fi Flash Fiction, or, just a sci fi story in general? What makes a science fiction story a true work of sic fi? We’d be here forever if we tried to offer up a definitive answer to this question, but we can answer what sci fi means to us here at Lore.

Much like with others genres, a person’s idea of what is or isn’t sci fi is usually grounded in their experience with the genre so far. Star Wars has always been a hot topic of debate, as it has many sci fi elements, but also a lot of science fantasy elements. Star Trek, again, could be considered both depending on how you view the franchise.

With that in mind, we’re going to answer:

WHAT DEFINES SCIENCE FICTION?

And we are going to answer this question for what sci fi is to us here on Lore. You may agree, or disagree, and that’s fine, but do keep in mind if you submit your story we’ll catagorize it based on our own opinions about the genre.

To explore what sci fi is, we’ll cite:

science fiction noun, sahy–uhns fik-shuhn

1. a form of fiction that draws imaginatively on scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, setting, theme, etc.

Dictionary.com, 2023

science fiction uncountable or singular noun /ˌsaɪəns ˈfɪk.ʃən/ (informal sci-fi), (also SF)

books, films, or cartoons about an imagined future, especially about space travel or other planets

Cambridge Dictionary, 2023

For science fiction to be science fiction here at Lore, we believe that it needs to draw from current science. But it is important that the speculative prediction addressed in the sci fi story is grounded in real science.

sub-genres of Sci fi Flash Fiction

Unlike sci fi short stories, sci fi flash fiction sub-genres are not as diverse due to the brevity of a flash fiction’s length. Their brevity doesn’t allow for aspects such as significant character development and character depth, detailed world building, or for in depth explorations of science fiction concepts. Instead, a flash fiction is often an introduction to a science fiction idea to spark food for thought in the reader; they are almost like a snapshot of part of a story or character’s life rather than the full narrative.

Despite their brevity, some common sci fi flash fiction sub-genres you’ll likely come across are:

• Alien invasion sci fi; flash fiction from this sub-genre will usually focus on a character’s perspective of the invasion, rather than an entire plotline revolving around the invasion. However, much like short stories, this type of flash fiction will primarily deal with alien invaders; usually of extra-terrestrial origin.
• Science Fantasy; this type of flash fiction can be hard to pen due to text length, but if written correctly, science fantasy works of flash fiction are excellent head scratchers that entice the reader to learn more, or ask questions. Much like short stories, these kinds of flash fiction tend to focus on science fiction concepts that are quite far removed from our current scientific understanding and aren’t strictly grounded in real world science.
• Cyberpunk sci fi; cyberpunk, as a sub-genre, works fairly well for flash fiction storytelling, as cyberpunk science fiction tends to lean heavily into the setting as opposed to themes. As such, writing a flash fiction in a cyberpunk setting doesn’t need to go into too much detail for it to make sense and set the tone of the flash. Much like short stories, cyberpunk sci fi tends to focus on a highly advanced technological society that hasn’t progressed socially, and therefore has a gritty, dystopian feel to the social elements of its world.
• Dystopian sci fi; this type of science flash fiction is another common type. Unlike a short story that may delve into some of the reasons why the world is a dystopia, flash fiction written in this sub-genre tend to use a dystopian setting or world for the basis of their narrative. As with short stories, dystopian sci fi is based on the principle that technology has advanced to the determent of people.
• Utopian sci fi; this is a type of sci fi that is the opposite of a dystopia in that technology has advanced to the betterment of people. Flash fiction that deals with this sub-genre usually use the utopia as a setting, rather than exploring utopian themes in depth like a short story, novella, or novel would.
• Horror Science Fiction; this is a type of flash fiction that combines elements from horror and science fiction together. The horror sci fi sub-genre is a great candidate for the flash fiction, as a long narrative isn’t necessarily needed to write a horror with science fiction elements.
• Post Apocalyptic Science Fiction; flash fictions that belong to this sub-genre are usually written using a post-apocalyptic world as a setting or backdrop, but often don’t delve into the ‘why’ or ‘how’ of the world. These kinds of stories focus on a narrative with a post-apocalyptic setting and the characters of this narrative over-coming obstacles of this new world.

While there are a lot more sub-genres of flash fiction sci fi to discuss, the above list are the most common types of sci fi story you’ll come across in the sci fi genre. Other notable mentions are biopunk, slipstream sci fi, cosmic horror, military sci fi, urban sci fi, tech-noir sci fi and space westerns.

Some other sub-genres that are worth knowing about but often don’t work too well for flash fiction due to the medium’s brevity are sub-genres like social science fiction, recursive science fiction, time travel stories, space operas, mundane science fiction, Isekai sci fi, and alternate history science fiction.

Do keep in mind that writing a flash fiction within these sub-genres is accomplishable, but the fundamental elements that make these sub-genres so good to read usually rely on in-depth world building, narrative storytelling, or character development that flash fiction usually doesn’t have the word count for.

WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF SCIENCE FICTION?

Science fiction has a very important purpose not only for narrative story telling but for the world at large. Sci fi is a way for creative minds to imagine what new technologies could do, or where our current exploration of science could take us.

From a narrative standpoint, science fiction has the purpose of presenting unique plot points to help us tell our stories. Maybe this new tech can drive the plot foward or form the basis of antagonistic resistance for our heroes?

It is a wonderfully creative medium to explore!

WHO INVENTED SCIENCE FICTION?

While there have been many notable science fiction authors over the years, such as the classic writers H.G. Wells and Isaac Asimov, they did not forge sci fi as an independent genre. That honour goes to Mary Shelley – who is credited with writing Huge Gernsback; a novel considered by many to be the first true sci fi novel.

That isn’t to say that some of the big names had no hand in it at all! They are all reponsible, in part, for making the genre of science fiction what it is today.

GOT A SUBMISSION FOR US?

If you have a submission for us to conisder, then do be sure to check out our submissions page for more information.

We feel honoured when writers send us their hard crafted sci fi works to read. We aim to give every story sent to us the consideration it deserves!