Science fiction and fantasy elements: (name it game)

Cafe Society
1

If you could break down science fiction and fantasy into 116 distinct “elements” (doesn’t have to be 116 btw, just picked it because that is how many on the periodic table, IIRC), that represent themes, settings, characteristics of the various sub-genres of both areas of speculative fiction, what would they be?

For example, I have thought of:

  1. Multiple Worlds
  2. Immortality
  3. Saga
  4. War
  5. Aliens
  6. Mythology
  7. Magic
  8. Superhuman
  9. Vampires
  10. Shapeshifting
  11. First person (narrative)
  12. Gods/Godesses
  13. Knights
  14. Dragons
  15. Time Travel
  16. Psionics

It is possible, without too much redudancy, to reach 116? How close can we get? Or, if possible, can we achieve even more?

Any book can contain any number of the elements, many genres have elements that cross over, and some may revolve around a single element. Trying to avoid redudencies, but if there is a general term (like Psionics), and you want to add, say ESP, that is allowable, but Mind powers isn’t. (if it seems unfair it can be revised)

2
  1. Gadgets
  2. Enhanced humans
  3. Machine intelligences
  4. Teleportation
  5. Robots
  6. Ultra- compact power sources
  7. Levitation
3
  1. Elves
  2. Rings of Power
  3. Demons
  4. Western elements
  5. Meta-Genius Scientist
  6. Spaceships
  7. Cyborgs
4
  1. Alternate worlds
  2. Microscopic worlds (Girl in the Golden Atom)
  3. Superhuman to the point of being godlike AIs (not really covered by the term “machine intelligences”)
  4. Weird alien children (Midwich Cuckoos)
  5. Dangerous plants (Triffids)
  6. Dinosaurs
  7. Counter-Earths (Earthlike planet rotating in the same orbit as Earth, but on the other side of the sun so we never see it) John Norman
  8. Catwomen on the Moon
    38 Giant insects
  9. Fairies
  10. Death rays (duh!)
5

I think we need some research to clarify whether dragons are actually an isotope of dinosaurs, or vice versa. Likewise Gods and demons.

6

41 McGuffins
42 Heroes with a thousand faces
43 Animal Fables (Brian Jaques and William Horwood, I’m looking at you!)
44 Wise older mentors

7

45 Speculative worlds of realities that play by other rules than the familiar
46 Transformations of society with heretofore untried alternatives
47 More varied gender configurations & speculation on the society that would result

8

I would like these struck as they are generic notions of fiction rather than SF concepts.

9

I get 46 – Pohl and Kornbluth. And I get 47 – Octavia Butler and Left Hand of Darkness. But what did you mean by 45?

10

48: “The Prophecy”

11

Oh… good one!

12
  1. Ordinary farmboys with unlimited magical potential.
13
  1. Handwavium - a substance that will allow the author or producer to rewrite the laws of nature, as the plot requires.
14

Very good. You scored an A on this portion of the test. 45 alludes the science fiction novel I dreamed will be published in the year 2012, so you weren’t expected to get it. (Bonus points if you had.)

15
  1. Non-human, sentient races (elves, dwarfs, trolls, etc.) living in parallel with mankind
16

When I saw this thread I immediately took it a different direction and started writing it out as actual, you know, atomic symbols and various molecule chains (for instance, the molecule Ac[sub]3[/sub]Fe used in “Foundation’s Edge” where the ancient civilization (Ac) is actually from Earth (Fe). That story also contains the molecule O[sub]4[/sub]Te, the Hari Seldon techno-oracle who can predict the future but fails to do so in any way that is useful to the characters in the story.

I hesitate to interrupt your thread with my own variant now that your thread is well under way. Should I start a new thread on it, or do you wish to see it here?

17

#9 Vampires should be more generic: Undead.

#52. Enchantment/ Mind Control/ Possession

#53. The Journey to the Exotic Place where the thing needed to fullfill the Quest is.

18

I posted my own variant here so I didn’t confuse the existing thread. I got a bit silly, I’m afraid. :smiley:

19

Engineered worlds (planets, orbital rings, etc.)
Evolved humans
logic puzzle situations
sentient machines
organic technology
faster than light travel and communication
super-intelligent children
Evil Empires
Artificial gravity

20

I’d like to see these elements divided neatly between the two genres, fantasy and speculative fiction, so that bookstores could make two sections and I wouldn’t have to wade through shelves and shelves of fantasy to try to find some decent sf to read.