Set in a world where science fiction tropes
80 Sci-Fi Tropes for Writers
Science fiction as a genre dates all the way back to Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein
in 1818.
The genre has grown and evolved in the last two centuries, but some things remain constant. Sci-fi tropes are common plot elements, premises, and themes that show up over and over.
Science fiction tropes are popular and recognizable. While some sci-fi tropes may feel cliché, there’s always a way to add a fresh spin to beloved motifs.
If you’re running low on science fiction story ideas, take a look at these sci-fi tropes and see how you can spin them into something new. We’ve divided the list into various subgenres of science fiction, but some tropes may fit in more than one category.
Space Tropes
Space sci-fi is often the first subgenre people think of when they hear “science fiction.”
Sci-fi movies and TV shows like
Interstellar
and
Star Trek
have a huge fanbase. Science fiction tropes set in space may involve space voyages, colonization, and exploration.
Here are some of our favorite space tropes.
Terraforming a new planet to make it habitable by humans
In-ship farming on long voyages
Space stations full of multiple alien species
Lost
Standard Sci-Fi Setting
6
Follow
ing
In space, everyone can see your dreams.
"In the far future, the [human group] fights a pitched battle against the mighty [alien name] Empire, but deep in the mysterious [region of space], among the ruins of the past, a darker threat looms."
Does the above sentence sound familiar? It should. It's probably the single most popular Space Opera premise around. In fact, you could even call it the Standard Sci-Fi Setting. Typical features of the Standard setting include:
Technology
:
Easy faster than light travel. This comes in several flavors:
Space Is an Ocean and the Standard Sci-Fi Fleet is sailing it.
Thanks to the above tropes, trade between One Product Planets are common.
Mystical/Metaphysical elements, generally including Psychic Powers, Life Energy, or something else similar to Functional Magic (usually associated with either Highly EvolvedHuman Aliens or Sufficiently Advanced Aliens).
Very little, if any, of The Singularity, except possibly as a justification for Sufficiently Advanced Aliens. Humans themselves will almost never be post-Singularity. Transhuman Aliens and Ridiculously Human R
15 Min Read
When people hear Sci-fi novels, a few things immediately come to mind—aliens, time travel, and Star Trek-like Space Operas. Once innovative and thought-provoking, these tropes have become predictable cliches. Today’s article examines the 10 most overused science fiction cliches and how to avoid them in your books to keep readers excited.
I’ll also list some novels that break the mold for each cliche, showcasing how creativity can turn even the most tired tropes into fresh, engaging stories. Following that, I’ll provide writing exercises to help you think outside the box in your sci-fi creations. Finally, I’ll share a list of resources for further reading to ensure your work remains innovative and captivating.
So, without further ado, let’s delve into the most overused cliches in science fiction.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Most Overused Science Fiction Tropes
Science fiction is a genre brimming with potential, but even the most imaginative authors can fall back on familiar plot devices. Here are ten of the most overused tropes in science fiction.
10. Born In A Lab
Born in a lab but dumb as a box of rocks, the perfect soldier, the ultimate human, or
American Moonshot : John F. Kennedy and the great space race by Douglas Brinkley
Call Number: Browsing TL789.8.U5 B73 2019
ISBN: 9780062655066
Publication Date: 2019-04-02
"On the fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley takes a fresh look at the American space program, President John F. Kennedy's inspiring challenge, and the race to the moon. Just months after being elected President of the United States, John F. Kennedy made an astonishing announcement to the nation: we would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In this engrossing epic of contemporary history, Douglas Brinkley returns to the 1960s to re-create one of humankind's most exciting and ambitious achievements. American Moonshot brings together the extraordinary political, cultural, and scientific factors that fueled the birth and development of NASA and the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo projects, which catapulted the United States to victory in the space race against the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Drawing on new primary source material and recent scholarship, Brinkley brings to life this fascinating history as no one has before. America