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Grading SF for Realism

Update (3rd April 2017): I wrote this some fifteen years ago. Every so often I'll revise this whimsical
scale. The current version is at Omni magazine, see The Scale of Hardness in Science
Fiction.

The Space Station from 2001, A Space Odyssey. An example of Hard Science Fiction.

obligatory disclaimer:
The following is a suggested rating as to the scientific authenticity of science
fiction literature and popular culture. Please note that this is not a rating as to
the enjoyability of the story, or its quality or value as imaginative literature! It
is simply a rating as to the suggested scientific realism of the setting as
described within the work in question. A soft science outlook for example is
often part and parcel of the author's desired outcome of the work.

This rating was originally developed by on the basis of discussion on the

Orion's Arm mail list, but has since been removed from the Orion's Arm
website, as it was felt to be inapplicable to the OA Project. However, most links
still connect to reviews on the OA website. Eventually (depending on when I
can find time) these will be replaced with links to general reviews, or to
amazon com pages featuring specific books.

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The Need for Multiple Parameters

I now consider that the simple linear scale used in that thesis is manifestly inadequate to
the complex possibilities of the hard and soft sciences and the imagination, involved in
envisaging future or alternative worlds. Ideally,a number of parameters should be used.
Specifically, there is the distinction between what is actually known, and what is
speculation and hence can go either way.

What is actually known tells us what SF and Sci Fi themes and tropes are absolutely
impossible, no matter what future developments in science and technology may bring.
e.g. we know that lifeless planets cannot have a breathable atmosphere, that atomic
radiation won't give rise to "postapocalyptic mutants", that technobabble is not the way
that engineering works, that insects can't grow as big as elephants, that 20 gigaton ray
guns require an energy source and have to deal with waste heat, that aliens wont look like
H. sapiens sapiens and won't innately speak English either, and so on.

This is not to criticise any of these things as fun escapist entertainment, and/or as
mytholologic metaphors, only to say that they cannot occur in the "real world".

What is speculation and hence can go either way refers to matters regarding which we
currently simply do no know. e.g. aliens may or may not exist and if they do may or may
not be roughly humanoid, wormholes may or may not be allowed given current or future
insights regarding the laws of physics, FTL and hence acausality may or may not apply,
the current understanding of chemistry at nano scales may (wet nano only) or may not
(drexlerian nanotech) apply, ditto the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (hence femtotech
etc), ditto non-biological intelligence (hence AI and infomorph intelligence). Regarding
those critics who state that certain things are absolutely impossible, Arthur C. Clarke had
some choice words about pronouncements by elderly but distinguished professors. This
does not mean that these things are absolutely possible. It means we don't know. And SF
should be allowed to explore either or both options.

There is a third parameter to be considered, and that is Science Fiction verses Fantasy.
We can call this variable "Magic". This constitutes a gradation from "hard science" in
which everything has a physical technical explanation, to some psionic or mystical
elements, to full fantasy. There can also be an overlap, in which the same universe may
have elements of fantasy and hard science. For this, reason, this variable is considered
distinct from "what is known"

However the current page is retained as it would be too difficult to revise everything, and
a lot of what is written here is still, I feel, valid, and may be of interest.

The Hard-Soft Sci Fi Gradational Scale

On the basis of rating of common sci fi tropes from ultra-realistic to pure soft sci fi
unscientificness, one can posit a grading of the genre from Ultra Hard to Very Soft. This
is not intended as, and should not be taken as, a list of absolutes. It is simply one
interpretation of what is more and what is less likely, given the current understanding of
the universe and how it works. Future discoveries in physics, AI, etc may very well
change the placement of some of these stories - some things that are here listed as

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implausible may become very plausible, and vice versa. However even if, say, warp drive
turns out to be viable and wormholes not, there is no way that the Star Trek "bumpy-
headed humanoid of the week" galactography could in any way be possible. Hence some
things are patently absurd, no matter what future advances in technology or exploration
of space reveal.

However, this should not be taken as a value judgment, because no grade is "better" than
any other. So soft science SF as a genre is just as valid as hard science SF. Moreover, you
may have a completely different, but equally valid, approach to these things. Other
standards might equally well be used to define various levels of "hardness", and we in no
way wish to claim that our interpretation is the only or the best one! In addition, to
reiterate, we are not trying to suggest that "hard" science fiction is in any way "better"
than the soft sci fi, or pop sci fi franchises. All that is simply a matter of personal taste,
opinion, and preference. None of what is written here should be taken as any sort of value
judgement.

Major Rating
Common Tropes A few examples
Categories used here

Cutting edge Present Day Tech, some developments and

"Present Technothrillers, Allen
speculation, but nothing major that has not been attained
Day Tech" Steele's Orbital Decay
today (so no AI). Basic space exploration, very near future

Plausible developments of contemporary technologies -

Ultra Hard William Gibson, Neil
AI, Constrained Nanotech, DNI, Interplanetary
Stephenson, Kim Stanley
(Diamond colonisation, Genetically engineered lifeforms. Nothing
Robinson's "Mars" Trilogy,
Hard) that conflicts with the laws of physics, chemistry, biology
Robert Forward
etc as currently understood

Plausible developments of provocative contemporary Greg Egan, Linda Nagata,

ideas, bot nothing that conflicts with the known laws of Greg Benford's Galactic
Very Hard physics, information theory, etc - Assembler Nanotech, Center series, Stephen
Nano-Goo, Uploads, Interstellar colonisation, Relativistic Baxter's Manifold Series,
ships, vacuum-adapted life GURPS Transhuman Space
Hard Sci Fi
The above but with the addition of some very speculative
themes, some of which may well turn out to be impossible,
others may be possible. Requires some modification of
current understanding, but nothing that is logically Stephen Baxter's Xeelee
Plausibly
impossible, or has been conclusively proved to be universe, Greg Bear's Forge
Hard impossible (so no FTL without time travel) - Wormholes, of God series, Orion's Arm
Reactionless Drive, Sub-nanotech (Femto-, Plank, etc),
Domain Walls, exotic matter, FTL drive with time travel,
etc

As realistic as the above categories were it not for Asimov's "Foundation"

unrealistic/impossible plot devices (e.g. FTL without time Series, "Giants" series by
Firm travel paradoxes), although these are kept to a minimum as Hogan, Vinge's A Fire
much as possible Upon the Deep and A

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Deepness in the Sky

Similar to the above but with a larger number of Niven's "Known Space"
unrealistic plot devices; e.g. FTL without real explanation series, Robert Heinlein's
(ore with pseudo-explanation), alien biota in some Starship Troopers, Banks'
Medium instances very similar to terragen life, psionics, a great "Culture" novels, David
many alien civilizations. However still preserves plot and Brin's "Uplift" series, Frank
worldbuilding consistency, and the science is good and Herbert's Dune, Traveller
consistent. RPG

A number of unscientific themes - e.g. aliens as

Various TV series: Babylon
anthropomorphic "furries", handwavium disintegrator
5, Farscape, Andromeda,
Soft guns, Alien Cultures and psychology all extremely
Matrix, StarGate for the
uniform, and so on. However, still retains story
most part
consistency.

Various TV and movie

As above but either even more unscientific elements
series; for the most part the
Very Soft (humanoid of the week, lifeless planets with beathable
Star Trek Canon and Star
Soft Sci Fi atmosphere, etc), and story with less consistency
Wars Canon

As above but even more unscientific (alien races never

before encountered speak perfect English without a
Godzilla, Comic Book
translator, animals too large to stand in Earth gravity
Mushy Superheros, badly written
(Godzilla), weapons that make energy beams without
Soft TV sci fi, elements of some
putting energy in, interstellar travel without FTL or
franchises
centuries long voyage, mutants with super energy powers,
etc)

Note that the above scale does not include Science Fantasy or proper fantasy. Also one person's fantasy
might be another person's sci fi (e.g. Star Wars is considered "Space Fantasy" by it's creator, but sci fi by
others)

Hard Sci Fi
Hard Sci Fi is Science Fiction in which the science and tech remains plausible, and the universe is
explained in a consistent rationally. It may not always be realistic, and indeed it can sometimes be very
speculative and even include unrealistic or impossible plot devices, but the overall approach is one of
careful research, scientific, technological, and sociological consistency, and real science rather than
meaningless technobabble.

Hard Sci Fi ranges from the most realistic stories limited only to current knowledge and set in the
present day or very near future, to science fiction that is only "medium" in realism, but, being more
speculative, can be set much further in the future or explore more themes.

Note that some would claim that only the nearest future categories included here can be considered
"Hard", the others being too speculative. However I am following the "John W Campbell" definition of
what constitutes "Hard SF" or Hard Sci Fi, and that is that while some speculative ideas are allowed, the

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story as a whole must be based on scientific research, avoid technobabble or cliches like Bug Eyed
Monsters stealing Earth women.

"Present Day Tech" type Science Fiction

PRESENT DAY TECH sci fi deals only with known technologies and science, and only the most
conservative extrapolation therefrom. This may include such things as flying cars or fusion reactors.
Does not incorporate radical or controversial concept like wormholes, any kind of aliens etc. The term is
given in inverted commas because the story and even technical details may still turn out to be
implausible or impractical in real life, much as it reads well in fictional form. Generally "Present Day
Tech" SF would generally take place in either the "present day" or the very near future, as the further
ahead the harder it becomes to make decent predictions and the more likely you are to be wrong. While
this makes this form of sci fi much more realistic, it can also limit the imagination.

Technologies and Themes in "Present Day Tech" SF

The following are common themes that occur in "Present Day Tech" settings. All are absolutely certain
through extrapolation of current technology.

Current engineering technology or extrapolations therefrom

Novel materials and fabrics, e.g. "arachnoweave", based on what is already been developed now.
Sustainable nuclear fusion (why? - already possible for very short periods)
Virtual Reality indistinguishable from Real Life (why? - logical progression from modern tech)
Space Flight, Space Habitats, even Asteroid Mining, etc, if using today's technology
fancy "secret weapon" - e.g. Red October, Blue Thunder, Firefox (plot device)
no handwavium or unobtanium

Some Examples of "Present Day Tech" SF

Examples of "Present Day Tech" writers and stories include: The Ghost from the Grand Banks
(raising the Titanic) by Clarke, Islands in the Net by Sterling, Orbital Decay (1989) and
Clarke County, Space (1990) by Allen Steele, and general near future stories. Also most
technothrillers ("secret weapon" based on today's tech, first AI, etc), armageddon type stories
(asteroid about to hit the Earth, climate change, etc etc), low grade cyberpunk thriller ("serial
killer on the net" etc), and so on. Some of these probably don't even qualify as sci fi (although
they are usually advertised as such). Many Hollywood blockbuster movies (most of which
have appalling scriptwriting) fall into this category.

Ultra Hard / Diamond Hard Science Fiction

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ULTRA HARD can also be called Diamond Hard; this is so-called because it represents the most
extreme (realistic) side of the Hard SF spectrum. The term DIAMOND HARD is here used as
something of a pun - diamond refers to nanotech building material (diamondoid) but also in the hardness
scale to very realistic sci fi. Does not incorporate radical or controversial concepts like wormholes or
femtotech. Generally Ultra Hard SF would generally take place in the near future, as the further ahead
the harder it becomes to make decent predictions and the more likely you are to be wrong.

In Ultra Hard Sci Fi, handwavium and anything that might be dubious is completely absent.

Technologies and Themes in Ultra Hard SF

The following are common themes that occur in Ultra Hard sci fi settings. From our present
understanding, there is nothing in the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, or information theory that
says these things are actually impossible.

Direct Neural Interface with Virtual Reality (why? - already basic advances now - e.g. a subject hooked
up so their brainwaves are recorded, and using their will to control a cursor)
Gengineering, Homo superior, space adapted tweaks, neogen life-forms, etc (why? - because basic
germline engineering possible with microorganisms, human genome being explored, only moral issues
obstruct further development)
Terraforming other worlds (although this may take thousands of years)
Limited nanofactured materials (e.g. diamondoid cable) (from current development in fullerene
production)
Bio- or "Wet" nanotech (why? - because life (natural organic nanomachines) exist on Earth)
Constrained Nanotech but not universal assemblers (why? - still some questions as to how a universal
assembler could work, but something like vat-scale or industrial nanofacturing would certainly be
reasonable)
Sentient and even superhuman AI - (why? - no conclusive disproof yet presented. Ray Kurzweil
presents a very strong argument in favour)
Planets in other solar systems that are Earth-like and support complex life (why? - assuming the
ubiquity of life, no reason why advanced life forms and ecologies could not evolve on other worlds, if
the conditions are right)
no handwavium or unobtanium

Some Examples of Ultra Hard SF

Examples of Ultra Hard writers and stories include: Fountains of Paradise (space elevator -
some nano for diamondoid materials, but completely plausible, rate of current development
makes this possible in the very near future) by Arthur C. Clarke, the Red, Green and Blue
Mars Trilogy of Kim Stanley Robinson (terraforming Mars - very plausible setting), Heavy
Weather by Sterling (nearfuture cyberpunk with plausible technology), Pat Cardigan's Synners,
William Gibson's Idoru series and similar near-future cyberpunk fiction), along with Neal
Stephenson's Diamond Age (nanotech), and near future Technothrillers involving the first AI
or some such plot device. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress might also go here. All
books by Robert L. Forward (visionary physicist and SF writer, is careful to explain
everything in terms of real physics and astronomy - sometimes the exotic aliens would be plot

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devices) could either be considered Ultra Hard or Very Hard, and all have the same scientific
rigour of true Hard SF. The more realistic RPGs like Vanguard (spaceships) and Blue Planet
(set on an ocean world) could also either be considered Ultra Hard or Very Hard. Also, while a
lot of the science is dated now, the works of Jules Verne, the "father" of science fiction
(Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865) (20,000
Leagues Under the Sea (1870), etc) were, for their time and by the standards of scientific
knowledge then available, Very Hard to Ultra Hard in realism rating).

Very Hard Science Fiction

VERY HARD: Deals with known technologies and expands on existing scientific theories in a
speculative, but still rigorous and plausible, fashion. The story doesn't break any of the known laws of
physics, information theory, and so on. Includes some controversial concepts, but nothing that conflicts
with the laws of physics as they currently stand. A bit more speculative than Diamond Hard, and hence
Very Hard SF can take place future in the future, or on a larger canvas. Handwavium is kept at an
absolute minimum.

Technologies and Themes in Very Hard SF

The following are common themes that occur in Very Hard sci fi settings. According to the current
understanding of how the universe works, some of these things can be considered either almost or
absolutely certain, others are very probable, but may well be proved wrong in the future. However, from
our present understanding, there is nothing in the laws of physics, or information theory as currently
understood that says these things are actually impossible. And were they to be proved possible our
understanding of how the universe works would only need to be revised in a minor way.

Advanced Mechanical or "Dry" nanotech (why? - because all objections to drexlerian nanotech have
been conclusively replied to - see the Foresight Institute and the famous rebuttal of the Scientific
American Article critical of nanotech. And even if nano doesn't work out exactly as predicted, there
will certainly be some form of advanced nano. For more on nano, see nanotech pages)
Virtuals, uploads, copies etc (while requiring great advances in neuroscience, these are not impossible
given sufficient understanding of human psyche and brain functioning, and advanced nanotech that can
record and replicate this.)
Megascale engineering, Jupiter Brains, etc (why? - given advanced nano these are certainly possible -
see e.g. Anders Sandberg's paper on Jupiter Brains)
Bioships, Vacuum Adapted life, etc (why? - although a fully organic ship is unlikely, given the harsh
conditions of space, as well as the need for a propulsive system, there is no reason why a composite
cyborg being could not exist, with a living interior but hard and inorganic or quasi-inorganic exterior
and inorganic rocket or drive component. Some bacteria for example can survive hard vacuum. Even
so, this would however require very advanced biotechnology)
Very rapid Terraforming (why? - given advanced nano it is certainly possible)
Universe with a few current alien civilizations (why? - optimistic interpretations of Fermi's paradox)

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very limited handwavium, no unobtanium

Some Examples of Very Hard SF

Examples of Very Hard writers and stories include: most or all books by Robert L. Forward
(visionary physicist and SF writer, is careful to explain everything in terms of real physics and
astronomy - sometimes the exotic aliens would be plot devices), Stephen Baxter's Manifold
Series (Manifold : Time (2000), Manifold : Space (2001), Manifold : Origin (2001) (exotic
biology, realistic space ships, Fermi paradox, no FTL); Permutation City by Greg Egan
(uploads/virtuals), and other works by the same writer, Also GURPS Transhuman Space
roleplaying game (a number of transhuman tropes and ideas, ranging from probable to very
plausible), and the Ad Astra Universe of Richard Baker and David Dye (again, very realistic,
using projections from current knowledge, no speculative technology). Neal Stephenson
Snowcrash and William Gibson's Neuromancer series would probably go here too, although
near-future they are more concerned with telling a story and sometimes "fudge" the realism a
bit (e.g. Gibson's neural interface (jacking in) isn't really explained), all of which shows how
misleading it is make simplistic classifications (hence the present page is a guide only, not a
dogmatic statement). Michael Swanwick's Vacuum Flowers (face paint personality change is
pretty unbelievable (can one be so easily conditioned?) but for the rest the story is pretty good
hard science - no FTL, dyson trees, microgravity space habitats, and so on).

Plausibly Hard Science Fiction

PLAUSIBLY HARD: Deals with known technologies and expands on existing scientific theories in a
speculative, but still rigorous and plausible, fashion. The story doesn't break any of the known laws of
physics, although it may make reasonable, explained extrapolations of physical laws well beyond
current leading-edge concepts, including ideas that may be controversial, but have not yet been shown to
be impossible. Inevitably there is always some degree of handwavium, but it is always within the
context of the story, and no unrealistic plot device sillytech or unobtanium is ever allowed. Technology
has to follow a particular logical sequence, and while the advanced elements of the sequence may seem
highly speculative by today's physics, they still follow a logical chain, e.g. you can't just jump from
today's tech to FTL or wormholes or blasters or whatever. Nothing that can be shown to be logically
impossible is allowed.

Technologies and Themes in Plausibly Hard SF

The following are common themes that occur in Hard sci fi settings. As well as everything found in
Ultra Hard / Very Hard SF, the somewhat less rigorous Plausibly Hard Sci Fi aspect of the genre
includes things that may or may not be possible, but can still be considered plausible or reasonable, at
least until proved wrong by future discoveries. Although some of these points are currently considered
unlikely or even impossible by conservative physicists (but not, mind you, by all physicists), that in
itself does not make them impossible (Arthur C Clarke's comments on pronouncements by elderly and
distinguished professors come to mind here too). Even so, were any of these things to be proved

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possible, our understanding of how certain aspects of the universe works would need some pretty radical
revision, but would still be accomodatible with what we know and understand at present.

Picotech, Femtotech, etc - (why? - controversial (current understanding of how to derive work
according to laws of thermodynamics) but not conclusively shown to be impossible, no reason why
advanced tech cant get around this, see reference to Weak Measurement)
Navigable Wormholes - (why? - controversial but so far it seems at least as much evidence in favour of
as against; however these would probably be huge engineering projects even for very advanced
civilizations - refs)
Reactionless Drives - (why? - controversial but would seem to be possible given exotic matter or
negative energy)
Space-time Engineering - (why? - controversial but not impossible given sufficiently advanced
technology)
FTL with time travel - e.g. Stephen Baxter's novel Exultant - (why? - if FTL is possible than the
universe is acausal or has a completely different causality, but this is not illogical the way that FTL
without time-travel is - see FTL paradoxes for why FTL has to involve time-travel)
Intelligent (as opposed to primitive) Life evolving in extreme environments (e.g. cold-chemistry, etc)
(why? - although unlikely given the example only of life on Earth, we do not know enough about
exobiology to be sure what forms life and intelligence might take)
handwavium allowed, but no unobtanium

Some Examples of Plausibly Hard SF

Examples include: Greg Bear's Blood Music (1985) (sentient advanced bionano), the The
Forge of God series Forge of God (1987) and Anvil of Stars (1992) (includes some OA-style
tech, and a hider-like explanation of the Fermi Paradox; no FTL), Eon (1985) and Eternity
(1988) (hollow asteroid that, like Dr Who's Tardis, is bigger on the inside than the out, but the
science is kept rigorous) and other works by the same author, books by A.C. Clarke (Rama
(megastructure spacecraft, logically explained) 2001 (both book and film) ultrahard science
except for the monolith, etc, ), Greg Benford's Galactic Center series (In the Ocean of Night
(1977), Across the Sea of Suns (1984), Great Sky River (1987), Tides of Light (1989), Furious
Gulf (1994) and Sailing Bright Eternity (1995) - involving conflict between organic (mostly
human) and machine intelligences, with the humans fleeing from savage artificial intelligences
towards the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Near-relativistic ships but no FTL),
Singularity Sky and other transhuman stories of Charles Stross; and of course Orion's Arm. the
Xeelee series of Stephen Baxter (good attention to science and some way out hard sci fi
concepts, although some ideas since found to be mistaken - e.g. cannot use a wormhole as a
time-machine, but was in keeping with what was known when it was written).

Firm Science Fiction

FIRM : Deals with known technologies, sciences and theories, but often incorporates new theories or
ideas with plausible explanations. Breaks some physical laws, but provides a solid rationale for it.
Differs from Hard only in the inclusion of some form of FTL Plott-DeVice Drive * :-) or equivalent.

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Apart from these non-hard elements, everything is described in technical terms, using real and authentic
science and engineering, and apart from the aforementioned plot devices, and the story is never allowed
to make the science look silly.

Technologies and Themes in Firm SF

The following are some themes and technologies that might occur in Firm (but not in Hard) sci fi
settings.

Alien artifacts still work after being abandoned for millions of years (highly unlikely, but not
completely impossible; this is however too often an overworked cliché)
Universe with many current alien civilizations (why? - Fermi's paradox, negative results so far from
Seti, but not impossible assuming they may be the equivalent of hiders etc)
Hominids or humans from Earth transplanted to other worlds thousands of years ago by aliens
unknown (not impossible, but why should they bother? This is actually a sci fi trope to make it easier
to have stories of humans on other star systems)
Wormholes as Time machines (why implausible? - because virtual particle swamping (Matt Visser);
also would result in time travel paradoxes and violation of causality. Can work given Many Worlds
Interpretation of physics, but this would not involve travelling back in time to "our" universe)
both handwavium and unobtanium
Plot Devices that we know our ludicrous but are included for the sake of the story or worldbuilding

Some Examples of Firm SF

Examples include Asimov's Foundation Series (FTL as a plot device, also antigrav cars, and
the ecological absurdity of a city planet (Trantor) maintaining a breathable atmosphere, but
otherwise very rationally thought out) and I Robot (again very rigorous scientifically,
"positronic brain" is handwavium concession to future tech), Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud
(1957) (deals with astronomy, chemistry, biology, panspermia scientific method and
information theory; the alien intelligence in the form of a cloud of gas is very well done),
Giants series by Hogan, Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky (relativistic
trade empires, toposophic-like levels, "Zones of Thought" as imaginary but still self-consistent
Plot Device (does not correspond to real physics) to explain FTL and why the whole galaxy
isn't swallowed by the Singularity). Larry Niven's Ringworld (set in his Known Space universe
- science and engineering approach to Ringworld and other megastructures, Ringworld
explained very realistically, although still requires unobtanium (a type of material called
"Skrith"), Plott-DeVice FTL), Bruce Sterling's Schismatrix (the aliens are rather implausible
(look like giant birds) but the rest of the story gives a good medium-future look at the solar
system and shows humanity clading in different directions, unlike the uniform future society
of soft sci fi); Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye (realistic presentation
of aliens, Plott-DeVice FTL not too wayout) and other good quality modern writers like
Alastair Reynolds and Ken Macleod, and Anders Sandberg's Big Ideas, Grand Vision RPG
setting. ) Also intelligent RPGs like 2300AD, and perhaps Valence and Jovian Chronicles (the
latter set in the Interplanetary Age and employing some genuine science).

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Medium Science Fiction

MEDIUM : Breaks physical laws but attempts a rationale which sounds reasonable in context with the
work, regardless whether or not it makes sense within the current scientific paradigm. Also describes
things in a scientific manner. So while concepts like FTL appear, which are unproven and indeed
contradictory to the laws of physics, the story is still arranged in a logical manner. This material is
generally considered "hard science SF", but is not as rigorous as the above category, and often (unlike
Firm science fiction) the writer will deliberately fudge or even ignore the science for the sake of a more
entertaining story.

Technologies and Themes in Medium SF

The following are some themes and technologies that might occur in Medium (but not in Firm) sci fi
settings. These tropes can still be used (if not overdone) in a Campbellian hard science manner (which is
a less rigorous grading than we use - e.g. an FTL drive is allowed if the rest of the story hangs together,
the repercussions on society as a whole are acknowledged or explored, etc). Most traditional SF uses at
least one of these tropes, as plot devices. All of these ideas have been excluded from the Orion's Arm
setting.

Universe crowded with alien civilizations (why? - Fermi's paradox, negative results so far from Seti)
Some aliens very similar to terragen life (why? - exceedingly unlikely evolution would follow a very
similar path)
FTL without time-travel
non-explained FTL drives, hyperspace jumps, etc - (why? - violates local causality and results in time-
travel paradoxes, no way other than handwavium and sillytech to explain. Even so, FTL remains a
staple of many otherwise harder (medium to firm) SF writers. This is however more a dramatic device
than a concession to realism)
most or almost all the tech development (hand lasers, genetic engineering, giant ships, FTL, etc etc)
occurs in the immediate near future - e.g. 21st century (this is a common problem with a lot of SF)
Small scale Antigrav (cars, belts, ships etc) (why? - may work given plancktech but basically
handwavium)
Disintegrator guns and other sillytech energy beam weapons that generate a beam by no known (or
patently unscientific) means, without problems of energy storage, heat dissipation, etc (why? - no basis
in modern physics, doesn't work with real engineering, pure handwavium)
Psionics, radio-style telepathy, etc (why? - although parapsychology has provided tantalising but
ambiguous evidence, there is no evidence of reliable "psionics" or sci fi telepathy in real life. However,
this theme is still common as a plot device, and is presented in a rational, rather than a supernatural or
fantasy, manner)

Some Examples of Medium SF

Examples: Much of Niven's Known Space series (FTL, psionics, a lot of handwavium, aliens
seem (to me, others may disagree) one-dimensional, but from a technical viewpoint Niven's
science is always excellent (see Ringworld, under "Firm" heading)), Robert Heinlein's

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Starship Troopers (has some silly elements, e.g. giant bugs shooting plasma at Earth (very soft
sci fi concept), also the usual FTL plot device, but otherwise story has a lot of hard sci fi ideas.
Some have criticised the politics, others sympathised with it, but this has nothing to do with
the science rating. The movie version was a soft sci fi satire). Still on military SF, Forever War
by Joe Haldeman has elements of both Medium and Firm (science less important than telling a
story, interesting speculations on future culture, use of collapsars equates to wormholes etc
and is a decent plot device; very implausible that so much tech development occurs in the late
20th and early 21st century, the rest being rather more minor; however for the rest avoids less
realistic concepts). Banks' Culture novels (technobabble FTL, handwavium or plot device
antigrav, force fields, hyperspace AI, etc, the science and tech is clearly secondary to cultural
speculations and the telling of a good story), the Uplift series of David Brin (many alien races,
conflicts with Fermi paradox "great silence", also many of these races are based on
mammalian or avian forms, but no reason evolution would take the same pathways on other
worlds. The usual plot device ultratech like FTL starships etc. In other instances, Brin keeps
the science good; however he makes it clear that reliance on scientific accuracy is secondary
to telling a good story), and Peter Hamilton's Fallen Dragon (and Night's Dawn if it did not
have the supernatural elements which puts it squarely in the realm of Science Fantasy; while
the concept of genetically engineered Edenists vs the "baseline" Adamists are good, and there
is some decent scientific realism alongside the plot device FTL (one-shot wormholes) it is
unrealistic that almost all the tech development occurs in the 21st century). For a scenario set
in our Solar System, John C. Wright's The Golden Age trilogy starts out looking like pretty
decent hard SF on the realism scale (use of nanotech and direct interface with the brain to
create rich experiences, plausible far future society), but the book is essentially a literary work,
some of the hard science tech is left unexplained, and some of the tech later turns out to be
totally ridiculous and probably better suited as "soft SF" (the 100 mile long interstellar starship
made one atom at a time of a super-element); Frank Herbert's Dune - probably most published
works of science fiction - hugely researched, massive worldbuilding, the whole thing very
consistent, if implausible re tech (force fields that mean only very slow projectiles can be used
(plot device), native ecology of Arrakis very implausible, but consistency and detail of the
worldbuilding is superb, and the physics and tech, while unbelievable, is at least explained in a
consistent manner. Note that Dune was never intended as Hard SF, it is a work of Soft SF
(social and literary). The fact that it is also once of the greatest works of Sci Fi ever written
should show that this hard to soft science rating has absolutely nothing to do with quality of
the work in question. RPGs like Heavy Gear (military mecha) go either here or in the Soft
SciFi category.

Soft Sci Fi
Soft Sci Fi as defined here is Science Fiction, Science Fantasy, or (to use George Lucas' term) Space
Fantasy, in which there is little or no attempt to keep the science and tech plausible, or to have social
trends follow logically from technological development. Frequent absurd elements are common (e.g. it
would be impossible for Godzilla, or for giant ants or spiders, to stand or move in Earth gravity), and the
universe is explained in terms of storyline entertainment rather than plausibility. In some cases
technobabble is used instead of proper science.

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As with Hard Sci Fi, one can suggest various grades of Soft Sci Fi.

Soft Science Fiction

SOFT: Breaks physical laws but still attempts a rationale which may sound reasonable in context with
the work, although in all other respects it is very implausible. Moreover it shows pretty much complete
ignorance of how real science and the real universe works. These tropes are found in almost all
television and much cinema-based SF. Nevertheless, occasionally a classic SF tale will involve one or
more of these tropes.
Note that the term Soft SF is often also used to refer to SF that explores sociological and psychological
themes; here we are using it instead specifically in the context of works that do not attempt to be
scientifically rigorous, even if they are still logically consistent.

Science, Technologies and Themes in Soft SF

The following are some themes and technologies that might occur in Soft (but not Medium Hard) sci fi
settings. These things are highly improbable to impossible and cannot by today's understanding of
physics, astronomy, etc, be considered in any way realistic. Often they are the result of poor background
research, or of (in the case of movies and TV shows) the limitations of working with human actors,
make-up , and so on (now with improved CGI this may change). Hence they are excluded from the
harder versions of Hard SF (Hard or Ultra Hard). But who knows, they may be proved correct in the
future, should the laws of physics be completely and drastically turned around. This would however
require a revision as great as the difference between, say, Aristotlean and Contemporary science.

Forcefields/ "Shields" (why? - no basis in modern physics, pure handwavium. However it is not
impossible that future discoveries may allow such things)
Alien Cultures and psychology all extremely uniform - e.g. all Klingons are warlike, all Pupetters
(Niven's Ringworld etc) are cowardly, etc (why? - no reason why a xenosophont race or civilization
should be less diverse than our own, and if it is it would not be at all competitive and easily conquered,
but sure maybe only humans are diverse)
Aliens based on anthropomorphised terragen life - e.g. "furries", also bumpy-headed humanoid aliens,
Hominid aliens in general (why? - exceedingly unlikely evolution would follow exactly the same path,
even given Star Trek's "progenitors"), or aliens that look identical to baseline H. sapiens
Time travel in This Universe (no multiple timelines) without paradoxes and violation of causality.

Some Examples of Soft SF

Examples: Classic space opera like the Lensmen series (E.E. "Doc" Smith, the founder of
"space opera") and the Core Command rpg.
There are a number of other space operas that can be added here (will add titles later)

Among television sci fi franchises, Some of the earlier and better thought out episodes of Star

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Trek may go here, if they were taken as "stand alone" universes without the humanoid of the
week syndrome or the treknobabble, the unfortunate screenplay necessity of aliens that look
identical to baseline humans is permissable because one can only do so much with costumes
and make-up) Babylon 5 (apart from ridiculous elements like the Prussian Centauris, which
correspond to mushy soft silliness, the rest is pretty good - e.g. the Star Furies have attitude
control jets (realistic / hard SF), the Babylon 5 habitat is an O'Neill type cylinder, and so on);
Farscape (to their credit the writers chose not to introduce explanations to all the ultratech,
thus wisely avoiding the "treknobabble" trap, however elements of the Farscape Universe are
absurd, e.g. the Scarrin who are unaffected by cold and whose hide is impervious to weapons);
SG-1 TV series (wormholes as an FTL device, but later also adapted classic Trekkist memes in
more recent episodes (shields, etc), although the screenplay and internal consistency is far
superior to almost all the post-Roddenberry Star Trek material); and the Andromeda TV series
may go here, although it does include some more progressive concepts like AI and nanotech,
but in any case, like all TV sci fi it is softer than most written SF. Among sci fi movies, the
first Matrix movie could have been considered "medium" or "hard" (c.f. cyberpunk) in
realism, were it not for the ridiculous human biobattery concept which definitely places it in
the "soft sci fi" ballpark, and the two sequels also seem rather softer than the first episode.
RPGs like Traveller (space opera - made unrealistic by the alien races that resemble terragen
life, and resembles today's world with space ships and ray guns - but otherwise well thought
out setting), might go either here or perhaps (if well thought out and explained) in the Medium
SciFi category.

Very Soft Science Fiction

VERY SOFT : Breaks physical laws and while the explanations, if any, may sound reasonable in the
context of the story, the result has so many inconsistencies and implausibilities one is hard pressed to
feel in any way comfortable about this material as "Science Fiction", enjoyable as it may be as pure
entertainment. Knowledge of real science, real engineering, and so on is basically non-existent. Unlike
Soft Sci Fi it does not even provide any consistency within the context of the story. e.g. in Star Trek
matter transports allow perfect molecular replication, but this is never used to heal illness or attain
bodily immortality. Incidentally, the author of one website (don't have the url) argued (dubiously) that
much of this material is still "hard SF" because it seeks and provides a rational explanation of things.
e.g. in Star Trek you know that you need some form of FTL to travel between the stars. But this is really
stretching the term "hard sci fi".

Science, Technologies and Themes in Very Soft SF

This relates to the inconsistency of these fictional universes in failing to follow through technological
development into other areas of science and of society. Also some concepts that are clearly totally
absurd and against the laws of physics. In addition, technobabble might be used instead of real science.

The majority of planets are like Earth (just look around our solar system - Earth type worlds are likely
to be very rare)
A barren lifeless world with breathable atmosphere (oxygen is a highly reactive gas - a lifeless world

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would have a reducing atmosphere)

Alien worlds, cultures, and fashions very similar to late 20th/early 21st century America (or other
periods and cultures of Earth - e.g. the Prussian Centauris of Babylon 5)
technobabble rather than real science (dilithium crystals, hypermatter, midichlorians, ion storms,
subspace anomalies, crowded asteroid belts, etc, etc)
civilizations with some very advanced technology, (e.g. FTL ships, matter teleportation, etc) that still
don't have basic genetic engineering, life-extension, or other personal augmentation
civilizations that don't think to apply the aforesaid extremely advanced godlike technologies to
improving standard of living, quality of life, etc (e.g. ST matter transmitters can be used to replicate
perfect bodies or organs and hence guarantee physical immortality)
civilizations with very advanced technology centuries in advance of us that suffer from
conservative/luddite prejudices or fears of late 20th/early 21st century western world (e.g. "genetic
engineering is bad")
civilizations with very advanced technology in which however the culture, society, and psychology is
identical to that of the late 20th/early 21st century western world
Many Sillytech SF devices

Some Examples of Very Soft SF

Examples:

The Star Trek Canon goes here, as what would otherwise be a fine franchise is handicapped by
numerous historical-timeline and inter-episode inconsistencies, bad science, and the
"humanoid of the week syndrome". Although Star Trek is authentic SF (and hence "hard" in
the weakest definition of the term) in that it at least attempts an explanation, it is diminished
by overreliance on "treknobabble" (pseudo-explanation, e.g. the "particle of the week" as well
as "ion storms" etc) rather than real science, which makes it "Very Soft" (completely
unscientific), and the use of the the "humanoid of the week" syndrome, rather than build on
the shared universe, each episode and writer introduces a new humanoid alien). The original
Star Wars might be considered Very Soft Sci Fi (combines quite reasonable Soft themes with
Mushy Soft elements like ships that wheel and bank in a vacuum) with Fantasy elements
(albeit not bad ones, "the Force" as a sort of New Age pop-Taoism), although George Lucas
specifically defines it as "Space Fantasy", rather than "Science Fiction". In the second Star
Wars trilogy the Force is explained in terms of "midichlorians", this is the Star Wars version of
treknobabble. Mechwarrior (they have FTL ships but the mecha have only the most primitive
targeting system. However, the universe of the original RPG was very well thought out). Other
examples might be LEXX and Red Dwarf (which is comedy in any case). Firefly - excellent
character development but space exploration never explained (too many planets without FTL;
also the wild west cultures are implausible (Mushy Soft?). Also some Cinematic sci fi - the
sort of dumbed down stuff you see on TV and in the movies and which usually doesn't even
bother to be scientific; typical movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Supernova, etc.

Mushy Soft Science Fiction

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MUSHY SOFT : Differs from standard Soft Sci Fi in giving up any pretense at all of trying to be
plausible. This category is often disparagingly referred to as "science fantasy" by people who are serious
about Sci Fi (however this is not to be confused with Science Fantasy in the sense of sci fi that
incorporates fantasy elements).

At its worst (regarding scientific plausibility or lack thereof) Mushy Soft Sci Fi does not even attempt
any explanation, or else those it does are patently absurd, just complete scientific nonsense. However, it
cannot be called Science Fantasy, Magical Realism, or whatever, because it is still supposedly set in the
"real world". Differs from Very Soft in that it does not even give the pretense of realism (e.g. in
munchkin sci fi you can still have a zillion erg blaster beam as long as there is some technology like a
big ray gun cannon to generate and "explain" it; in this category you don't even need that). Note that, as
always, this is not a value judgment, only a science and realism comparison. This material (e.g.
superhero comics) can still be very entertaining and enjoyable to read.

Science, Technologies and Themes in Mushy Soft SF

The following are some themes and technologies that might occur in Mushy Soft (but not in reasonably
thought out Soft ) sci fi settings. These things are impossible and often outright fantasy. We can safely
say though that all these things are the result of sci fi clichés, bad science, or both. They are included in
sci fi for entertainment purposes, rather than being attempts to describe an authentic reality. They show
not the slightest attempt at even the most basic understanding of how the universe works.

Intense radiation causes a creature to evolve into a more advanced form (why? look up the effect of
radiation on living cells)
Intense radiation cause the locals to evolve into mishapen post-apocalyptic mutants. (not a shred of
evidence radiation damage works this way)
Never-before encountered aliens that just happen to speak English (or whatever language the TV show
is in) without the aid of some sort of translator device (this happens a lot on TV sci fi and is never
explained)
Giant animals (e.g. Godzilla, giant mutant ants or spiders) can move exactly the way they could if they
were normal sized (ignores scaling law - mass is cubed while length is only doubled)
Travelling to different solar systems in a matter of weeks (or less) without relativistic travel or some
form of FTL drive
WW II fighter-plane analogy - Spaceships that maneouver by wheeling and banking in a vacuum
Naval Analogy - Space battles that occur only in two (rather than three) dimensions
Ground vehicle analogy - Spaceships that only move forward when you press the thrust button,
otherwise they slow down, in a vacuum, in deep space (most computer game Space ship "sims")
Spaceships that go "woosh" in a vacuum (sound cannot travel in outer space)
Mutants or Aliens (as in comic book) with superpowers and no physical way of justifying the energy,
movement, strength, speed, invulnerability, etc that these powers provide
Beings that can not only change shape or form but also alter their mass while doing so (Incredible
Hulk, etc)
Disintegrator guns and other soft sci fi energy beam weapons that can disintegrate a person or object
without creating a backwash of plasma, superheated steam, any other effects
energy beam weapons that generate multi- megaton or gigaton blasts without generating any energy or
explaining where the energy comes from
WW II analogy - Laser or energy beams travel about as fast as tracer fire, and are visible in a vacuum

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(in fact lasers are not visible in a vacuum and are invisible in clear air, although you can see them in
smoky air).
Plucky baselines
Munchkinism
Any of a number of other Overused Science Fiction Clichés

For more on the sort of absurdities one frequently finds in pop soft sci fi, I again recommend the
brilliant and hilarious Overused Science Fiction Clichés

Some Examples of Mushy Soft SF

Dr Who (the first regular science fiction drama for TV, and incredibly innovative for its time,
preceeding Roddenberry's Star Trek by some years, although the early episodes are extremely
dated by today's standards and one can forgive the fact that the aliens often resemble baseline
humans and speak English); also giant robot anime in general (the giant robots ("evas") in
Neongenesis seem to be too large to support their weight) though some exceptions could
perhaps go under Soft/Very Soft). Space:1999 (no understanding of travelling between planets
and stars), Superhero comic books, universes (Marvel Universe, DC Universe, etc) derivative
movies (X-Men, Superman, etc) featuring mutants or humanoid aliens with astonishing
powers, Dragonball Z and other martial arts type cartoons with energy bolts and so on, and
many cult SF movies (Godzilla, etc, even in terms of size alone, the original Godzilla is
physiologically impossible, let alone the even bigger American movie variant).

Science Fantasy, and Fantasy

Science Fantasy is a sort of overlap with sci fi, but contains specifically fantasy elements, and hence
does not describe the universe in a rational way, although it still has rational elements. Pure Fantasy, and
Horror, are distinct genres to Science Fiction, although some journals publish all of them together. Often
in Sci Fi Entertainment forums and media (magazines, websites, etc), "Sci Fi" is used as a generic term
that also includes fantasy, horror, supernatural stories, and so on.

SCIENCE FANTASY: claims to be SF, and indeed has or is based on self-consistent SF elements that
would otherwise include it under SF, but also includes one or more supernaturalist elements that remove
it from the realm of pure SF. George Lucas uses the term "Space Fantasy" to describe his work, although
it seems to me that - except for its fairy tale prologue ("a long time ago in a galaxy far away") - Star
Wars can more properly be included with other Soft Sci Fi popular universes. The only "fantasy"
element in SW is The Force, and even this is explained in technobabble terms (midichlorians") in the
prequel trilogy.

Examples include Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy and the Shadowrun rpg (both of

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which incorporate supernaturalist elements into an otherwise typical medium (space opera) or
very hard (cyberpunk) SF setting), and the Neongenesis Evangelion anime series

NOT SF: Makes no attempt to follow physical laws as we currently understand them, or infuses a
magical technology that works for unknown reasons.

Examples include Lovecraft's Cthulian mythos, Tolkein's Lord of the Rings series, and the
fantasy and horror genres in general. Jeff Noon (Vurt and Pollen) would probably also go here
("cyberpunk" magical realism) as would China Mieville ("steampunk" fantasy).

Notes:

Plott-DeVice Drive - Thanks to Dr Bill Ernoehazy for this wonderful term

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Design notes - 11 Dec 04 - decided to merge Impossible and Impossible and Ridiculous, as they are really pretty similar -
MAK; 18 Jan 05 - transferred this page to the Kheper website
content by M Alan Kazlev. Some comments and suggestions for original grading scheme John B and James Ramsey
page uploaded 9 June 2002, transferred this page to the Kheper website and further modified 18 January 2005, later
revision (update notice, plus "The Golden Age" by Wright downgraded from "hard" to "medium", and fixed spelling
mistales and typos) 10 January 2006. ,ost recent revision (header image and link to new page) 3rd April 2017.

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