Difference between revisions of "Hard and Soft SF"

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'''''Hard SF''''' is a term coined in 1957 by [[P. Schuyler Miller]] to distinguish between the [[science fiction]] promoted by [[John W. Campbell]], editor of ''[[Astounding]]'', and the SF stories being published in ''[[Galaxy]]'' and other magazines that were social satire or [[science fantasy]].
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'''''Hard SF''''' refers to [[science fiction]] with a strong basis in present-day science, technology or engineering.  
  
Some users later took the term to mean SF based on the "hard" sciences (physics, chemistry, etc.) rather than the "soft" sciences (psychology, [[sociology]], etc.).  Others attributed "hardness" to any story that championed science.  
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The term was coined in 1957 by [[P. Schuyler Miller]] to distinguish between the [[science fiction]] promoted by [[John W. Campbell]], editor of ''[[Astounding]]'', and the SF stories being published in ''[[Galaxy]]'' and other magazines that were social satire or [[science fantasy]].
  
There are several problems with these early definitions, of course.  One is that some sciences (biology, psychology, etc.) have both "hard" and "soft" dimensions.
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Some users later took the term to mean SF based on the "hard" sciences (physics, chemistry, etc.) rather than the "soft" sciences (psychology, [[sociology]], etc.).  Others attributed "hardness" to any story that championed science. There are several problems with these early definitions, of course.  One is that some sciences (biology, psychology, etc.) have both "hard" and "soft" dimensions.
  
 
In 1992, [[Allen Steele]] wrote:  "Hard sf is the form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone."  This seems to be the meaning held by most SF [[readers]]/[[fans]] today.
 
In 1992, [[Allen Steele]] wrote:  "Hard sf is the form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone."  This seems to be the meaning held by most SF [[readers]]/[[fans]] today.
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{{SFE|name=hard_sf}}.
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See also: [[Soft SF]].
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{{fanspeak}}
 
{{fanspeak}}
 
[[Category:fiction]]
 
[[Category:fiction]]

Revision as of 11:36, 3 September 2021

Hard SF refers to science fiction with a strong basis in present-day science, technology or engineering.

The term was coined in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller to distinguish between the science fiction promoted by John W. Campbell, editor of Astounding, and the SF stories being published in Galaxy and other magazines that were social satire or science fantasy.

Some users later took the term to mean SF based on the "hard" sciences (physics, chemistry, etc.) rather than the "soft" sciences (psychology, sociology, etc.). Others attributed "hardness" to any story that championed science. There are several problems with these early definitions, of course. One is that some sciences (biology, psychology, etc.) have both "hard" and "soft" dimensions.

In 1992, Allen Steele wrote: "Hard sf is the form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone." This seems to be the meaning held by most SF readers/fans today.

Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

See also: Soft SF.



Fanspeak
This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.