Social science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction, usually (but not necessarily) soft science fiction, concerned less with technology/

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

and more with speculation about society. In other words, it "absorbs and discusses anthropology" and speculates about human behavior and interactions.Archaeology in Fiction, Stories, and Novels
. about.com. May 28, 2008 Exploration of fictional societies is a significant aspect of science fiction, allowing it to perform predictive ('' The Time Machine'', 1895; '' The Final Circle of Paradise'', 1965) and precautionary ('' Brave New World'', 1932; '' Nineteen Eighty-Four'', 1949; '' Childhood's End'', '' Fahrenheit 451'', 1953) functions, to criticize the contemporary world (''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...

'', 1726; the works of Alexander Gromov, 1995–present) and to present solutions (''

Walden Two ''Walden Two'' is a utopian novel written by behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner, first published in 1948. In its time, it could have been considered science fiction, since science-based methods for altering people's behavior did not yet exis ...

'', ''

Freedom™ ''Freedom™'', the sequel to '' Daemon'', is the second of a two-part novel, by American writer Daniel Suarez, about a distributed, persistent computer application, known as The Daemon, that begins to change the real world after the original pr ...

''), to portray alternative societies ('' World of the Noon'') and to examine the implications of ethical principles, as for example in the works of Sergei Lukyanenko. More contemporary examples include ''

The Lobster ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (2015), directed by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, and '' The Platform'' (2019).

In English

Social fiction is a broad term to describe any work of

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, na ...

that features social commentary (as opposed to, say, hypothetical technology) in the foreground. Social science fiction is a subgenre thereof, where social commentary (cultural or political) takes place in a sci-fi universe. Utopian and dystopian fiction is a classic, polarized genre of social science fiction, although most works of science fiction can be interpreted as having social commentary of some kind or other as an important feature. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a sci-fi work to be labeled as social sci-fi as well as numerous other categories. Thomas More's book '' Utopia'' (1516) represents an early example of the genre. Another early classic writer, Jonathan Swift, penned critical views on current society—his most famous work, ''

'' (1726), is an example of a novel that is partially social science fiction (with such classic sci-fi elements as pioneering in strange new worlds and experimenting with variations of the human anatomy) and partially high fantasy (e.g., fantastical species that satirize various sectors of society). One of the writers who used science fiction to explore the sociology of near-future topics was H. G. Wells, with his classic '' The Time Machine'' (1895) revealing the human race diverging into separate branches of Elois and Morlocks as a consequence of

class inequality Social inequality occurs when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, that engender specific patterns along lines of socially defined categories of persons. It posses and creates gender c ...

: a happy pastoral society of Elois preyed upon by the Morlocks but yet needing them to keep their world functioning—a thinly veiled criticism of capitalist society, where the exploiter class, or the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

, is symbolized by the useless, frivolous Elois, and the exploited working class, or the

proletariat The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian. Marxist philo ...

, is represented by the subterranean-dwelling, malnourished Morlocks. Wells' '' The Sleeper Awakes'' (1899, 1910) predicted the spirit of the 20th century: technically advanced, undemocratic and bloody. Next to prognoses of the future of society if current social problems persisted, as well as depictions of alien societies that are exaggerated versions of ours (exemplified by '' The War of the Worlds'' of 1897), Wells also heavily criticized the then-popular concept of vivisection, experimental "psychiatry" and research that was done for the purpose of restructuring the human mind and memory (clearly emphasized in ''

The Island of Doctor Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the islan ...

'', 1896). Other early examples of influential novels include '' Vril, the Power of the Coming Race'' (1871) by

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secret ...

, '' Erewhon'' (1872) by Samuel Butler, ''Looking Backward: 2000-1887'' (1888) by Edward Bellamy and '' News from Nowhere'' (1890) by William Morris In the U.S. the new trend of science fiction away from gadgets and space opera and toward speculation about the human condition was championed in

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

s of the 1940s by authors such as Robert A. Heinlein and by

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

, who invented the term "social science fiction" to describe his own work. The term is not often used presently except in the context of referring specifically to the changes that occurred during the 1940s, but the subgenre it references is still a major part of science fiction. Utopian fiction eventually gave birth to a negative and often more cynical genre, known as

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

n: Aldous Huxley's "negative utopia" '' Brave New World'' (1932) and, ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to crea ...

'' (1945) and '' Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (1949) by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

. "The thought-destroying force" of

McCarthyism McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term origin ...

influenced Ray Bradbury's '' Fahrenheit 451'' (1953). Examples of young adult dystopian fiction include '' The Hunger Games'' (2008) by Suzanne Collins, ''

The House of the Scorpion ''The House of the Scorpion'' is a 2002 science fiction young adult novel by Nancy Farmer. It is set in the future and mostly takes place in Opium, a country which separates Aztlán (formerly Mexico) and the United States. The main character Matteo ...

'' (2002) by Nancy Farmer, '' Divergent'' (2011) by Veronica Roth, '' The Maze Runner'' (2009) by

James Dashner James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer known for speculative fiction. Many of his books are primarily aimed at children or young adults. He is best known for ''The Maze Runner'' series and the young adult fantasy ser ...

, and ''

Delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...

'' (2011) by Lauren Oliver. Some movies speculate about human behavior and interactions placed in extreme and strange environment like ''

Cube In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. Viewed from a corner it is a hexagon and its net is usually depicted as a cross. The cube is the only r ...

'' (1997), ''

Cube Zero ''Cube Zero'' is a 2004 Canadian science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by Ernie Barbarash. It is the third and final film in the ''Cube'' trilogy and a prequel to the first ''Cube'' film. The first two films take place ...

'' (2004), '' Cube 2: Hypercube'' (2002) or '' Platform'' (2019). '' The Chrysalids'' (1955) by John Wyndham explored the society of several telepathic children in a world hostile to such differences. Robert Sheckley studied polar civilizations of criminal and stability in his 1960 novel '' The Status Civilization''. The modern era of social science fiction began with the 1960s, when authors such as

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

, Brian Aldiss, William Gibson and

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...

wrote novels and stories that reflected real-world political developments and ecological issues, but also experimented in creating hypothetical societies of the future or of parallel populated planets. Ellison's main theme was the protest against increasing militarism. Kurt Vonnegut wrote '' Slaughterhouse-Five'' (1969), which used the science-fiction storytelling device of time-travel to explore anti-war, moral, and sociological themes.

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...

's series '' Gateway'' (1977–2004) combined social science fiction with hard science fiction. Modern exponents of social science fiction in the Campbellian/

Heinlein Heinlein or Henlein is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Karl Heinlein (1892–1960), Austrian former footballer * Klaus Heinlein (born 1953), German former footballer * Konrad Henlein (1898–1945), Nazi German politici ...

tradition include

L. Neil Smith Lester Neil Smith III (May 12, 1946 – August 27, 2021), better known as L. Neil Smith, was an American libertarian science fiction author and political activist. His works include the trilogy of Lando Calrissian novels, all published in 1983: ...

who wrote both '' The Probability Broach'' (1981) and '' Pallas'', which dealt with alternative "sideways in time" futures and what a libertarian society would look like. He is considered the heir to Robert A. Heinlein's individualism and

libertarianism Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...

in science fiction. Kim Stanley Robinson explored different models of the future in his '' Three Californias Trilogy'' (1984, 1988, 1990).

Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing (; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British-Zimbabwean novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remain ...

won the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature. Although known mostly for her mainstream works, she wrote numerous works of social science fiction, including ''

Memoirs of a Survivor ''The Memoirs of a Survivor'' is a dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winner Doris Lessing. It was first published in 1974 by Octagon Press. It was made into a film in 1981, starring Julie Christie and Nigel Hawthorne, and directed by David Glad ...

'' (1974), ''

Briefing for a Descent into Hell ''Briefing for a Descent into Hell'' is a psychological thriller by the British novelist Doris Lessing. It was first published in 1971 and shortlisted for that year's Booker Prize. Plot The novel begins when a well-dressed but dishevelled man ...

'' (1971), and the '' Canopus in Argos'' series (1974–1983).

Examples from the 1940s

, '' Nightfall'', 1941 *

, The ''Foundation'' series, 1942–1993 * Karin Boye, ''

Kallocain ''Kallocain'' is a 1940 dystopian novel by Swedish novelist Karin Boye that envisions a future of drab terror. Seen through the eyes of the idealistic scientist Leo Kall, ''Kallocain'' is a depiction of a totalitarian world state. An important a ...

'', 1940 * Robert A. Heinlein, '' If This Goes On—'', 1940 * Robert A. Heinlein, '' Beyond This Horizon'', 1942 *

George R. Stewart George Rippey Stewart (May 31, 1895 – August 22, 1980) was an American historian, toponymist, novelist, and a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. His 1959 book, ''Pickett's Charge'', a detailed history of the final ...

, '' Earth Abides'', 1949 *

, '' Nineteen Eighty-Four'', 1949

Other examples

Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels ''A Kiss Before Dying (novel), A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), ''Rosemary's Baby (novel), Rosemary's Baby'' ...

, ''

This Perfect Day ''This Perfect Day'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Ira Levin, about a Technocracy, technocratic dystopia.David Pringle,''The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction''. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, 1990. (p.318). Levin ...

'', 1970 * Andrew Niccol, '' Gattaca'', 1997

In English

Examples from the 1940s

Other examples

See also

References

Further reading