Soft sci-fi vs. hard sci-fi

Science fiction is a broad genre. In one story, we get to experience a near-future world through the perspective of a sick girl’s artificial friend; in the next one, we are fighting dark lords of a galactic empire in a galaxy far far away. The only constant in the genre is its connection to science, be it feeble or grounded.

Here’s a challenge: try to define science fiction. Go ahead, I’ll wait. As a matter of fact, I tried before. The scope of what is considered science fiction is a bit unclear. We all know it has to do with science, so that’s a start.

If we can barely define it properly, could we possibly determine which one is better: soft sci-fi or hard sci-fi? Let’s start by delimiting the sturdiness of a SF story. We can all agree that if the science present in the story is factual, then it is hard; if it is more fantastic, then it is soft.

In other words, if a fictional science is well developed and realistic, it is considered hard. It is soft if we have scientific elements but the reasoning behind these is not at the core of the narrative, or the explanations are left to the reader’s imagination.

I selected five categories to try to decide the best type of sci-fi: hard or soft ones. Yes, this is going to be another silly post. Indulge me while I try to convince you that one of these rises above the other!

Ready? Fight!

Themes: exploring humanity

Thematically, when it comes to exploring the human condition, which type of story does best?

I like to think about science fiction as speculative case studies to understand ourselves and our potential as a civilization. And both soft and hard sci-fi stories can address this theme. In general, they have widely different approaches to it.

Soft science fiction tends to focus more on social commentary, investigating how a society (our own or one similar to ours) could deal with problems intrinsic to living in community. The science in the story is secondary, mostly acting as an enabler of the situation the author wants to explore.

In hard sci-fi stories, this theme manifests when science is the catalyst of the plot. These become an analysis of the scientific-technological potential of our discoveries, and how we react to them. What trouble can it create? What could be achieved with a slightly different approach to dangerous technology?

It is worth mentioning that both types of stories can lead to an upward trajectory, leading humanity to utopia, or become cautionary tales. But I confess that I think soft sci-fi has more liberty to explore these themes, unbounded by the constraint of realistic technology.

So, point to soft sci-fi.

Soft sci-fi 1 x 0 Hard sci-fi

Visionary: predicting the future

Science fiction is the genre to choose if you want to explore possible futures. There is a vast array of tomorrows imagined in sci-fi stories, from post-apocalyptic societies to the building of galactic civilizations. Independently of the level of science displayed, their predictions of the future are often visionary.

But which category does it better?

As I mentioned earlier, soft sci-fi can be utilized to make excellent social commentary, even acting as cautionary tales. These are stories that can describe future scenarios very well. They are relatable. However, this is not predicting the future so much as identifying threats and historical cycles.

When it comes to foreseeing our fate, hard sci-fi has a better record. Futuristic technology and their integration into society is better explored with a healthy dose of hard science in our fiction. As a matter of fact, it can even act as a guide for us, real scientists. Many devices thought out first in sci-fi stories have become reality! Including robots.

Soft sci-fi 1 x 1 Hard sci-fi

Best tropes: entertainment factor

Yes, social commentary and futurology are important reasons why we read science fiction. But these are not our only motivation! 

Escapism and/or entertainment are just as good when it comes to choosing your next book. Sometimes, we just want to have fun and forget about our problems. That’s why adventures, heists, romances, and murder mysteries are so beloved. Blended with science fiction and it’s a chef’s kiss.

Naturally, exploring fun tropes can be done with a harder approach to science (think The Martian, for example), or with a soft side of it (like any sci-fantasy story). So, this category comes down as a matter of taste, more than solid reasoning. And I’m going to base it on my taste! Sorry, not sorry.

You all know what the best trope is around here, right? Let’s say it together: one, two, three… TIME TRAVEL!

My absolute favorite trope is one that works best with a softer approach. Of course, because in our current understanding of nature, traveling to the past or getting stuck in a time loop is impossible. Whenever someone tries to give a scientific explanation for a time travelling story, they are bound to create nasty plot holes that can be hard to ignore. And the ones who hide the plot holes best are the soft ones.

As much as it pains me to admit, it’s a point to soft sci-fi.

Soft sci-fi 2 x 1 Hard sci-fi

Amazement: the cooler science 

Science is cool! And science fiction authors always try to show us this fact.

Androids, space elevators, teleportation devices, etc. are concepts that get our pulse pumping with excitement. Paired with some great storytelling, they become iconic.

Soft sci-fi can bring us really cool stuff, like for example the light sabers in the Star Wars franchise. However, more often than not, it relies on a sense of adventure or nostalgia to sell the technology. Also, theoretical sciences are completely overlooked.

With hard sci-fi on the other hand, we go further than neat technologies. We can witness an electron unfolding in eleven dimensions and feel the extreme time dilation caused by a black hole. We explore science as it is: amazing and grandiose. There’s no way this one goes to soft science systems. Real hard science is too cool to be ignored.

Point to hard sci-fi!

Soft sci-fi 2 x 2 Hard sci-fi

Outreach: popcorn read

Although we all love science fiction, we must admit it is not the easiest genre to get into if you never read any. The writing is often dense, overly analytical, or dry (I’m looking at you, Asimov). It inspires reflection and requires careful scrutiny of the plot to really absorb their themes.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, I say that the best way to get into it is first dipping your toes to measure the temperature of the water. That is, to read what we call popcorn science fiction. These are stories that are fun and easy to read, with great characters and engaging plots. You get engrossed with the narrative before even realizing you are reading a science fiction story. By the end, you feel compelled to analyze its science and overall message and, maybe, to look for a deeper SF book for you to read next.

My last two popcorn reads were Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (very soft in its science) and Off to Be A Wizard by Scott Meyers (a somewhat hard sci-fi disguised as fantasy!) So, yeah, we can have both hard and soft science-fiction popcorn stories.

Nevertheless, I must give this category to soft science fiction. It allows more entertaining genre benders, and it makes for a less scary entry point to science fiction.

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Final Score: Soft sci-fi 3 x 2 Hard sci-fi.

I feel like this result will be highly controversial among fans. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. No wait, I do! So, you can easily change my mind if you have good arguments.

Try to convince me otherwise in the comments!

See you next post,

Ra

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Carla Ra is a scientist by day, sci-fi writer by night.

You can check out her flash fiction collectio SCI-FI WEEKATHON for FREE  here.