Space opera, cyberpunk, hard SF: a short sci-fi glossary

Mixing up space opera and hard SF? This short guide sorts out the great families of science fiction.

Space opera, cyberpunk, hard SF : le petit lexique de la SF

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Science fiction brings together very different universes. Here are a few landmarks to find your way.

Space opera

Space battles, galactic empires, larger-than-life heroes. The term was first used mockingly in the 1940s, before becoming a genre in its own right.

Cyberpunk

Neon-soaked megacities, omnipresent computer networks and all-powerful corporations. William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer (1984) is one of its founding works.

Hard SF

Here, science takes centre stage: authors strive to respect the laws of physics. Andy Weir’s The Martian is a recent and popular example.

Solarpunk

The optimistic counterpoint to cyberpunk: societies that have succeeded in their ecological transition thanks to technology and cooperation.