List of science fiction themes

File:Wormhole travel as envisioned by Les Bossinas for NASA.jpg

The following is a list of articles about recurring themes in science fiction.

Overarching themes

First contact with aliens
Artificial intelligence
Machine rule/Cybernetic revolt/AI takeover
Extraterrestrials in fiction
End of humanity: Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
The future
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: Apocalypses or worldwide disasters and new societies that develop after the event
History
Alternate history
Scientific prediction of the future (e.g. psychohistory)
Human fears: List of science fiction horror films
Language
Alien languages (e.g. Klingon, Huttese)
The Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis (e.g. Babel 17, The Languages of Pao)
Universal translators (e.g. Babel fish)
Military/conflicts
Interstellar war
Weapons in science fiction
Parallel worlds or multiverse
Philosophies and philosophical ideas
Sex and sexuality
LGBT themes
Gender
Reproduction and pregnancy
Simulated reality and consciousness
Social science fiction
Technological singularity
Themes of fantasy fiction

Beings and entities

Artificial intelligences
Androids and Gynoid
Artificial life
Biological robot
Cyborgs
Robots and humanoid robots
Replicants
Simulated consciousness
Characters
The Absent-minded professor
The Golem
The Mad Scientist
Redshirt
Space Pirate
Super Soldier
Clones
Dinosaurs
Extraterrestrial life
Hypothetical types of biochemistry
Alien invasion
Astrobiology
God-like aliens
Principles of non-interference (e.g. Prime Directive)
Message from space
Living planets (both sentient and non-sentient)
Hive minds
Infomorphs—memories, characters, and consciences of persons being uploaded to a computer or storage media
Mutants
Shapeshifters
Superhumans
Superorganisms
Symbionts
UFOs
Uplifting—using technology to "raise" non-human animals to human evolutionary levels
Ancient astronauts
Progressorship

Body and mind alterations

Biohacking/Amateur biotechnicians
Artificial organs
Additional or improved senses{{page needed|date=July 2015|reason=(separate article needed)}}
X-ray vision
Cloning
Exocortex
Genetic engineering
Super race
Intelligence amplification
Invisibility
Life extension, Biological immortality, Universal immortalism and immortality
Cryonics
Digital immortality
Mind uploading
Organ transplantation
Organlegging
Prosthetics
Memory
Memory erasure/editing
Memory sharing
Group mind
Mind control
Mind swap
Mind uploading
Neural implants to directly interface with machinery
Psi powers and psychic phenomena
Clairvoyance
Precognition
Pyrokinesis
Retrocognition
Telepathy
Telekinesis
Parasitism{{cite encyclopedia |title=Parasitism and Symbiosis |url=http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/parasitism_and_symbiosis |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction |date=10 January 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Guarino |first1=Ben |title=Disgusting 'Alien' movie monster not as horrible as real things in nature |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/19/disgusting-alien-movie-monster-not-as-horrible-as-real-things-in-nature/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 May 2017}}{{cite book |last=Glassy |first=Mark C. |title=The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubmJCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA186 |year=2005 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0822-8 |pages=186 ff}}{{cite book |last1=Moisseeff |first1=Marika |title=Aliens as an Invasive Reproductive Power in Science Fiction |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00935705 |website=HAL Archives-Ouvertes |date=23 January 2014|pages=239–257 }}{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Robyn |last2=Field |first2=Scott |title=Behaviour, Evolutionary Games and .... Aliens |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/kelvin/files/s223.htm |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=30 November 2017 |date=27 September 1997}}
Psychedelia
Resizing (size-changing, miniaturization, magnification, shrinking, and enlargement)
Shapeshifting
Superhuman strength
Teleportation
Transhumanism and Posthumanism