If I knew how to create flowcharts, I’d try to do one of my own. But I don’t have to figure it out, because there’s this one at Snowflakes and Spider Silk, posted for SF Month.
So, click through and then tell me what you’d add if you were making a flowchart. I’ll tell you what I think is missing: hard SF! Now, you might define hard SF as science-heavy characterization-light SF, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen hard SF defined as the equivalent of epic fantasy, and I think I might agree. Because I’d say that Leviathan’s Wake by James SA Corey is hard SF, and is science-heavy, but definitely not light on characterization.
Now, Leviathan Wakes is not entirely my cup of tea and I haven’t actually gone on with the sequels, but space, big ideas, broad scope, multiple points of view, important changes to the world(s)and society — don’t you think it is really very much like epic fantasy?
I know the categorization of subgenres can extend infinitely. What else might you add to this flowchart?
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