GLOSSARYSUBGENRE
Hard vs. Soft Science Fiction
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
In plain English
A spectrum, not a rule: hard sci-fi sticks closely to real, checkable science, while soft sci-fi cares more about people, societies, and ideas than about how the technology works.
WORKS
See it in the wild.
ON THE SHOW
On the show.
- Ep 1 — Why Does SciFi Matter? (15:40–18:20): Rob thinks sci-fi feels intimidating mostly because it has the word "science" in it. Caitlin uses The Martian to show you can skip the potato math and still love the story. Rob writes toward the hard end, and Caitlin writes softer sci-fi about who has power and how people respond to new technology.