Overview of popular franchises within the science fiction and fantasy genres, including books, movies, and television shows (e.g. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones).
Genre conventions: The broad general characteristics and tropes that define science fiction and fantasy franchises, such as space travel, magical powers, and alien species.
Worldbuilding: The process of creating fully realized fictional universes with their own cultures, history, geography, and technologies.
Character development: The creation of complex and fully-realized characters with their own personalities, flaws, and motivations.
Plot structures: The common narrative structures of science fiction and fantasy franchises, including their use of cliffhangers, foreshadowing, and plot twists.
Themes and motifs: The recurring themes and ideas that emerge throughout science fiction and fantasy franchises, such as individualism, technology, and morality.
Influence and evolution: The ways in which science fiction and fantasy franchises have influenced and been influenced by cultural and historical contexts, including science, politics, and other forms of media.
Franchise continuity: The interrelatedness and consistency of multiple works within a franchise, including the use of canon, retcons, and expansions.
Fan culture: The ways in which fans of science fiction and fantasy franchises engage with the texts, such as cosplay, fanfiction, and online communities.
Literary criticism: The various critical approaches to analyzing science fiction and fantasy literature, including formalist, feminist, and postcolonial perspectives.
Adaptations: The translation of science fiction and fantasy franchises into different media forms, such as film, television, and video games, and the challenges and opportunities presented in the adaptation process.
Space opera: A subgenre of sci-fi that emphasizes adventure and action rather than scientific accuracy.
Cyberpunk: A subgenre that typically features advanced technology, dystopian societies, and “outlaw” or criminal protagonists.
Steampunk: A subgenre that blends sci-fi and fantasy with a Victorian-era aesthetic, often featuring industrial or steam-powered technology.
Alternate history: A subgenre that explores what might have happened if key historical events had turned out differently.
Post-apocalyptic: A subgenre that explores life after a major catastrophic event, such as a nuclear war or pandemic.
Time travel: A subgenre that explores the concept of time travel, typically involving characters going back in time to alter the course of history.
Urban fantasy: A subgenre that blends fantasy elements with modern-day urban settings and culture.
Superhero: A subgenre that features characters with extraordinary abilities or powers, often saving the world from threats or supervillains.
Sword and sorcery: A subgenre that features medieval settings, magic, and epic battles between heroes and villains.
High fantasy: A subgenre that typically features medieval settings, magic, and epic quests to save the world and defeat evil forces.