Splintered Science Fiction

[jennythereader]

I've been thinking about how to sub-divide my science fiction books. The categories I see most people use ("Hard" vs "Soft," or "Space Opera," "Military SF," and the like) don't really work for me. They're too subjective and hard to define.

After a lot of thought I think I've come up with one story characteristic that is always a question in science fiction, but can be objectively evaluated: how far from Earth has human civilization spread? This also has the advantage of being similar to the trait I used for my Fantasy categories.

So, these are the categories I'll be using:
- Earthbound Human civilization only exists on Earth. There may be a tiny research presence on other bodies or artificial stations, but if an extinction level event happens to the planet the species is toast. Examples: The real world.

- Earth System There are significant numbers of people living in a permanent settlement on the moon or in other (natural or artificial) satellites orbiting Earth. The species might survive an extinction event, but not easily. Examples: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.

- Sol System Humanity has spread through a significant portion of this star system, but has no significant presence around any other stars. The species would survive most disasters that only affect Earth, but is still vulnerable to Sol going nova or a similar disaster. Examples: ? (Can't think of any right now.)

- Local Systems Humanity has settlements at some of the nearer star systems, but has not spread into the majority of the Milky Way galaxy. Examples: ? (I'm drawing a blank at the moment.)

- Galactic Humanity has spread throughout this galaxy, but not beyond it. Examples: Dune by Frank Herbert

- Inter-Galactic Humanity has a significant presence in multiple galaxies. Examples: ? (still blanking)

Comments? Suggestions? Examples? (I'll edit examples of my own in as I think of them.)

Comments

[seawasp]

Examples? Doc Smith, Lensman series and Skylark series. Both have humanity in more than one Galaxy, and in Lensman both Galaxies end up part of Civilization.

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

Some day I'll actually get around to reading those.

[nounsandverbs]

Much of Clarke's 2001 series is a Sol System series.

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

I knew there was something of Clarke's that fit in that catagory. I just couldn't think what. The Rama series was all I could come up with, and I knew that didn't fit.

[jry.livejournal.com]

Most of John Varley is Sol System. John Barnes's "Century Next Door" series too. His "Million Open Doors" series is Galactic.

Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep and associated books are Galactic, I believe.

Might need an inter-dimensional axis as well for books like later Heinlein, Robert Charles Wilson's Spin and sequels (which are also Sol System)

Flipping through my read books list I'm finding for most things I can't really remember where they fall. Maybe your setting memory is better than mind :-)

What's the goal of the subdivision? Make stuff easier to find?

[jennythe-reader.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of the inter-dimensional category. Good idea!

Pretty much. I have a couple of thousand titles in my Kindle, so I have to come up with some way to organize them. Just saying "Science Fiction" worked for a while, but it's getting unwieldy.