Fantasy/Science Fiction

Stories that violate the physical laws of reality fall into the genre of fantasy fiction. Science fiction is a subgenre of fantasy. All science fiction falls into the fantasy genre, but not all fantasy is science fiction.

Criteria for evaluating Science Fiction and Fantasy for Children:

• Characters must behave in believable, consistent ways.
• There must still be rules for the fantasy world.
• Authors must assist readers in the "willing suspension of disbelief."
• The themes should explore universal truths.

Categories of Science Fiction:

• Apocalyptic/Post-Apocolyptic
• Steampunk/Cyberpunk/Biopunk and others
• Dystopia
• Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP)
• Robots/Androids/Cyborgs/Artificial Intelligence
• Space/Aliens/Extra-Terrestrial
• Time Travel/Parallel Universes
• Virtual Reality/Gaming
• Miscellaneous (don't really meet other criteria)

Soft sci-fi vs Hard sci-fi

Sci Fi on The Fly: A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction for Young Adults by Karin Perry

I am so excited about this genre and all of the books Dr. Perry recommends in her YouTube video! I will definitely be reading the books, exploring the various categories, and also looking into Dr. Perry's guide. Some of my favorite books off the required reading list for this class fall into this category like Feed, Six of Crows, and Grasshopper Jungle. I think these really appeal to YA readers as an escape from reality and a way to allow their imaginations run wild. I think it will be important to keep a variety of these different books in my collection and to evaluate them using the recommended criteria so I can confidently recommend them to YA readers.