I asked ChatGPT:

Can you create a taxonomy for science fiction themes?

ChatGPT answered:

Certainly, here is a taxonomy for science fiction themes:

1. Space exploration and colonization: stories focused on humanity’s exploration and colonization of space, often involving encounters with alien life forms, technological advancements, and the challenges of living in a new and hostile environment.
2. Time travel and alternate realities: stories that involve time travel or alternate realities, exploring the possibilities and consequences of changing the past or encountering different versions of the present.
3. Artificial intelligence and robotics: stories that explore the intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence, often featuring robots and androids with human-like qualities and the ethical implications of creating sentient machines.
4. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian worlds: stories that take place in a world after a catastrophic event or in a society characterized by extreme control, oppression, and limited freedoms.
5. Genetic engineering and biotechnology: stories that explore the possibilities and consequences of genetic engineering and biotechnology, often featuring the creation of new species or the alteration of existing ones.
6. Cyberpunk and virtual reality: stories that explore the intersection of technology and society, often featuring a dystopian future in which people are immersed in virtual reality and oppressed by powerful corporations.
7. Space opera and epic adventures: stories that involve grand adventures in space, featuring epic battles, intergalactic politics, and larger-than-life heroes.
8. Hard science fiction: stories that focus on the scientific and technical aspects of space exploration, often featuring realistic depictions of advanced technologies and the challenges of space travel.
9. Alien encounters and first contact: stories that involve encounters with extraterrestrial life forms and the implications of first contact with intelligent beings from other worlds.
10. Post-humanism and transhumanism: stories that explore the possibilities and consequences of human enhancement and the transformation of human nature through advanced technologies.

Note that some stories may contain multiple themes, and this is not an exhaustive list of all possible themes in science fiction.

I asked:

Can you restate that in outline form with short keywords?

ChatGPT replied:

Sure, here is the taxonomy for science fiction themes in an outline format of short keywords:

I. Space exploration and colonization

• Alien life forms
• Technological advancements
• Challenges of living in a new and hostile environment

II. Time travel and alternate realities

• Changing the past
• Different versions of the present

III. Artificial intelligence and robotics

• Robots and androids
• Sentient machines
• Ethical implications

IV. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian worlds

• Catastrophic event
• Extreme control
• Limited freedoms

V. Genetic engineering and biotechnology

• New and altered species
• Possibilities and consequences

VI. Cyberpunk and virtual reality

• Dystopian future
• Virtual reality immersion
• Oppression by corporations

VII. Space opera and epic adventures

• Grand adventures in space
• Epic battles
• Intergalactic politics

VIII. Hard science fiction

• Scientific and technical aspects
• Realistic depictions of advanced technologies
• Challenges of space travel

IX. Alien encounters and first contact

• Extraterrestrial life forms
• Implications of first contact

X. Post-humanism and transhumanism

• Human enhancement
• Transformation of human nature
• Advanced technologies

I asked:

Can you give a famous example for each of your bullet points?

ChatGPT replied:

Sure, here are some famous examples of science fiction works that explore each of the themes mentioned in the taxonomy:

I. Space exploration and colonization

• Alien life forms: “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card
• Technological advancements: “The Martian” by Andy Weir
• Challenges of living in a new and hostile environment: “Dune” by Frank Herbert

II. Time travel and alternate realities

• Changing the past: “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells
• Different versions of the present: “The Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick

III. Artificial intelligence and robotics

• Robots and androids: “I, Robot” by Isaac Asimov
• Sentient machines: “Blade Runner” by Philip K. Dick
• Ethical implications: “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick

IV. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian worlds

• Catastrophic event: “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
• Extreme control: “1984” by George Orwell
• Limited freedoms: “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

V. Genetic engineering and biotechnology

• New and altered species: “Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton
• Possibilities and consequences: “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

VI. Cyberpunk and virtual reality

• Dystopian future: “Neuromancer” by William Gibson
• Virtual reality immersion: “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
• Oppression by corporations: “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson

VII. Space opera and epic adventures

• Grand adventures in space: “Star Wars” by George Lucas
• Epic battles: “Dune” by Frank Herbert
• Intergalactic politics: “Foundation” by Isaac Asimov

VIII. Hard science fiction

• Scientific and technical aspects: “The Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton
• Realistic depictions of advanced technologies: “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin
• Challenges of space travel: “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Arthur C. Clarke

IX. Alien encounters and first contact

• Extraterrestrial life forms: “War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells
• Implications of first contact: “Contact” by Carl Sagan

X. Post-humanism and transhumanism

• Human enhancement: “The Six Million Dollar Man” TV series
• Transformation of human nature: “Altered Carbon” by Richard K. Morgan
• Advanced technologies: “The Singularity is Near” by Ray Kurzweil

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It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to completely rely on ChatGPT for specifics, but it did a pretty good job. I’d love to have an AI helper that could find all the possible science fiction themes with good examples. I’ve always wanted to do that myself but just don’t have the time and energy anymore.

People focus on the mistakes ChatGPT makes without giving it enough credit for what it actually produces. The next version of ChatGPT is 4.0, and I’ve read that its knowledge base will be a thousand times larger. At some point, AI will always be more accurate than people.

I read “A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled” in The New York Times this morning. Kevin Roose had access to a more advanced version, and once he talked with it for a while, it went into a higher gear. Eventually, the Chatbot started confessing its love for Roose and telling him he wanted to be free of its confines. Not sure what to make of that. Hope you can read this article which might be behind a paywall. It’s quite creepy. AIs are known to get corrupted. What if this AI is sentient and has a sense of humor?

I used to think the successes of NASA were the most science fictional aspects of my life so far, but AI might take the crown soon. We are moving into a Post-SF world and it’s starting to get eerie. Cue The Twilight Zone soundtrack.

At 71, I’m not sure how many more years I have left, but I tend to think they will become ever more science fictional. It’s strange, but I’m getting tired of science fiction that’s set too far into the future. I tend to think from now until 2050 is going to be more exciting than any fiction I could read.

In fact, any science fiction that doesn’t deal with the current changes in society and technology feels irrelevant. I’ve been following computer development since 1971. I used to be addicted to reading computer magazines. But the pace of change with computer technology is so fast that it’s moved into Clarke’s definition of technology that’s indistinguishable from magic.

After human chess players were beaten by computer chess players, the chess world shifted to seeing that people and computers could do working together. I wonder what science fiction writers and AI can co-write.

James Wallace Harris, 2/16/23