Science fiction worlds are home to futuristic technologies, spaceships zipping between planets and wormholes, and fantastic creatures and alien races. Off-world mines may supply fictional materials to ringworlds or planet-wide cities, while megacorporations dictate policy to galactic governments on the brink of warfare. They may be set within our own solar system, or take place in far off nebulas. Science fiction world challenge both creators and audiences to imagine futures, both near and distant, and what civilizations, cultures, and stories exist in those times.

Certainly not all, but many science fiction worlds are either set entirely in space, or have space as a major component to them. If this is true for your world, knowing the terminology as well as common space elements will help you add detail to your world.

Exploring new and distant worlds is a reoccurring theme in the science fiction genre, and science fiction worlds tend to host a plethora of fantastic and interesting planets. While other planets are by definition otherworldly, studying more familiar features may provide ideas you may wish to incorporate.

Whether it’s a single ship exploring the farthest reaches of the galaxy, or a fleet of them poised to defend a home world, spaceships can be central elements in science fiction worlds. Designing a spaceship requires a number of important elements.

Strange and bizarre creatures are a staple of science fiction worlds. From monsters that devour humans, to colonies of fungi that won’t stop growing, to cute but fearsome pets, well designed creatures are critical for any world.

New technologies are a hallmark of science fiction worlds. From personal communication devices, to interplanetary warp drives, science fiction worlds are full of exciting new inventions. And not all of these inventions may be created by the hands of humans. Alien species may have their own technologies with their own aesthetic and capabilities