What do you hate about Sci-Fi?
I’m sure this won't be controversial (in the least), but what do you hate about Sci-Fi novels, films, or TV? Here's my list:
1. Drama pretending to be Sci-fi
2. Too many POVs
3. Unpronounceable names packed with Xs, Ys, and Zs
4. Names that are too easy to mix up
5. Taking too long to reach the critical incident
6. Long blocks of world-building
7. Magical “tech”
8. Taking itself too seriously
9. Slow-moving / Too little action
10. Incompetent heroes/heroines
11. Incompetent villains
12. No mystery
13. Incoherent narrative
14. Hand-wavey science
15. Predictable plots
16. Unsatisfying or incoherent endings
Too many sci-fi books and films seem to follow the same basic formula. The details change, but the structure doesn’t. Heroes fall into traps, and villains let them get away. We know what’s coming long before it arrives. Too bad if you’re wearing a red shirt.
On the other hand, some stories avoid the formula by going completely off-grid, and they stop making sense altogether.
The exceptions are usually the ones we remember.
Would you add anything to the list? Do you think there’s something on the list that shouldn't be there?
Posted May 8, 2026, 3:44 PM UTC