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Soft science fiction, or soft SF, is a category of science fiction with two different definitions, in contrast to hard science fiction.[1] It explores the "soft" sciences (e.g. psychology, political science, sociology), as opposed to the "hard" sciences (e.g. physics, astronomy, biology).[1] It can also refer to science fiction which prioritizes human emotions over scientific accuracy or plausibility.[1]
Soft science fiction of either type is often more concerned with depicting speculative societies and relationships between characters, rather than realistic portrayals of speculative science or engineering.[2] The term first appeared in the late 1970s and is attributed to Australian literary scholar Peter Nicholls.