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Quizzes > General Knowledge & Mixed

Sci fi trivia: test your science fiction knowledge

Quick, free science fiction quiz to test your knowledge. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Ebru AltanUpdated Aug 27, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art promoting Science Fiction Trivia Quiz

This sci fi trivia quiz helps you check your science fiction knowledge across movies, books, and big ideas. Answer 15 multiple-choice questions, see your score at once, and learn a fun fact or two. For more, try Star Wars trivia questions, explore the tv show quiz, or dive into Superman trivia next.

Which film popularized the phrase "May the Force be with you"?
2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Trek
Star Wars
Alien
The phrase "May the Force be with you" was introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars. It became an iconic line representing the mystical energy in that franchise.
Who is the author of the novel "Foundation"?
Philip K. Dick
Arthur C. Clarke
Ursula K. Le Guin
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov wrote the Foundation series, exploring the concept of predicting societal behavior through psychohistory. It remains one of his most celebrated works.
What term describes the merging of human consciousness with machines?
Cybernetics
Transhumanism
Terraforming
Faster-than-light travel
Transhumanism is the movement and concept advocating the enhancement of human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities through technology. It often involves merging human minds with machines.
Which subgenre is characterized by large-scale space adventures, epic battles, and exotic worlds?
Steampunk
Space opera
Military sci-fi
Cyberpunk
Space opera emphasizes grand interstellar settings, epic conflicts, and colorful characters. It often focuses on adventure rather than strict scientific accuracy.
The concept of "warp drive" enabling faster-than-light travel is most closely associated with which franchise?
Star Trek
Stargate
Battlestar Galactica
Dune
Warp drive is the fictional propulsion system in Star Trek that allows starships to exceed light speed. It's one of the franchise's signature technologies.
In "Blade Runner", what ethical dilemma is central to the film's narrative?
Corporate control over resources
The nature of replicants' humanity
The use of AI in warfare
The legality of off-world colonies
Blade Runner explores whether replicants - bioengineered beings - possess genuine human emotions and rights. The film's core conflict revolves around distinguishing human from artificial life.
Arthur C. Clarke's third law states, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from...?"
Magic
Utopia
Alien life
Science
Clarke's Third Law posits that when technology reaches a certain level of sophistication, it appears magical to those unfamiliar with its workings. This underscores the mystery of advanced innovation.
Which author coined the term "cyberspace" in his groundbreaking novel?
William Gibson
Philip K. Dick
Bruce Sterling
Neal Stephenson
William Gibson introduced the term cyberspace in his 1984 novel Neuromancer to describe a virtual reality dataspace. It has since become fundamental to digital culture.
In Frank Herbert's "Dune", what technology enables near-instantaneous interstellar travel?
Warp engine
Star gates
Hyperspace folding
Holtzman drive
Herbert's Dune universe uses the Holtzman drive - powered by the spice melange - to fold space and travel instantly between star systems. This is central to the saga's politics.
Which subgenre explores oppressive governments and bleak futures to critique societal issues?
Time travel
Dystopian fiction
Cosmic horror
Space opera
Dystopian fiction depicts societies under authoritarian rule or catastrophic decline. It often serves as a warning about real-world political or social trends.
What theoretical discipline does Isaac Asimov introduce in "Foundation" to predict the behavior of large populations?
Astrostatistics
Psychohistory
Nanopsychology
Quantum sociology
Psychohistory combines mathematics and sociology to forecast the actions of huge populations. It's the cornerstone of Asimov's Foundation universe.
In science fiction, what is the trope called when a single character is prophesied to save the universe?
MacGuffin
Deus ex machina
Chosen One
Red herring
The Chosen One trope features a protagonist destined by prophecy or fate to overcome a great threat. It's common in both fantasy and science fiction.
Which author is renowned for focusing on societal, anthropological, and soft science fiction themes like those in "The Left Hand of Darkness"?
Larry Niven
Ursula K. Le Guin
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Silverberg
Ursula K. Le Guin's work emphasizes social structures, gender, and anthropology, making her a key figure in soft science fiction.
What does HAL 9000, the AI antagonist in "2001: A Space Odyssey", symbolize in the context of advanced technology?
Flawed artificial intelligence
Human-robot collaboration
Alien consciousness
Perfect machine precision
HAL 9000 represents the dangers of overreliance on artificial intelligence and the possibility of AI malfunctioning or developing harmful agendas.
The fictional device called an "ansible" is used for what purpose in many science fiction works?
Interstellar travel
Instantaneous communication
Time manipulation
Cloaking technology
An ansible is a communication device that transmits messages across any distance without delay. It's featured in works by Ursula K. Le Guin and others.
Which feature primarily defines the steampunk subgenre?
Medieval swordplay focus
Victorian-era steam power aesthetics
Post-apocalyptic survivalism
Digital cybernetics
Steampunk blends Victorian settings, steam-powered machinery, and retrofuturistic inventions. It evokes 19th-century industrial aesthetics.
Neal Stephenson's novel "Snow Crash" is credited with popularizing which concept now relevant in virtual realities?
Hyperloop
The Holodeck
Neuralink
The Metaverse
Snow Crash introduced "the Metaverse" as a shared online virtual space. The concept has become central to discussions of VR and online social platforms.
In "2001: A Space Odyssey", what is the symbolic role of the monolith that appears throughout the story?
Alien homeworld beacon
A weapon of mass destruction
Guide for human evolution
Human-built spacecraft
The monoliths in 2001 act as catalysts for evolutionary leaps, guiding humanity from ape to star traveler and beyond.
The "Prime Directive" in Star Trek forbids Starfleet officers from interfering with:
Uncontacted civilizations
Temporal anomalies
Trade negotiations
Artificial intelligences
The Prime Directive prohibits Starfleet from influencing the natural development of pre-warp or uncontacted cultures, ensuring noninterference.
Who originally proposed the concept of the Dyson Sphere, a megastructure enclosing a star to harvest its energy?
Gerard K. O'Neill
Arthur C. Clarke
Michio Kaku
Freeman Dyson
Freeman Dyson proposed the idea of a shell or swarm of objects around a star to capture its energy output, now known as a Dyson Sphere.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse classic sci-fi movie references and their significance
  2. Identify iconic science fiction authors and their works
  3. Evaluate futuristic concepts and technologies presented in stories
  4. Compare different science fiction subgenres and their themes
  5. Interpret key plot elements from famous sci-fi novels and films
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of science fiction terminology and tropes

Cheat Sheet

  1. Influential Classic Films - Explore how groundbreaking sci-fi movies like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Blade Runner" revolutionized storytelling, special effects, and cultural conversations about the future. These cinematic masterpieces challenged audiences to think about humanity's place in the cosmos and the ethical dilemmas of technology.
  2. Founding Authors - Dive into the works of H.G. Wells, the father of science fiction, and see how his timeless tales like "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds" set the standard for futuristic storytelling. His visionary ideas still resonate in today's literature and popular media.
  3. Real-World Inspiration - Investigate Arthur C. Clarke's prediction of geostationary satellites and learn how science fiction ideas can spark genuine technological breakthroughs. This connection between imagination and innovation showcases the genre's power to shape the real world.
  4. Subgenre Showdown - Compare hard science fiction, with its rigorous scientific detail, to space opera's epic adventures and romance to see the genre's rich variety. Recognizing these subgenres boosts your ability to choose stories that match your interests and mood.
  5. Dystopian Warnings - Unpack themes in Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," where censorship and the suppression of ideas highlight real-world risks of losing free thought. These cautionary tales prompt critical thinking about society, authority, and the power of knowledge.
  6. Key Terms and Tropes - Master essential sci-fi concepts like "telepathy," "warp drives," and "time travel" to decode genre-specific language and deepen your reading experience. Understanding these tropes reveals patterns and surprises in your favorite stories.
  7. AI and Ethics - Delve into Isaac Asimov's Robot series and the Three Laws of Robotics to examine the moral puzzles posed by intelligent machines. Asimov's influence extends beyond fiction into real-world AI debates and research.
  8. Dystopian Landscapes - Explore George Orwell's "1984" and its portrayal of surveillance, propaganda, and totalitarianism. These dystopian settings encourage readers to question authority and defend privacy and freedom.
  9. Cosmic Colonies - Travel to Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" and see how stories of Martian settlers reflect humanity's hopes and fears about space exploration and environmental ethics. These tales inspire wonder and caution about our cosmic ambitions.
  10. Pop Culture Impact - Trace how sci-fi concepts have influenced blockbuster films, TV series, and bestselling novels, shaping our collective imagination. From lightsabers to replicants, the genre's legacy is everywhere in modern entertainment.
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