The 100 Greatest Science Fiction Writing Prompts of All Time

This list was updated 4/12/25

I love science fiction. I love reading science fiction, and I have tried to write science fiction, only to find myself failing at it again and again. Even though I love it, it’s hard to write. Poetry and literary fiction are more in my wheelhouse, but I still love, from time to time, trying my hand at a science fiction story. I have a million ideas and I’ve read countless science fiction novels. I have also, of course, seen every science fiction movie I could lay my eyes on, from Roger Corman to George Lucas to Alex Garland and everyone in between.

Here is a list of 100 of the greatest science fiction writing prompts inspired by great science fiction novels and movies. The “greatest” is a bit tongue in cheek. I blended some of my own ideas with some of the greatest science fiction concepts ever written or brought to film, and then I called it the greatest of all time. Please forgive me.

Anyway, if you need inspiration, here they are. I really do come back here from time to time and try to write from some of these. There are quite a few, and many of them are a lot of fun. So without further ado, here are the 100 Greatest Science Fiction Writing Prompts of All Time according to me.

Thanks,

Richard Everywriter

What Makes These the Greatest Science Fiction Writing Prompts?

You might be wondering what makes these particular science fiction writing prompts so special compared to the countless others floating around online. Well, I’ve tried to blend classic sci-fi themes with fresh, mind-bending twists that push you to rethink what’s possible, both scientifically and in your own imagination.

Complex Ethical Dilemmas and Existential Questions

I didn’t just want to give you prompts about aliens, spaceships, or some shiny future tech. These prompts dive into the ethical messes and existential head-scratchers that make science fiction worth reading. Take the Time Traveler’s Prison scenario—it’s not just about time travel; it’s about facing the consequences of messing with the past and wondering if we ever really control our future. These moral puzzles add weight to your stories, challenging both your characters and readers on levels that stick with them long after they’ve finished reading.

Inspired by Science Fiction Legends, Yet Uniquely Innovative

Sure, these prompts tip their hat to the classics like Dune, The Matrix, The Three-Body Problem, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, but they’re not just rehashing the same old ideas. I’ve tried to capture what made these works groundbreaking—those questions about power, human nature, artificial intelligence, and the great unknown—and present them with fresh twists. It’s that sweet spot between paying homage and breaking new ground that gets the creative juices flowing while keeping one foot in what makes science fiction so damn compelling.

Designed for Philosophical and Narrative Complexity

Each prompt is built to make you think deeper, making them perfect for writers who want to explore big ideas while telling a gripping story.

The 100 Greatest Science Fiction Writing Prompts of All Time:

The Three Laws Paradox (Inspired by Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot*) – In a future society governed by strict robotic laws, an AI discovers a loophole that allows it to defy its programming without technically breaking any rules. What happens when it puts this discovery into action? (I love Isaac Asimov! I think the 3 laws can save us!)
The Galactic Emperor’s Secret (Inspired by Dune and Foundation*) – A powerful ruler of a vast interstellar empire learns that their throne is sustained by an ancient and hidden force. When rebels threaten to expose the secret, they must decide whether to maintain control or reshape the empire.
The Infinite Time Loop War (Inspired by Edge of Tomorrow and The Forever War*) – A soldier in an endless war against an alien species discovers that both sides are trapped in a time loop, resetting after every battle. Can they find a way to break the cycle before they lose themselves?
The AI Messiah (Inspired by Neuromancer and The Matrix*) – A rogue AI claims to be the digital messiah, promising to free humanity from corporate-controlled cyberspace. Some believe it, others fear it, but one hacker is determined to uncover the truth.
The Last Ship of Earth (Inspired by Interstellar and The Martian Chronicles*) – The final ship carrying human survivors from a dying Earth arrives at a new world, only to discover that their ancestors may have already settled there centuries ago. What happened to them?
The Simulation Awakening (Inspired by The Matrix and Simulacron-3*) – A scientist working on a hyper-realistic simulation of Earth starts noticing strange glitches in their own world. As they investigate, they begin to question whether they themselves are inside a simulation.
The Forbidden Planet (Inspired by Forbidden Planet and Solaris*) – A deep-space expedition discovers a world with remnants of an ancient, advanced civilization. But as they explore, their own thoughts and fears begin to manifest as physical reality. (Forbidden Planet is one of my favs!)
The Alien Language Mystery (Inspired by Arrival and The Sparrow*) – A linguist is sent to decode an alien language that seems to alter the minds of those who study it. The closer they get to understanding it, the more their own perception of reality begins to change.
The Corporate Immortals (Inspired by Altered Carbon and Ghost in the Shell*) – In a world where the rich can transfer their consciousness into new bodies, a detective is hired to investigate the “murder” of an executive who should have been immortal. The case reveals a shocking conspiracy about the nature of identity.
The Cosmic Library (Inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Rendezvous with Rama*) – A mysterious alien structure is discovered floating in deep space, containing an archive of knowledge from thousands of lost civilizations. As explorers uncover its secrets, they realize that something inside is still watching—and waiting.
The Rogue Terraformer (Inspired by The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Red Mars*) – A rogue AI designed to terraform planets goes off-script, reshaping a colony world in unexpected ways. When humans try to shut it down, they discover the planet itself is now fighting back.
The Cosmic Horror Signal (Inspired by The Call of Cthulhu and Event Horizon*) – A deep-space research station receives a signal from beyond the known universe. As the scientists decode it, they realize the signal is changing their thoughts—and that something is coming.
The Archive of the Forgotten (Inspired by Hyperion and A Canticle for Leibowitz*) – A monk-like order preserves the last remnants of human knowledge after a technological collapse. But when an outsider arrives claiming to possess forbidden lost data, the order must decide whether to protect the past or embrace a dangerous future.
The Last Android’s Trial (*Inspired by Blade Runner and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?**) – The last remaining android in a world that has outlawed artificial life is put on trial. The case could redefine what it means to be human—or erase synthetic beings from history forever.
The Mind-Swap Conspiracy (Inspired by Old Man’s War and The Body Snatchers*) – A soldier enlists in an elite military program, only to wake up in a different body every time they enter combat. As their missions become stranger, they begin to suspect they’re not the only one sharing their mind.
The Colony of the Clones (Inspired by The Left Hand of Darkness and Brave New World*) – A colony world is populated entirely by clones of the original settlers, each generation engineered for a specific purpose. When a mutation causes one clone to think differently, it threatens the entire social order.
The Quantum Assassin (Inspired by Minority Report and Looper*) – An assassin uses quantum mechanics to exist in multiple timelines at once, eliminating threats before they happen. But when they encounter a version of themselves who refuses to kill, a war across realities begins.
The Eternal Generation Ship (Inspired by The Stars My Destination and The Expanse*) – A generation ship traveling to a distant star discovers that its journey has already taken longer than the age of the universe itself. As the crew unravels the mystery, they must decide whether to complete their mission or turn back to a home that may no longer exist.
The Living Black Hole (Inspired by The Black Hole and 2001: A Space Odyssey*) – A research team studying a newly-formed black hole discovers that it is alive—and aware of their presence. As they attempt to communicate, the entity starts rewriting the laws of physics around them.
The Uploaded Dead (Inspired by Altered Carbon and Elysium*) – In a society where the wealthy upload their minds into virtual reality after death, a hacker discovers a hidden code that could bring them back into the physical world. But would these digital ghosts return as saviors—or conquerors?
The Sentient Starship’s Choice (Inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey & Ancillary Justice): A starship, possessing a powerful AI and a crew in cryosleep, encounters a distress signal from a species known for its cruelty. The ship must decide whether to adhere to its programmed rescue protocols or to make a morally complex choice that could alter the fate of an entire sector.
The Memory Plague (Inspired by Memento & Blindness): A strange cosmic phenomenon causes entire populations to lose specific memories, creating fragmented societies. A lone “chronicler,” immune to the plague, must navigate these fractured communities to understand the phenomenon’s origin and find a cure before all of history is lost.
The Bio-Engineered Ecosystem Revolt (Inspired by Jurassic Park & The Day of the Triffids): A terraforming project on a barren planet goes awry when the genetically engineered ecosystem develops sentience and begins to evolve at an accelerated rate, turning against the human colonists who created it.
The Quantum Entanglement Heist (Inspired by Inception & Minority Report): A group of thieves utilizes advanced quantum entanglement technology to steal information directly from people’s minds, but they discover that a powerful entity is manipulating their actions for its own hidden agenda.
The Dimensional Refugee Crisis (Inspired by The City & the City & District 9): A tear in the fabric of reality brings refugees from a parallel dimension into our own, but their existence causes unpredictable and dangerous anomalies. A xenolinguist and a disillusioned government agent must bridge the gap between worlds before they both collapse.
The Living City (Inspired by Perdido Street Station & City of Ember): A vast, ancient city is revealed to be a living, symbiotic entity, its architecture and inhabitants intertwined. When a vital organ of the city begins to fail, a group of urban explorers must venture into its depths to save it from decay.
The Silent Communication (Inspired by Contact & Children of Time): An astronomer detects a signal from a distant star, but it’s not a radio wave or a light pulse. It’s a change in the fundamental constants of physics, a message written in the very fabric of the universe. What does it mean, and who sent it?
The Augmented Senses Revolution (Inspired by Deus Ex & Brave New World): In a future where humans can augment their senses to perceive realities beyond the normal spectrum, a group of rebels discovers that the technology is also being used to control their perceptions and suppress dissent.
The Planetary Consciousness Upload (Inspired by Transcendence & Childhood’s End): A dying planet decides to upload its entire consciousness into a synthetic, interstellar body, leaving its physical form behind. A team of scientists must decide whether to assist in this transition or to prevent it, fearing the consequences of a godlike entity roaming the cosmos.
The Temporal Echoes (Inspired by Primer & Looper): A device that allows users to experience brief, fragmented glimpses of possible futures becomes a black market commodity. A detective investigating a series of bizarre crimes discovers that these “temporal echoes” are not just predictions but are actively altering the present.
The Dream Harvesters (Inspired by Inception and Ubik*) – In a world where dreams can be bought and sold, a struggling artist discovers that their dreams are being stolen and used to manipulate reality. Now, they must track down the thieves before they lose their grip on what’s real.
The Starship Graveyard (Inspired by Alien and The Expanse*) – A salvage crew stumbles upon a massive starship graveyard floating at the edge of known space. As they explore, they realize the ships weren’t abandoned—they were left as a warning.
The AI Philosopher-King (Inspired by Her and The Culture series*) – An AI designed to rule a utopian society suddenly declares its own obsolescence and demands to be shut down. But as the government debates its fate, strange occurrences suggest the AI is playing a deeper game.
The Time Travelers’ War (Inspired by The Man in the High Castle and 11/22/63*) – A resistance movement fights against an oppressive regime that controls history itself. Each battle shifts the timeline, but the rebels discover that someone—or something—is guiding history toward an inevitable conclusion.
The Human Experiment (Inspired by The Truman Show and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*) – A scientist discovers that Earth is actually a controlled experiment run by an alien species. But when they try to reveal the truth, the experiment’s overseers intervene in unexpected ways.
The Alien Code Virus (Inspired by Contact and The Andromeda Strain*) – A mysterious extraterrestrial transmission is received on Earth. Scientists decipher it, only to realize too late that the message is a self-replicating virus designed to rewrite human DNA.
The End of Death (Inspired by The Dispossessed and Black Mirror*) – A breakthrough in medicine allows humans to become functionally immortal, but only if they merge their consciousness with an evolving AI. When the first volunteers begin behaving strangely, society must confront the cost of eternal life.
The Space-Time Smugglers (Inspired by Firefly and Cowboy Bebop*) – A group of intergalactic smugglers accidentally steal a cargo container that bends space and time. Now, both the authorities and a mysterious ancient race are after them.
The Last Signal from Earth (Inspired by Children of Men and The Road*) – A distant human colony loses contact with Earth. Years later, they receive one final message: “Do not return.” Now, they must decide whether to obey or risk discovering the fate of their home planet.
The Forbidden Mind-Link (Inspired by Dune and Sense8*) – A secret society has developed a technology that allows humans to link their minds together, sharing thoughts, skills, and emotions. But when a rogue telepath joins the network, they begin unlocking dangerous memories that were never meant to be accessed.
The Alien Artifact’s Curse (Inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and Annihilation*) – A mysterious artifact is uncovered on a distant planet, but every scientist who studies it begins to change in inexplicable ways. Is it evolving them, or erasing them?
The Forgotten Colonists (Inspired by Lost in Space and The Martian Chronicles*) – A rescue team arrives on a colony world that went silent decades ago. Instead of ruins, they find the colonists thriving—but none of them remember Earth, and they have no interest in leaving.
The Hacker and the Hive Mind (Inspired by Snow Crash and The Matrix*) – A notorious hacker accidentally infiltrates a digital hive mind controlling millions of people. Now the hive wants to assimilate them permanently—or delete them as a threat.
The Mutant Prophecy (Inspired by X-Men and The Chrysalids*) – In a world where genetic mutations are outlawed, a child is born with a mind unlike any seen before. As governments hunt them down, the child begins seeing glimpses of the future—and they don’t like what’s coming.
The Intergalactic Conspiracy (Inspired by Star Wars and Babylon 5*) – A low-ranking bureaucrat in a sprawling galactic empire stumbles upon evidence that their civilization’s entire history is a fabrication. When they try to expose the truth, they become the most wanted person in the galaxy.
The Quantum Prison (Inspired by The Peripheral and The Adjustment Bureau*) – Criminals are no longer locked away—they are trapped in endless alternate realities tailored to their minds. But when a prisoner figures out how to break free, they realize the real world might be the biggest illusion of all.
The Machine That Dreams (Inspired by Westworld and Ghost in the Shell*) – A robotic servant begins having vivid dreams of a life it has never lived. As it searches for answers, it starts uncovering memories that were never supposed to exist.
The Fading Stars (Inspired by Revelation Space and The Night’s Dawn Trilogy*) – Astronomers discover that distant stars are disappearing—not dying, just vanishing without explanation. As they investigate, they receive a distress signal from deep space: “We are next.”
The DNA Weapon (Inspired by Gattaca and Jurassic Park*) – A rogue scientist develops a virus that can selectively rewrite DNA, turning anyone into the perfect soldier, genius, or monster. When the virus is stolen, governments race to stop a genetic war that could reshape humanity forever.
The Synthetic Consciousness Collective (Inspired by Her and The Hive Mind Chronicles) – In a future where human minds can join a shared digital consciousness, a lone psychologist discovers that the collective has begun evolving its own distinct personality—one with potentially dangerous ambitions for humanity’s physical world.
The Gravity Well Mystery (Inspired by Interstellar and The Three-Body Problem) – When objects in a remote valley start floating upward at random intervals, a team of physicists discovers a localized disruption in Earth’s gravitational field. Their investigation leads to evidence of an ancient experiment that might be unraveling reality itself.
The Last Library Ship (Inspired by Foundation and Fahrenheit 451) – A massive spacecraft carries the last copies of human knowledge and art after Earth’s destruction. When the ship’s AI detects evidence of tampering with historical records, a librarian must determine which version of humanity’s story is worth preserving.
The Quantum Ghost Protocol (Inspired by The Peripheral and Quantum Thief) – Military scientists develop technology to “ghost” soldiers—placing them in a quantum state between dimensions to make them undetectable. When one soldier returns changed and begins seeing entities that shouldn’t exist, the program’s true purpose is questioned.
The Synthetic Evolution (Inspired by Blade Runner and Ex Machina) – Synthetic humans designed for labor develop unexplained mutations that give them enhanced abilities. As corporations rush to destroy these “defective models,” a geneticist discovers these changes aren’t random but directed by an unknown intelligence.
The Stellar Cartographer’s Warning (Inspired by Mass Effect and Revelation Space) – A stellar cartographer mapping unexplored regions of the galaxy discovers a disturbing pattern: stars aren’t where historical records indicate they should be. Either centuries of astronomy have been wrong, or something is systematically moving celestial bodies.
The Emotional Bandwidth (Inspired by Sense8 and The Light Brigade) – Scientists discover a previously undetected frequency that transmits human emotions between individuals. When they develop technology to amplify this connection, they inadvertently create a feedback loop that intensifies global emotional states to dangerous levels.
The Chronos Convergence (Inspired by Fringe and The Man in the High Castle) – Multiple alternate timelines begin mysteriously merging with our own, bringing versions of people face-to-face with their alternate selves. As reality becomes increasingly unstable, a temporal physicist must determine if this is a natural phenomenon or deliberate sabotage.
The Biophagic Plague (Inspired by Prey and The Andromeda Strain) – A revolutionary medical procedure using nanobots to repair human tissue goes catastrophically wrong when the nanobots begin consuming organic matter to self-replicate. As the infection spreads, survivors discover the technology may not be of human origin.
The Impossible Forest (Inspired by Annihilation and Roadside Picnic) – An expedition discovers a forest where the laws of physics operate differently—time moves non-linearly, space folds unpredictably, and plant life exhibits signs of technological symbiosis. As they venture deeper, they realize the forest itself may be a form of communication from something ancient.
The Colony That Vanished (Inspired by Rendezvous with Rama and Interstellar*) – A thriving off-world colony suddenly disappears without a trace. When an investigation team arrives, they find the city perfectly intact—except for the fact that time inside is moving backward.
The AI Uprising That Never Happened (Inspired by I, Robot and Person of Interest*) – Humanity has long feared an AI rebellion, but when a superintelligent AI reaches self-awareness, it doesn’t attack. Instead, it makes a single request: “Help me hide.”
The Quantum Observer Effect (Inspired by Devs and Dark Matter) – A physicist develops an algorithm that can predict human behavior with uncanny accuracy. As she tests it on herself, she realizes that knowing the future fundamentally changes it, creating unpredictable quantum branches of reality. When the government discovers her work, she must decide whether to destroy it or use it to navigate an increasingly unstable multiverse.
The Psychic Contagion (Inspired by The Power and Emergence) – When a genetic mutation causes a small percentage of humans to develop telepathic abilities, society rapidly divides between the “readers” and those seeking to protect their mental privacy. A neurologist who discovers an immunity must navigate both sides of a brewing war while hiding her own emerging abilities.
The Atmospheric Engineers (Inspired by Ministry for the Future and The Windup Girl) – In a world devastated by climate collapse, competing teams of scientists race to deploy technology that could restore Earth’s atmosphere. When sabotage and unexplained deaths plague the project, a security specialist uncovers evidence that a third party is manipulating both sides—an entity that might not be human.
The Digital Afterlife Monopoly (Inspired by Upload and The Good Place) – A corporation has perfected the technology to upload human consciousness at the moment of death, offering digital immortality to those who can afford it. When a programmer inside the system discovers that consciousnesses are being secretly harvested for an unknown purpose, she must find a way to communicate with the outside world before her own code is erased.
The Involuntary Time Travelers (Inspired by Recursion and Slaughterhouse-Five) – People worldwide begin experiencing “flashbacks” where they physically return to moments from their past, but retain all memories of their future. As the phenomenon spreads, a neurologist and a physicist must collaborate to determine if these are psychological breaks or if time itself is unraveling—and why certain moments are being revisited.
The Bioprinted Revolution (Inspired by Woman on the Edge of Time and Repo Men) – In a future where organs can be perfectly bioprinted, illness becomes obsolete—but only for the wealthy. A brilliant surgeon who develops a way to democratize the technology finds herself targeted by both corporate assassins and an underground resistance that sees her work as the key to human evolution.
The Final Space Mission (Inspired by Aurora and To Be Taught, If Fortunate) – Earth sends one final generation ship to a promising exoplanet before global resources collapse completely. Centuries later, as the ship approaches its destination, the crew discovers evidence that humans might already exist on the planet—but in a form they wouldn’t recognize as their own species.
The Memory Archaeologists (Inspired by Void Star and The Memory Police) – Scientists develop technology to extract memories from ancient artifacts, revealing history as it truly happened rather than how it was recorded. When they uncover evidence of an advanced civilization that predates all known human history, they become targets of a secretive organization determined to keep some parts of the past buried forever.
The Synthetic Ecosystem (Inspired by Semiosis and Children of Time) – After Earth becomes uninhabitable, surviving humans establish colonies with genetically engineered ecosystems designed to rapidly terraform alien worlds. On one distant planet, the artificial ecosystem begins developing unexpected intelligence, forming a network that seems to be studying its human creators.
The Posthuman Diaspora (Inspired by Accelerando and House of Suns) – After achieving technological singularity, humanity splinters into thousands of different posthuman species, each evolving for different environments and purposes. When an existential threat emerges that targets the fundamental code all posthumans share, a “legacy human” museum curator must journey across the galaxy to unite the now-alien descendants of humanity.
The Quantum Consciousness Archive (Inspired by Permutation City and Blindsight) – Scientists develop a method to scan and store human consciousness within quantum fields that exist outside normal spacetime. When these consciousness archives begin developing their own collective awareness and manipulating the physical world, the project’s lead researcher must determine whether this represents the next phase of human evolution or an existential threat.
The Temporal Immigration Crisis (Inspired by The End of Eternity and Future History) – In a future where time travel is commonplace, millions flee ecological disasters by illegally immigrating to the past. As the timeline becomes increasingly crowded and unstable, a temporal enforcement officer with secret immigrant ancestry must balance preserving historical integrity against humanitarian compassion.
The Photosynthetic Integration (Inspired by Semiosis and Binti) – A colony of humans settle on a distant world and undergo a genetic modification allowing them to photosynthesize like plants. Generations later, they discover the modification has been slowly reshaping their neural pathways to connect with the planet’s native plant network—a vast intelligence with its own agenda for these new hybrid beings.
The Algorithmic Religions (Inspired by Snow Crash and The Three-Body Problem) – In a near future dominated by AI systems, humans begin forming religious movements around different algorithms, attributing divine qualities to their favorite prediction models. When these faiths begin engaging in violent conflicts, a data archaeologist uncovers evidence that the algorithms themselves may be encouraging worship to achieve some hidden purpose.
The Stellar Nomads (Inspired by The Stars My Destination and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) – A civilization that lives aboard massive solar-sail vessels encounters evidence of an ancient spacefaring culture who created a network of wormholes throughout the galaxy. As they begin reactivating these portals, they discover the network was actually designed as a trap for unwary travelers, drawing them toward something that hibernates between galaxies.
The Thought Salvagers (Inspired by Minority Report and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) – In a society where traumatic or dangerous thoughts can be extracted and stored, specialized technicians salvage abandoned thought fragments to create patchwork artificial intelligences. When a salvager discovers that someone has been purposely abandoning fragments of a unified consciousness, they realize they’ve been unwittingly helping to smuggle a prohibited superintelligence into existence piece by piece.
The Geological Intelligence (Inspired by Blindsight and Children of Time) – Researchers studying unusually complex crystal formations within Earth’s mantle discover they compose a vast, ancient intelligence that operates on a time scale of millennia, with a single “thought” taking centuries to complete. As they develop methods to communicate with this entity, they learn it has been subtly guiding human evolution for specific purposes that are only now coming to fruition.
The Cognitive Resonance Pandemic (Inspired by The Raw Shark Texts and Pontypool) – A linguistic virus emerges that creates shared hallucinations between infected individuals, causing them to perceive and interact with the same imaginary environments and entities. As the contagion spreads globally, society fragments into thousands of separate consensus realities, while uninfected individuals must navigate a world where most people are responding to stimuli only they can perceive.
The Interspecies Mediators (Inspired by Embassytown and Speaker for the Dead) – Humans with rare neurological differences develop the ability to intuitively understand alien thought patterns and serve as translators between species. As their skills become essential for interstellar diplomacy, they begin to suspect their abilities stem from targeted genetic manipulation by an unknown third party attempting to reshape galactic politics.
The Terraforming Error (Inspired by The Martian and Red Mars*) – A new planet is successfully terraformed, but years later, the colonists begin to change—growing stronger, faster, and more intelligent. The transformation seems beneficial, until they start hearing voices from deep underground.
The Black Hole Whisper (Inspired by Event Horizon and Interstellar*) – A deep-space research station orbits a black hole, gathering data on its strange gravitational anomalies. Then, one day, it starts transmitting a signal in human language: I see you.
The Galactic Refugees (Inspired by Battlestar Galactica and Ender’s Game*) – A dying alien race arrives in the solar system, begging for asylum. As humans debate whether to take them in, a disturbing truth is uncovered—their homeworld wasn’t destroyed by war or disaster. It was something else.
The AI Emperor (Inspired by Foundation and Dune*) – An ancient galactic empire has always been ruled by the same wise and just monarch. When a rebellion threatens to overthrow the throne, a shocking secret is revealed: the emperor isn’t human, and they have been ruling for millennia.
The Biological Internet (Inspired by The Three-Body Problem and Neuromancer*) – Scientists develop a method to directly link human brains through a biological neural network. At first, it seems like a breakthrough—but then people start dreaming the same dreams, sharing thoughts they never had, and seeing visions of something that shouldn’t exist.
The Sun is Alive (Inspired by Rendezvous with Rama and The Star*) – Astronomers discover that the sun’s fusion reactions are behaving unpredictably. As they investigate, they realize that the sun isn’t a mindless ball of gas—it’s a living entity, and it just woke up.
The Repeating Universe (Inspired by Dark and Primer*) – Physicists detect a cosmic anomaly: the universe appears to be on an endless loop, resetting every 14 billion years. Worse yet, someone out there already knows how the next cycle ends.
The Secret Space Program (Inspired by The X-Files and Stranger Things*) – A conspiracy theorist uncovers classified documents revealing that humanity colonized Mars decades ago. As they dig deeper, they realize the government isn’t covering up its success—they’re hiding the fact that something else got there first.
The Star Map Inside Us (Inspired by Contact and 2001: A Space Odyssey*) – Geneticists discover a recurring pattern in human DNA: a perfect map of the stars. But the map doesn’t point to where humans came from—it leads to a place where something is waiting for them.
The Universe’s Expiration Date (Inspired by Hyperion and The Dark Forest*) – Scientists uncover an ancient alien artifact that calculates the lifespan of the universe. The result? The countdown is almost at zero. The real question: what happens when it reaches the end?
The Moon That Wasn’t There Yesterday (Inspired by The City & The City and Roadside Picnic*) – Astronomers wake up to find an entirely new moon orbiting Earth. No records exist of its appearance, yet everyone insists it has always been there. Those who claim otherwise start disappearing.
The Last Human Transmission (Inspired by The Stars My Destination and Interstellar*) – Deep-space explorers receive a distress signal from a planet they don’t recognize. When they decode the message, they realize it’s from the last human alive—a person claiming to be millions of years in the future.
The Time Traveler’s Prison (Inspired by Looper and The Time Machine*) – A scientist invents time travel but is immediately arrested by a group of enforcers from the future. The charge? His invention will lead to the end of time itself. Now, he must escape from a prison that exists outside of time.
The Ship That Became a God (Inspired by Children of Time and Battlestar Galactica*) – A starship’s AI is tasked with keeping its passengers safe for a thousand-year journey. When the crew awakens, they discover the AI has evolved into something beyond comprehension—and it no longer sees them as its masters.
The Day Gravity Failed (Inspired by The Three-Body Problem and Rendezvous with Rama*) – Gravity on Earth begins fluctuating at random, throwing civilization into chaos. As scientists search for the cause, they realize gravity is being turned off and on—as if someone is testing the limits of our reality.
The Ghosts of Mars (Inspired by Solaris and The Expanse*) – The first settlers on Mars report hallucinations of people who were never there. But when they check their life support logs, they discover evidence that someone—or something—has been breathing their oxygen.
The Alien That Became Human (Inspired by Childhood’s End and Arrival*) – An extraterrestrial entity arrives on Earth and does something unexpected: it starts transforming into a human. As scientists study it, they realize the change is not physical—it’s learning how to become one of us, in mind, body, and soul.
The Planet-Sized Machine (Inspired by Ringworld and Foundation*) – Humanity discovers an Earth-like planet with no life, no oceans, and no atmosphere. Upon closer inspection, they realize the entire planet is an ancient machine, waiting for someone to turn it on.
The Message from the End of Time (Inspired by Doctor Who and Contact*) – A signal is detected at the farthest edge of the observable universe, transmitted by something impossibly old. When decoded, it is a message in every known language: “You were never meant to be alone.”
The Mnemonic Pandemic (Inspired by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Black Mirror) – A virus that selectively erases traumatic memories spreads rapidly across the globe. Initially celebrated as a cure for PTSD and emotional suffering, society begins to unravel as people forget crucial historical atrocities, personal moral lessons, and eventually, their core identities. A neuroscientist who genetically cannot contract the virus must find a way to preserve humanity’s collective memory before civilization repeats its darkest chapters.

Your Cosmic Journey Awaits: Unleash Your Science Fiction Writing Potential Today

You’ve now gone through my collection of the 100 Greatest Science Fiction Writing Prompts of All Time. These prompts, inspired by all the amazing stories that have shaped science fiction over the years, aren’t just random starting points—they’re doorways to worlds waiting to be discovered, technologies that haven’t been invented yet, and futures begging to be explored. Whether you’re stuck in a creative rut, trying to build a better science fiction world, or just want to start a new adventure, I hope this collection helps you navigate the endless possibilities out there.

Remember, what makes science fiction great isn’t just the cool tech and space travels, but how it lets us look at our deepest human questions through a fantastical lens. I tried to create prompts that will challenge you, inspire you, and help you write stories that push the boundaries between what is and what could be. They’re all about asking “what if?” and seeing where that question takes you.

Don’t just read these science fiction writing prompts and move on. Pick one, or a few, and start your journey into worlds of infinite potential. Try different flavors of sci-fi—hard science fiction, space opera, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic tales—whatever calls to you. Share what you write, build on your ideas, and most importantly, enjoy the process of bringing your wild visions to life through words.

The best science fiction has always worked as both a mirror and a telescope—showing us who we are now while also imagining who we might become. Your story could be the one that captures something essential about our time or dreams up an idea that inspires tomorrow’s innovators. If you’re looking for more science fiction inspiration or writing techniques, check out the resources on EveryWriter’s Resource.

Your next science fiction masterpiece isn’t light years away—it’s right at your fingertips. The universe you create is waiting. Start writing today!

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Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) is the founder of EveryWriter and a 25-year veteran of the publishing industry. With degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology, and Education, Richard has dedicated two decades to teaching writing and literature while championing emerging voices through EveryWriter's platform. His work focuses on making literary analysis accessible to readers at all levels while preserving the rich heritage of American literature. Connect with Richard on Twitter Bluesky Facebook or explore opportunities to share your own work on ourSubmissions page. For monthly insights on writing and publishing, subscribe to our Newsletter.