Science Fiction Writing Prompts

While having humans on initial survey teams to determine if a planet is hospitable enough to support a colony, it's important to remember that a humans definition of 'hospitable' is vastly different from the rest of the galaxy.

First contact is established with an intelligent alien species. Oddly, they find humans adorable, and compulsively want to pet them. This wouldn't normally be a deal breaker per-se- they're a gentle and sensitive species... its just that they happen to be giant 12 legged spider creatures.

You got trapped inside your favorite video game. This isn’t really a problem, since you’re so familiar with it. It is, however, a problem for your parents, who got trapped with you.

As one of the astronaut on the ISS you and your colleagues watched in horror as the Earth descended into nuclear chaos. You were certain that you were going to die up there, but even though there is no one left on Earth to answer your radio calls you still receive regular supply shipments.

The first thing aliens translated were the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Now all the aliens are freaking out.

Your daughter has always been weird, but lately it's gotten worse. She keeps going on about not having a smartphone or bored because there's no internet. It's 1685 AD.

Feeling adventurous, you decided to try crossbreeding two specific vegetables to see what would happen. Now, sitting in an interrogation room at an undisclosed location staring at very concerned men in black, you are about to learn why it's never been done before.

Centuries into a generation ship's journey, the ship has a constant plethora of tiny issues and malfunctions overlooked by most of the crew's mechanics in favour of the larger issues. In your off-time, you decide to start fixing some of these minor issues and discover some interesting functions.

As the first Mars-born human draws his final breath, the Martian God of Death prepares to argue his case for ownership over his soul.

After your interrogators used a truth serum to get you to talk, you discover you can answer questions you never knew you had the answers to. (No one responded to it originally 5y’s ago)

After a series of mutual misunderstandings during First Contact, a young human military officer has found themself accidentally married to an alien princess.

Humanity has developed a serum that gives a superpower at random. It becomes the norm to sell them for insane prices to the elites of society. You have just won one in the lottery but the power you awaken to is more… unique than you were expecting.

As your spouse lays dying in the hospital, they ask if you'd choose them all over again. You say that you always will. Once they pass away, you rewind time to the day you met each other for the hundredth time.

In a world where the government controls every aspect of citizens' lives, there is a black market where people can buy glimpses of their memories before the government wiped them. As an underground memory dealer, you must decide how far you are willing to go to help people reclaim their past

So humanity's galactic divisions are all named after sci-fi franchises. The Enterprise for exploration and diplomacy, the Spartans if combat is needed. This is the story of the less honorably named factions, such as the appropriately named "World Eaters"

You have been kidnapped by aliens to be a zoo animal. They expect you to be upset & try to escape, but you love your new life & become an "ambassador animal" for humanity.

When you were little, you formed a symbiotic relationship with an alien larva parasite, who's been your closest companion ever since. Today is your college graduation, and after the ceremony, you hear words from the parasite in your mind: "We need to talk."

The war has ended, and all governments have collapsed. Now the world is so devastated that recovery is but a pipe dream. Now, in a cruel twist of fate, a massive alien fleet arrives, demanding to speak to the leaders. You are chosen at random to address them.

The Elven people have finally reached the stars and have arrived at the galactic community. Upon arriving, they attempt to assert themselves as the dominant party to the galactic alliance sighting their longevity and wisdom. Only for the Elder Race known as "Humanity" to put them in there place

When type 4 civilization patched a black hole that was dangerously next to a human colony, usually other species of the intergalactic community ran away, but humanity was the first to excitingly contact this civilization.

We “knew” humans were weak as they avoided every war with diplomacy. We never imagined they’d be this ruthless & how seemingly overnight they went from peaceful beings to a state they call “TOTAL WAR”. War is in their blood & soul. They thrive on it, mostly when the odds are against them

You're an entirely normal human being. You have memories of a childhood and an adult life. You're not a robot. You're not a robot. You're not a robot. You know beyond all doubt you're not a robot. Why have captchas suddenly become completely impossible?

Turns out every planet with life has a version of mammals, and they supposed to be weak, small and dumb creatures. The fact that they are not only the dominant animal clade on Earth, but also the planet's intelligent species baffles aliens.

Your starship was badly damaged during a routine cargo run. Your distress beacon was answered by a ship full of immortal and beautiful people. You now sit at a bar, trying to make heads or tails as to why they won't let you go after your ship was fixed.

"dude... give her space. For you it's been 30 years. You've had time to grieve and accept you lost your sister. For her though.... she just learned she's be gone for three decades and hasn't aged a day. You've got your teenage sister back but to her.... to her your a 45 year old stranger"

"Before I ask why you were doing 675 million in a 40, I'd first like to ask how in the world that's even possible."

You suddenly gain the uncontrollable ability to "jump" randomly through time. It was difficult to adjust to the changing time periods until you encounter an elderly version of yourself, who hands you a worn out journal, detailing every date and destination of your jumps in the future.

There is a 50/50 chance that leaving the Arch Mage and Head Scientist alone in a room together will result in either a marriage proposal or a doomsday device. More likely both.

Humans are the only species that isn't a hive mind, telepathic, or otherwise linked. Humans are the only species that can lie.

Brain chips have arrived, making the whole world an augmented reality! It is really *THOUGHT REDACTED*. That's weird, I forgot what I was about to say.