dimitrov.im/Sci-Fi Awards

explorer / subgenres

Subgenre tags

Experimental subgenre labels across Hugo and Nebula Best Novel entries, 1953–2026.

Tags in this view

Compare up to six tags. Every selected tag appears in both charts.

3 of 6 selected

Tag coverage changed: 2025–2026 entries carry 61% more subgenre tags per entry than 2023–2024 entries. Period comparisons reflect both the books and uneven tagging. The labels are experimental.

Share of entries by decade

Every selected tag is shown. Each line is the percentage of award entries carrying that tag; tags overlap. Hover, tap or use arrow keys on the chart for counts.

0%20%40%60%80%100%1950s*1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s*Social SF · 1950s (partial): 8 of 13 award entries · 61.5%Social SF · 1960s: 36 of 77 award entries · 46.8%Social SF · 1970s: 57 of 118 award entries · 48.3%Social SF · 1980s: 39 of 113 award entries · 34.5%Social SF · 1990s: 38 of 112 award entries · 33.9%Social SF · 2000s: 31 of 112 award entries · 27.7%Social SF · 2010s: 25 of 119 award entries · 21.0%Social SF · 2020s (partial): 18 of 84 award entries · 21.4%Social SF 21%Epic Fantasy · 1950s (partial): 0 of 13 award entries · 0.0%Epic Fantasy · 1960s: 2 of 77 award entries · 2.6%Epic Fantasy · 1970s: 5 of 118 award entries · 4.2%Epic Fantasy · 1980s: 16 of 113 award entries · 14.2%Epic Fantasy · 1990s: 14 of 112 award entries · 12.5%Epic Fantasy · 2000s: 18 of 112 award entries · 16.1%Epic Fantasy · 2010s: 26 of 119 award entries · 21.8%Epic Fantasy · 2020s (partial): 24 of 84 award entries · 28.6%Epic Fantasy 29%Space Opera · 1950s (partial): 0 of 13 award entries · 0.0%Space Opera · 1960s: 10 of 77 award entries · 13.0%Space Opera · 1970s: 7 of 118 award entries · 5.9%Space Opera · 1980s: 11 of 113 award entries · 9.7%Space Opera · 1990s: 13 of 112 award entries · 11.6%Space Opera · 2000s: 9 of 112 award entries · 8.0%Space Opera · 2010s: 21 of 119 award entries · 17.6%Space Opera · 2020s (partial): 8 of 84 award entries · 9.5%Space Opera 10%

* Partial decade. Counts below show the size of each tagged sample.

Award-entry counts by decade

Bubble area represents the number of award entries. The number beside each circle is the count.

1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020sSocial SFSocial SF · 1950s: 8 of 13 award entries · 61.5%8Social SF · 1960s: 36 of 77 award entries · 46.8%36Social SF · 1970s: 57 of 118 award entries · 48.3%57Social SF · 1980s: 39 of 113 award entries · 34.5%39Social SF · 1990s: 38 of 112 award entries · 33.9%38Social SF · 2000s: 31 of 112 award entries · 27.7%31Social SF · 2010s: 25 of 119 award entries · 21.0%25Social SF · 2020s: 18 of 84 award entries · 21.4%18Epic FantasyEpic Fantasy · 1950s: 0 of 13 award entries · 0.0%0Epic Fantasy · 1960s: 2 of 77 award entries · 2.6%2Epic Fantasy · 1970s: 5 of 118 award entries · 4.2%5Epic Fantasy · 1980s: 16 of 113 award entries · 14.2%16Epic Fantasy · 1990s: 14 of 112 award entries · 12.5%14Epic Fantasy · 2000s: 18 of 112 award entries · 16.1%18Epic Fantasy · 2010s: 26 of 119 award entries · 21.8%26Epic Fantasy · 2020s: 24 of 84 award entries · 28.6%24Space OperaSpace Opera · 1950s: 0 of 13 award entries · 0.0%0Space Opera · 1960s: 10 of 77 award entries · 13.0%10Space Opera · 1970s: 7 of 118 award entries · 5.9%7Space Opera · 1980s: 11 of 113 award entries · 9.7%11Space Opera · 1990s: 13 of 112 award entries · 11.6%13Space Opera · 2000s: 9 of 112 award entries · 8.0%9Space Opera · 2010s: 21 of 119 award entries · 17.6%21Space Opera · 2020s: 8 of 84 award entries · 9.5%8

How to read these charts

Award entries

A book listed by both awards contributes one entry to each.

Overlapping tags

A book can have several tags. Percentages are independent and do not add to 100%.

Partial periods

Coverage starts in 1953 and ends in 2026. The 1950s and 2020s are incomplete.