Everyone knows science fiction, whether it's "Star Trek" or "The Martian".
But although both are science fiction, both are (in my opinion) practically completely different genres.
So "The Martian" would be a clear exponent of hard science fiction, while "Star Trek" would definitely be a soft science fiction.
But what are the differences between the two" genres"?
Hard science fiction is characterized by an interest in science itself.
Oftentimes the natural sciences are in the foreground and the narrative is full of technical details and descriptions.
And by far the most important thing is that the technology and the world are not completely off the wall.
"The Martian", for example, has many descriptions of technology, and the whole scenario of the book (a human being is the only one left behind in a Mars station and is trying to survive).
Within the next few decades, humans could set off for Mars and the other technology in the book is theoretically possible.
Soft science fiction is in contrast to this.
Here the technology does not have to be realistic. Often it even only serves as a kind of tool. The focus is more on the characters and detailed technical explanations are mostly missing.
In "Star Trek" most of the technology is still wishful thinking and far from being plausible or realistic. Even if it seems as if technology is in the first place, the story often revolves around something completely different, like threatening conflicts or the exploration of ancient ruins, and practically every imaginable topic.
Between these two "genres", however, there is no clear demarcation or even a consensus about whether they really are two different genres.
Here the technology does not have to be realistic. Often it even only serves as a kind of tool.
The focus is more on the characters and detailed technical explanations are mostly missing.
In "Star Trek" most of the technology is still wishful thinking and far from being plausible or realistic.
Even if it seems as if technology is in the first place, the story often revolves around something completely different, like threatening conflicts or the exploration of ancient ruins, and practically every imaginable topic.
Between these two "genres", however, there is no clear demarcation or even a consensus about whether they really are two different genres.
So this are mostly my thoughts to this topic.
I hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day!