Science Fiction: Subgenres (Part Two)

Alright, so we've covered Military SF, First Contact, and Dystopias. What next?
Apocalyptic, Holocaust, and Post-apocalyptic
This is very similar to dystopian novels because many of the same elements do exist. What sets them apart is really a fine line. Basically, they are the same, but "dystopia" applies to a much wider range of similar ideas. For apocalyptic novels there is a heavy focus on, well, apocalyptic things. Super-pandemics wiping out the world, nuclear holocaust, biological warfare, etc. The list goes on. There are also post-apocalyptic, which show the after effects of whatever has gone wrong in teh world. These sorts of stories are actually rather common. You've seen more than enough to be able to rattle off a few.
Examples: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Day After Tomorrow, The Core, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

Cross-genre
Well, let's put it this way, have you ever read a book where it is neither fantasy and neither science fiction? It just doesn't fit into either, but it's certain odd? Think of this genre as one where you can have both things, but it's so hard to decide if it's fantasy or science fiction. You have a spaceship of humans who land on a planet filled with dragons or witches. That's sort of what cross-genre is. It tries to fit in somewhere, but can't because both elements exist!
Examples: The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Science Fantasy/future fantasy
This is a rather vague term. It seems like it is talking about cross-genre, but it's not. What science fantasy is is sort like what science fiction used to be like when it really started to blossom. These are stories that look like science fiction but literally break all the rules of physics. We could easily lump all those stories with FTL drives in here, but we won't, cause that wouldn't be fair. Regardless, if a story defies the laws that we know exist and it is clearly trying to be science fiction (i.e. no witches or wizards in spaceships, which would be cross-genre), then it's science fantasy.
Example: Star Wars, All Golden-age Science Fiction (for the most part), and works by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

And that's that for today. If you have any suggestions to stuff into the example categories for any of the subgenres I've thus far listed, leave a comment