Similar to Kinsella, I too believe that genre conventions are extremely loose and flexible, giving writers the ability to explore and experiment with the edges of their genre. Writing at the edge of a genre can be defined as writing regarding a very niche subject matter. For example, an author could write a story that entails many aspects and conventions of the fantasy genre, but still officially falls within the genre of “soft” science fiction. Or on the other hand one could write a piece that is so realistic and relevant to present-day that it seems as if it is nonfiction, but instead falls in the category of “hard” science fiction. These are some of many examples as to how genre can be a tool of subversion. 

Some prime examples of genre conventions being modified are displayed in the movie The Martian. As space exploration and research have ramped up in the past decade, the plot of this movie has become less of a “what-if” and more of an actual possibility in the near future. The gist of the movie is - a space crew goes on a mission to explore Mars, a storm hits their stationed area, and they are forced to evacuate. However, one member gets left behind, and he must learn to survive on Mars until a rescue mission can be executed. The man has to find a way to survive while he awaits the NASA rescue ship, he accomplishes this with many scientific feats, such as: planting potatoes on mars, creating a code to communicate with NASA HQ, and making water with spare rocket fuel. The plot to this movie is so realistic given the era we live in that this movie could be considered non-fiction in the foreseeable future, yet it still falls into the category of “hard” science fiction.

Another great film that displays the writer exploring the “edge” of a genre is the movie - Avatar. Like any great sci-fi writer, the writer of this movie takes very plausible scientific ideas and technology and exaggerates them to the point where they are no longer realistic. In James Cameron’s Avatar, humans set out on a mission to another planet, Pandora in hopes of finding and retrieving a valuable mineral. This planet is inhabited by aliens, as well as peculiar creatures and plants. The main character begins to build relationships with the locals on Pandora and eventually fights to protect it from the human invaders, which is also a great example of social and societal attitudes being displayed. This movie does indeed showcase some realistic scientific concepts such as: genome editing, habitable moons and planets, and some highly advanced armory, weapons and vehicles. However, there are some aspects of the film that are extremely unrealistic such as: dragon-like creatures, floating mountains and a “magical” tree. Given these fantasy-like characteristics, this movie classifies as “soft” science fiction.

In conclusion, genre conventions are indeed slippery, giving readers and writers the chance to explore the “edge” of a genre as shown in the examples provided, which can ultimately be used to challenge genre conventions and social attitudes. These atypical takes on the genre can certainly lead to some entertaining and interesting pieces of writing.