Thematics: The development and use of themes.
Really, all it means is a common thread, joke, or concept used over and over because the writer isn't creative enough to do something new. I am such a writer. On the other hand, repeated themes also anchor a story, or a concept, in a deeper meaning or overall purpose. I am also such a writer.
Let's do this in bullets. I like bullets. As with the Setting article, some of this isn't just themes, but choices I made about the Anatali Universe.
Aliens - A:U does have extraterrestrial life, but it's microscopic and non-carbon based. This isn't Star Trek. There may be intelligent aliens in the universe, but there has been no signals or first contact. I wanted to keep the focus on humanity, our future, our cultures, and the development thereof. I don't do aliens. I think it cheapens the entire genre, though it's certainly a mainstay. I have AI and Dvoraks to fill my inhumanity quota.
Dvoraks and Phantoms - But I will do zombies and ghosts. As far as the Discovery-Channel-esque spectrum of supernatural-vs-extraterrestrial, I've always been skewed towards the paranormal, since I do believe in that shit. Not the living dead, but emotional resonance, and in my setting, the energy of life can be tied to Dark Energy, giving unlife to aberrations suffering a concentrated dose. As with artificial intelligence, it's a way to showcase a particular aspect of humanity. AI is supreme logic. Dvoraks are supremely primal, an aspect of animalism that's totally detached from humanity itself. It's very appealing to me to have soulless monsters in the dead, so the real monsters, the humans, can reveal-in-parallel in their own dark/evil intentions. Violence doesn't always mean evil motivations, and just because a character isn't violent, doesn't make their evil any less powerful. The dead don't care. It's humanity that's flawed.
Smoking - My version of an on-the-go coffee break. I don't highlight it often, so I don't feel I'm glorifying what many consider a 'disgusting addiction.' It's a way to say to the reader: it's ok to breathe. Sacha is my only habitual smoker, though Jessica, Trent, and Calvin have taken it as a time-out between intense situations. It's the 4100's; cancer is cured, and the tobacco doesn't even cause it anymore. It's still smelly and pointless, so it never regained its modern-day popularity.
Profanity - These are the words adults use. I could ctrl+F every fuck, cunt, douche, cock, shit and replace them with more commercial swears, but at this point I'm happy being the Sopranos/DeadWood of sci-fi. For me, it's all about intimacy with the character voice, meaning that the actual narration should be close-in-time with how the character thinks and speaks. I don't know if there's a market for it in science fiction, but I'd be happy to create one.
Race - To say most of my cast is Caucasian would be true. However, to say most of them are Gray is also true. 2,000 years along, skin-race still exists in pockets based on nationality, moon/planet, religion, and economics. However, most ethnicities have blended and reformed. Blacks are still black, but there's obviously few pure African-originating bloodlines that haven't mingled. Same with the Irish, German, Spanish or other European ethnicities. It really has devolved into and beyond Asian, Hispanic, Indian, Black, and Caucasian, since 99.9% of humanity can no longer claim any racial/national purity. Considering Anatali Corp is based in Alaska, close to the founders' Siberian origins, I feel comfortable playing the white-but-race-blind card, somewhat close to present day, but with a lot more mixed heritage among whites and non-whites. It really never comes up unless someone is Brazilian, Korean, or from Ganymede and Europa, etc.
Panties - Represent a woman's final defense between the 'world of men' and her goodies. The lack of panties signals a loss of innocence is imminent, one-way or the other. Gender-bias has dissolved just as much as racism, but I still believe in a woman's inherent vulnerability, no matter the era. It's not specific to girls, all humans are vulnerable, and boys are flawed in their emotional/social development. But girls are still physically underpowered and have to compensate with good decision-making, from the beginning of the evening to the end. I feel it's important to present how women need to play-the-game better, and watch their asses, just to keep up with the ever-present social/career and physical disparity.
Women - And I do glorify them, but they're always flawed, same as my boys. I own a very large and broad female cast. But really, I see them as human, and I simply enjoy the social dynamic they represent as they interact with the universe. If I wasn't writing sci-fi I'd be writing women's-lit or chick-lit. It's been a challenge giving them all a unique voice--background is easy, making them unique isn't. There's no lack of boys in my stories, but the focus usually isn't on them except from the heroine's PoV.
I'll need a Thematics 2 along the line, but I've addressed everything I felt I needed to. I'd like to go into Sports, Music, and the lack of Government Intervention, but I'm saving that for another day.