Moderate. Science is used to explain the shapeshifting ability; however, there are usually holes in the scientific explanation. For example, a creature becomes an elephant and then a mouse. A fun visual absolutely, but it ignores the issue of mass.

Moderate. Shapeshifting stories tend to explore the same kinds of ideas that stem from the ability's propensity for revelation—the idea of the truth behind the facade, the beast hiding behind civilization, I?`deas of identity both personal and societal.

Moderate. The shapeshifter character is often more symbolic than individual—the character often represents a larger idea the story is attempting to convey. A classic example is Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Jekyll is the epitome of civilization and Hyde is a beast, released by a scientifically brewed potion, who represents the constrained sexual and violent energies of the civilized man. In some ways, and in some stories, a shapeshifter is never really knowable—it can be a trickster and a deceiver, so readers never get a real sense of the character inside.

Moderate. Shapeshifting can be used as a plot device—revealing the truth. It can also be used to inspire fear and make a plot feel more tumultuous—for example, in The Thing, the alien could be anyone, that makes for a very tense and tumultuous plot.

Variable. Shapeshifting Sci Fi can be incredibly violent—monsters tearing apart and devouring their victims. Shapeshifting Sci Fi can also be relatively tame—when the character's shapeshifting ability manifests as the ability to stay young, it makes more of a medical story than a horror or action story.