Starting on my next novel - SciFi this time.

indianroads · Nov 6, 2017

I grew up reading SciFi - and yet I've never written any of it, which is exactly why my next project will be in that genre. I love SciFi because it's possible to explore philosophical subjects in an entertaining way (think 'The Lathe of Heaven' by Ursula LeGuin).

That said, I want to write more science based rather than fantasy based, in other words, no dragons or magic. My novel will be set something a bit more than 100 years in the future, and as part of my world building exercise I need to look at technological advances. In particular I'm looking for information in three areas:

1) Power generation (for space flight): right now Nuclear Fusion is the most likely candidate - but I need to generate massive amount of power, so I'm wondering if there is something else out there that's plausible.

2) Communication: Using quantum entanglement for instantaneous communications across vast differences.

3) Space travel: Using what I will call a "Slip Drive" to ease slightly into an alternate dimension that connects to everything in our universe, but is smaller (so the travel time will be faster).

Thoughts?

Dennis E. Taylor · Nov 6, 2017

With well-written SF, the tech is mentioned only when it's relevant, and even then only in passing. Think of cell phones. If a character in a murder mystery needs to call his client, he doesn't go off on a mental tangent to consider the history, technology, and future of cell phones and how they've affected society. He pulls out his cell and calls his client.

zanzjan · Nov 6, 2017

Dennis E. Taylor said:
With well-written SF, the tech is mentioned only when it's relevant, and even then only in passing.

I have to disagree with this, at least as it's framed.

This is in no way any sort of universal truth, or even more-often-than-not truth. For some stories, the speculative technology and worldbuilding around it is absolutely core to the unfolding narrative. In other stories, the speculative elements are more social/psychological. In many stories, it is both. Different readers (and writers) have different tastes as to how deep they want to go down the tech rabbit-hole, and as long as you're not grossly ignoring your worldbuilding in favor of your characters, or vice versa, you're probably okay.

So yes, some people like stories where the tech is only mentioned in passing. That's a valid opinion of one personal tastes, but only that.

Think of cell phones. If a character in a murder mystery needs to call his client, he doesn't go off on a mental tangent to consider the history, technology, and future of cell phones and how they've affected society. He pulls out his cell and calls his client.

Cell phone are not a defining characteristic of the murder mystery genre, whereas science fiction is, yanno, sciencey fiction, so this analogy is, alas, bunkum.

JDlugosz · Nov 7, 2017

indianroads said:
Thoughts?

Get thee over to worldbuilding.stackexchange.com . See you there. In particular…

1. Brought up all the time and also in the attached chat room. Q: How to resupply a starship?, general search for power under spaceships tag.

2. Entanglement doesn’t do that. Period. See also Plausible hard science explanations to seemingly FTL communication, and many others. That will get you started and there are tags and “related” to go from there.

3. I’ve written a lot about that. Start here.

Harlequin · Nov 7, 2017

SF is awesome, have fun!

But this--

I grew up reading SciFi - and yet I've never written any of it, which is exactly why my next project will be in that genre. I love SciFi because it's possible to explore philosophical subjects in an entertaining way (think 'The Lathe of Heaven' by Ursula LeGuin).

--I disagree with vehemently ;-) (A polite vehement!) Fantasy has at least as much (far better imo) potential to explore philosophical subjects. It often isn't done, because fantasy has gotten locked into a certain idea of what it has to entail, but literary/metaphysical fantasy is definitely out there.

anyways, that's a derail so ignore me!

Space travel is always a difficult one. Do AI feature much in your future? Will make a huge difference to how advanced the tech is, I think.

stephenf · Nov 7, 2017

Hi
To research current technology to predict a hundred years time is probably a wast of time . On that time scale almost anything can be true . From a total collapse of the world economy to a development of technologies that will solve all human problems . I believe the best way forward in fiction, is to decide how you believe or would like things to turn out. Unless there is a need to be factually connect to the present day . The trick is to be convincing.

zanzjan · Nov 7, 2017

Agreement with Harlequin that Fantasy is just as good at exploring philosophical subjects. Write the story that says what you want, the way you want.

JDlugosz said:
Get thee over to [site.site.com] . See you there.

*coughs*

No disrespect to the site you referenced, which has much useful information (as do other places on the internet), but I feel obliged to point out that there are also plenty of good resources right here on AW. Kinda poor manners to be all, "hey, nice to meet you at this party, let me tell you all about the party next door".

JDlugosz · Nov 7, 2017

zanzjan said:
, but I feel obliged to point out that there are also plenty of good resources right here on AW.

Can you add specific links for each of his questions?

bmr1591 · Nov 7, 2017

Here's a few thoughts that came to my head:

1. Why not create a new source of energy found on a different planet that can be used to give the power needed? It could have been found 40 years ago on a meteor that struck the moon or something.

2. I'd buy that.

3. Take a piece of paper and notice how far it is from one side to another. Now fold it. Those two sides are now touching and the distance isn't far at all. There's a theory that it may be possible to do this with space, allowing quick travel across the galaxy. Just something that might sound interesting.

zanzjan · Nov 7, 2017

JDlugosz said:
Can you add specific links for each of his questions?

So hey, do you think that counts as a reasonable response to an entirely reasonable comment? Because not so much.

Consider this notification that I am not particularly interested in humoring your shitty attitude that you've been dumping all over the forums since you got here. Either resolve your chronic cranio-rectal impaction problem and participate respectfully, or feel free to move along somewhere else.

indianroads · Nov 7, 2017

Thanks for all the replies. I'm currently elbows deep into world building, and loving it.

My story takes place a bit over 100 years in the future. So I'm taking speculative technologies and assuming the current problems with them will be solved.

Quantum entanglement for FTL communications for instance. The (current) problem with this technology is that it's only good for a single shot at communications because once the particles shift out of neutral state they are no longer entangled. I'm speculating that within 100 years a way might be found to reset the particles into neutral. Then a mass of them can be used similar to binary bits for communication.

There are companies already growing 3d integrated circuits on carbon nano fibers. A 3d circuit will use less power and be MUCH faster.

AI - very likely to happen, which can be dangerous. Concurrent processing then becomes mostly a programming problem, which can be solved.

Interstellar travel - I listened to a lecture given by Stephen Hawking where he suggested that it could be possible to shift into a parallel dimension that is actually MUCH smaller than our universe, and travel there. The problem with this is that navigation will be extremely difficult - go too deep or too long, you could end up at the other side of the universe in a matter of seconds. The MC in my story will be a programmer, so he will be figuring out how to do this.

This all may seem like a lot of advancement - but consider where we were technologically a century ago.

Again thanks, and I'll be showing up here more often now.

ETA: For now I'm using nuclear fusion to power the spacecraft. But need to think of a reason why this power source is not being used on earth - possibly an anarchy problem, humanity as a whole is pretty much hell bent on self destruction - cities are falling, government is trying (and failing) to retake control. Probably not a good environment for fusion power stations.

indianroads · Nov 7, 2017

Regarding the Science in SciFi - I think it needs to be there, explained briefly - but the characters and the story is what will make it or break it. The MC is an engineer, so a lot of what he does is technical which is why it's important to the story.

dpaterso · Nov 7, 2017

indianroads said:
Interstellar travel - I listened to a lecture given by Stephen Hawking where he suggested that it could be possible to shift into a parallel dimension that is actually MUCH smaller than our universe, and travel there. The problem with this is that navigation will be extremely difficult - go too deep or too long, you could end up at the other side of the universe in a matter of seconds.

Fun stuff, although not new, I use this in some stories too. Setting jump range limits keeps things under control, i.e. you calculate how long you need to be in the compressed universe so you'll re-emerge near your target location.

ETA: For now I'm using nuclear fusion to power the spacecraft. But need to think of a reason why this power source is not being used on earth - possibly an anarchy problem, humanity as a whole is pretty much hell bent on self destruction - cities are falling, government is trying (and failing) to retake control. Probably not a good environment for fusion power stations.

Safety considerations alone might be enough to limit your big power plant to offworld use -- in the vastness of outer space you can switch on your fusion reactor and do what the heck you like. Although that reminds me of Larry Niven's asteroid belt stories, every ship with a fusion drive leaves an invisible radioactive trail behind it, there's a tracking system that keeps note of every trail in the system so other ships can avoid crossing them, which is a nice bit of Sci-Fi writer thinking. Talking of Niven, don't overlook the Bussard ramjet design for in-system drives.

-Derek

indianroads · Nov 7, 2017

dpaterso said:
Fun stuff, although not new, I use this in some stories too. Setting jump range limits keeps things under control, i.e. you calculate how long you need to be in the compressed universe so you'll re-emerge near your target location.

Safety considerations alone might be enough to limit your big power plant to offworld use -- in the vastness of outer space you can switch on your fusion reactor and do what the heck you like. Although that reminds me of Larry Niven's asteroid belt stories, every ship with a fusion drive leaves an invisible radioactive trail behind it, there's a tracking system that keeps note of every trail in the system so other ships can avoid crossing them, which is a nice bit of Sci-Fi writer thinking. Talking of Niven, don't overlook the Bussard ramjet design for in-system drives.

-Derek

Thanks! I'll look that up.

ETA:
I dimly recall reading something about a current space probe that uses an ion drive... The slip-drive (my name for the use of a compressed universe) would be best used in interstellar travel - interplanetary though, something slower that could be more easily controlled would be required.

Yup. Here it is: https://www.space.com/28732-nasa-dawn-spacecraft-ion-propulsion.html

zanzjan · Nov 7, 2017

indianroads said:
I'm currently elbows deep into world building, and loving it.

Honestly, for me, one of the very best parts of writing SF/F is the worldbuilding, and with SF in particular having an excuse to go indulge my inner science geek exploring new things I'm interested in.

Shoeless · Nov 7, 2017

zanzjan said:
Honestly, for me, one of the very best parts of writing SF/F is the worldbuilding, and with SF in particular having an excuse to go indulge my inner science geek exploring new things I'm interested in.

Agreed, the worldbuilding can be one of the coolest things about SF, but MAN, it's such a rabbit hole once you start to research it. I'll be like, "Yeah, I just need to do a quick check on how machine learning is doing these days..." and resurface six hours later having accomplished ZERO in terms of writing productivity, but being much more well informed.

zanzjan · Nov 7, 2017

Shoeless said:
Agreed, the worldbuilding can be one of the coolest things about SF, but MAN, it's such a rabbit hole once you start to research it. I'll be like, "Yeah, I just need to do a quick check on how machine learning is doing these days..." and resurface six hours later having accomplished ZERO in terms of writing productivity, but being much more well informed.

LOL, yes.

What writers need is a metaphorical rope with a designated non-writer on the far end, so you can say, "I'm jumping into research. If I don't tug on the rope once an hour, pull me the hell back out!"

indianroads · Nov 7, 2017

Aside from the technology stuff - I'm working on a timeline to provide historical background for the world and context for how my MC lives. There's also characterization - my MC, and several others are going to write me a letter (in their own words) about their past, likes and dislikes, etc. It is a lot of work, but I think it's important to get as right as possible before starting in on the actual writing so I won't have to go back and fix things.

Aggy B. · Nov 8, 2017

This may seem like a nitpick, but SF doesn't typically have magic or dragons in it. That would be Fantasy (the second F in SF/F). Unless, of course, you are writing Science Fantasy - magic behaving by scientific principles or magic and science existing side-by-side. But if you are attempting an "SF" novel, there's no need to specify there won't be magic in it.

I fall somewhere between the "common tech should be common tech" in a novel and "dig into the speculative aspects" position. I think it's a good idea to understand how you think the drives and communication should work, but you may not need as much of that in the novel as you think. Writing it will be the best way to determine how much of it needs in-story explanation and how much can simply be assumed works as advertised.

indianroads · Nov 8, 2017

Aggy B. said:
This may seem like a nitpick, but SF doesn't typically have magic or dragons in it. That would be Fantasy (the second F in SF/F). Unless, of course, you are writing Science Fantasy - magic behaving by scientific principles or magic and science existing side-by-side. But if you are attempting an "SF" novel, there's no need to specify there won't be magic in it.

I fall somewhere between the "common tech should be common tech" in a novel and "dig into the speculative aspects" position. I think it's a good idea to understand how you think the drives and communication should work, but you may not need as much of that in the novel as you think. Writing it will be the best way to determine how much of it needs in-story explanation and how much can simply be assumed works as advertised.

Not a nitpick at all I think. My observation is that there is a lot more fantasy in the SFF genre than science. Fantasy is fun - I liked the game of thrones books, and earthsea, (as well as others) but that's not the kind of thing I want to write. I want this work to be at least somewhat plausible in its science. Just my POV, but I don't like having Science Fiction and Fantasy bundled in the same genre.

Dennis E. Taylor · Nov 8, 2017

Aggy B. said:
I fall somewhere between the "common tech should be common tech" in a novel and "dig into the speculative aspects" position. I think it's a good idea to understand how you think the drives and communication should work, but you may not need as much of that in the novel as you think. Writing it will be the best way to determine how much of it needs in-story explanation and how much can simply be assumed works as advertised.

Personally, I love the details, but I'm a bit of a gearhead. But readers cover the full spectrum, so when you're writing, you have to be aware of whether you're going to turn off some people.

Two books that I always think of in relation to this subject are The Martian and Recall Not Earth. The Martian goes into incredible levels of detail, and that's one of the two biggest complaints about the book. For people like me, it's a plus, but here's the thing: If Weir had dialed back the details a little, he wouldn't necessarily have lost readers like me; but by putting that amount of detail in, he definitely lost readers who found it excessive.

The other book, Recall Not Earth, is possibly my most favorite SF book of all time. But it dedicates one entire chapter early in the book to a description of the space drive and subspace theory of its universe. In the end, the only part of that exposition that actually affected the story was the premise that all ships moved through subspace at the same fixed speed. That could have been presented in one sentence, in a dialog between two characters.

My trilogy started out far more 'Martian-like' in terms of detail and exposition, but my editor kept pounding at me to remove the details (at least as info-dumps) and make them incidental parts of the narrative. Based on reviews, that was the right way to go.

Aggy B. · Nov 8, 2017

indianroads said:
Not a nitpick at all I think. My observation is that there is a lot more fantasy in the SFF genre than science. Fantasy is fun - I liked the game of thrones books, and earthsea, (as well as others) but that's not the kind of thing I want to write. I want this work to be at least somewhat plausible in its science. Just my POV, but I don't like having Science Fiction and Fantasy bundled in the same genre.

But they aren't the same genre so...?

They are usually mentioned side by side due to being the two major branches of speculative fiction. (Horror being the third, smaller branch.) But no one who actually care about genre thinks they are the same thing - each has distinct tropes.

indianroads · Nov 8, 2017

On Amazon they are in the same category.

Correction: Once you get into the Science Fiction / Fantasy category, you can select Science Fiction OR Fantasy. So I guess they're sub-categories.

Aggy B. · Nov 8, 2017

And categories (whether you're talking about Amazon categories or categories like YA) are not genres. Confusing them is not necessarily uncommon but will make industry folks wonder if you know what you're talking about.

Aggy, sees a lot of folks referring to YA as a genre

indianroads · Nov 8, 2017

Aggy B. said:
And categories (whether you're talking about Amazon categories or categories like YA) are not genres. Confusing them is not necessarily uncommon but will make industry folks wonder if you know what you're talking about.

Aggy, sees a lot of folks referring to YA as a genre

I'm perpetually confused. Categories are important though, because that's how readers find our work.

Starting on my next novel - SciFi this time.

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killin' all teh werds

killin' all teh werds

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Not as sweet as you think

Wherever I go, there I am.

Get it off! It burns!

Not as sweet as you think

Wherever I go, there I am.

Not as sweet as you think

Wherever I go, there I am.