Resources for Making Sci-Fi More Sciency

My sci-fi novel is too much about character and not enough about the interesting aspects of technology and the mystery of space travel. What are some good resources to get ideas? So far I've read a good book on world-building for sci-fi writers and "The Physics of Star Trek" has helped. Other ideas? I don't need story ideas so much as I need ideas to incorporate science in my story. Do you all know of any great books to inspire ideas? Magazines? Website resources?

Much as I hate to promote anything by the homophobic Orson Scott Card, but... he has produced a book on writing Sff.

pH

I love ideas, but character is where it's at. Maybe You're on the right track after all.

NbDawn said:

My sci-fi novel is too much about character and not enough about the interesting aspects of technology and the mystery of space travel. What are some good resources to get ideas? So far I've read a good book on world-building for sci-fi writers and "The Physics of Star Trek" has helped. Other ideas? I don't need story ideas so much as I need ideas to incorporate science in my story. Do you all know of any great books to inspire ideas? Magazines? Website resources?

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Why do you feel science fiction must be about the tech and not so much character? As more and more of us fairer sex writers enter the genre, with our often character led stories (according to some of the threads I've seen here, anyhow) perhaps it's time to redefine the genre.

Write the book you want to write. Don't try to shoehorn it for a supposed genre. And, if you look around, you might find more authors writing that sort of stuff than you think.

NbDawn said:

What are some good resources to get ideas?

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A couple of starters:

1. Read science news press. I read New Scientist regularly: New Scientist | Science news and science articles from New Scientist You may prefer Scientific American, though it's more dense: Science News, Articles, and Information

2. Watch science documentaries that cover your setting. For example, if in space, Brian Cox's two wonderful series on DVD are great intros to astrophysics and planetary science:

Amazon.com: Wonders of the Universe: Various: Movies & TV
Amazon.com: Wonders of the Solar System: Wonders of the Solar System: Movies & TV

3. It also helps to read around your subjects in general, not least because you have a natural interest in them - if you want to cover science themes to any degree, even in passing. There are lots of books on the subject out there, but a great starting point is likely Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time.

4. Ignore "science" in TV series and films - they are usually fantasy-driven, and tend to struggle with consistency or even continuity.

5. If you don't feel that you have much of a scientific mind, then don't try to fudge it - just be fantastical and forget the science. Just ensure you have knowledgeable beta-readers who can advise on any obvious science howlers, but don't let any individual brow-beat you into thinking their opinions are the law - science is about consensus of opinion, and this constantly changes.

Hope that helps for starters.

Jo Zebedee said:

Why do you feel science fiction must be about the tech and not so much character? As more and more of us fairer sex writers enter the genre, with our often character led stories (according to some of the threads I've seen here, anyhow) perhaps it's time to redefine the genre.

Write the book you want to write. Don't try to shoehorn it for a supposed genre. And, if you look around, you might find more authors writing that sort of stuff than you think.

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Agreed. I feel that adding tech after the fact would make the story awkward. Go with what you do best.

NbDawn said:

My sci-fi novel is too much about character and not enough about the interesting aspects of technology and the mystery of space travel. What are some good resources to get ideas? So far I've read a good book on world-building for sci-fi writers and "The Physics of Star Trek" has helped. Other ideas? I don't need story ideas so much as I need ideas to incorporate science in my story. Do you all know of any great books to inspire ideas? Magazines? Website resources?

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SF is a genre where some of the best stories derive their conflict from situations that can only exist due to technology or future developments. Blade Runner's conflict comes from the fact that the "machines" are self aware, for instance. There is no translation of a theme like that into traditional fiction.

So instead of looking for little warp coil problems, I'd be looking at a bigger picture view of why the protagonists are motivated to act in a SF context. SF subjects rather than SF window dressing.

I'd also be looking for inspiration from the best SF that leverages SF situations. Check out some Vernor Vinge or Alastair Reynolds, for instance. Give that "science" of Star Trek book to a child how might enjoy it.

Documentaries... gee, I wish they were as good as, say, the 60s, but I find a lot of them less informative than they used to be. But, if people believe in stuff, what the heck, use it until something better comes along. History docs are the worst, here, but it, history, makes a good story, believable characters. Real life is fake, that's my theory, and science fiction is still fun. Just make sure any tech info matches what shows up in Google, in case anyone checks on your data, then, even if it's wrong, it will be all right.

A good website for some of the technical stuff about space travel:

Atomic Rockets

For material related to transhumanism and nanotech (WARNING: some quite difficult, prepare to have your mind expanded):

Kurzweil AI

Homepage for the founder of nanotech thinking:

Eric Drexler

A good start, I think...

Hi,

I don't think I'm allowed to post links just yet as I'm a new member, but I regularly browse through a science and technology website called phys.org. It's rammed full of the latest news on near-future possibilities, and may offer some inspiration. Conspiracy websites, on occasion and if you miss out the wild ideas, provide some of the more 'out there' proposals.

I agree that it's all about the characters, but the setting has to be just right too.

"Pete spun sharply and soundlessly on his magnetically levitating recliner to burn scorn into Emily's request," sounds better than, "Pete spun sharply on his chair, the dry creak of metal on metal matching the tone of scorn written across his face for Emily's request."

To me anyway.

Actually, on reflection, I quite like the second one...

I think you can chose magnetic or levitating without losing any of the techness, but to use both sounds a bit overwrought to me.

pH

Phyrebrat said:

I think you can chose magnetic or levitating without losing any of the techness, but to use both sounds a bit overwrought to me.

pH

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Or... "on his maglev recliner"

I do agree though.

I agree with GCJ about phys.org , some of the stuff that shows up on that site is mind-boggling. And none of it is fake news.

There's also physicsforums.com , where actual qualified people discuss some of those way-out ideas. You can also ask questions if you want to check that your idea is plausible. I've checked two major ideas for my bobiverse series--had to scrap one, as it turned out to be simply physically wrong, and was able to make the second one plausible enough that if anyone criticizes me about it, I can just point to the thread.

I think that reading a lot of science fiction is the most helpful.
This allows the reader--as an author--to examine with a critical eye to a point where you might start asking should that character be using note pads or would those notes go on a pad or electronic wafer or even e-paper. Would refrigerator magnets still exist (how else will you put the grandkids artwork up there).
Plus you'll pick up all sorts of things you might not have thought of; from the authors of those novels.

Honestly though a story should have those elements that are necessary as the natural part of the world building and as support structure for the characters in the story, so it all boils down to choosing what might still be around in the future and what might need to evolve to replace what we use now and then of course there will be all the stuff necessary to sustain existence in whatever peculiar place the characters find themselves.More important though is which elements are necessary in the story to move the story forward. The other window dressing can be there, but you want to be careful about overwhelming a scene to a point that the reader misses the more important science that drives the story.

You could try Orion's Arm.

I agree with Jo Z about not necessarily needing 'more science' - but I do think it's important that the science you do have is at least believable. Yes, sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic (so said someone else), but there's a lot to be said for not doing something in your book that flatly contradicts everything we know so far (unless you have an excellent explanation).

I don't know about anybody else, but it's really disappointing when the author has put something in an otherwise good book that throws me out of the narrative because I know it's wrong.

So, not necessarily more science, but definitely believable science.

Theophania Elliott said:

So, not necessarily more science, but definitely believable science.

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I agree that this is exactly what should happen. Great science fiction uses accurate, consistent and important scientific speculation to set the scene and drive the action.

But I would say that even somewhat hokey science elements can make for a decent story if the author really embraces whatever it is as important to the story. If the story is fun, even the bad science distraction will be minor. "Science fantasy".

There is no reason that Sense and Sensibility or Catcher in the Rye couldn't be converted into "sci fi" by simply changing the setting and common daily objects to futuristic versions. And I think that is the main danger we all see in the OP's inquiry - that she has a good fiction story, and needs some robots and laser chess to fully convert it to science fiction.

NbDawn said:

My sci-fi novel is too much about character and not enough about the interesting aspects of technology and the mystery of space travel.

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If you don't mind the question, what is the story roughly about, and what currently makes it sci fi? The answer to those questions are more likely to suggest avenues to improvement than general science and technology resources.

A great sci fi story only really needs one good SF element to be a worthwhile addition to the genre. The Arrival film epitomizes this with an actually very simple center concept about language and perception. The ships, the aliens, the anti-gravity and everything else could be eliminated and the story would still be great SF.

If there is one essential element that makes a story SF, embrace that element and make it central.

Brian G Turner said:

A couple of starters:
1. Read science news press. I read New Scientist regularly: New Scientist | Science news and science articles from New Scientist You may prefer Scientific American, though it's more dense: Science News, Articles, and Information

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New Scientist smartphone app (subscription) is great for people on the move but with time to kill.
Also, some interesting 'MOOCs' out there... Imagining Other Earths - Princeton University | Coursera

I wish I could quote everyone here. This is all very helpful. Although my story is about character, my character is part of an epic series and I want to make sure at least a few of my novels are about more than just about his struggles as a character. So while the first book is definitely about his struggle with another race he considers his enemy, I want the second one to incorporate some sort of space weapon. And some future novels to deal with conflicts with the nature of space rather than the nature of people. Your suggestions for various websites, articles, and documentaries are very helpful. I will check them out and hopefully get some new story ideas triggered out of them. Also, I think reading more science stuff will help make my world building more interesting. Thanks!!!

NbDawn said:

So while the first book is definitely about his struggle with another race he considers his enemy,

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Okay, if this is SF, what makes his conflict with this alien race essentially different from a conflict between a person and a particular earth culture? The essential element to make it SF should be that this race has something about it that makes it different than people, or that the conflict itself is one that wouldn't happen between people.

I'm not saying that as a rule, but just to point out that if you are looking for something that makes your story essentially SF, this would be the core area to look. If you have those elements, it really won't matter if the space ships have round doors or rectangles.