Comments on: How much science knowledge do you need to write science fiction? http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jeff Fourmyle http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-15969 Jeff Fourmyle Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:54:10 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/#comment-15969 "How much science knowledge do you need to write science fiction?" (a) Enough to satisfy your audience. If you're writing for an audience who thinks like Nebula Award judges, not much. If your stories are set in an environment beyond Clarke's Limit (science indistinguishable from magic), not much. If you're writing for Greg Egan's or Alastair Reynolds' audience, you better have it nailed. “How much science knowledge do you need to write science fiction?” (a) Enough to satisfy your audience. If you’re writing for an audience who thinks like Nebula Award judges, not much. If your stories are set in an environment beyond Clarke’s Limit (science indistinguishable from magic), not much. If you’re writing for Greg Egan’s or Alastair Reynolds’ audience, you better have it nailed.

]]> By: Vague http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-15161 Vague Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:21:03 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/#comment-15161 I wouldn't want to get it wrong, so I'll probably never write anything remotely like hard SF. I wouldn’t want to get it wrong, so I’ll probably never write anything remotely like hard SF.

]]> By: Michael http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-15155 Michael Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:25:29 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/#comment-15155 I don't have much experience as an SF writer yet, but frankly, I don't worry about it. I suppose in a sense that makes me a fantasy writer -- or really, it makes me a cyberpunk writer more than anything. As a programmer, I create my own reality anyway. And I like the headlong feeling of rush into the future -- if my characters are confused about the specifics of what they see, why shouldn't the reader be equally confused? I don’t have much experience as an SF writer yet, but frankly, I don’t worry about it. I suppose in a sense that makes me a fantasy writer — or really, it makes me a cyberpunk writer more than anything. As a programmer, I create my own reality anyway. And I like the headlong feeling of rush into the future — if my characters are confused about the specifics of what they see, why shouldn’t the reader be equally confused?

]]> By: Will Hindmarch http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-15154 Will Hindmarch Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:59:16 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/#comment-15154 As a writer, my confidence gets rattled even about things that are unverifiable — like whether or not my own characters' decisions make emotional sense. I worry too much about potential readers calling bullshit on any detail, even in obviously fantastical worlds. It's an absurdity which I suspect all writers have to outgrow, and which many only outgrow so much. But science is just one flavor of the spectrum, isn't it? Historical novels and militaria and every other sub-genre have their details that a reader can use to disbelieve. As a writer, my confidence gets rattled even about things that are unverifiable — like whether or not my own characters’ decisions make emotional sense. I worry too much about potential readers calling bullshit on any detail, even in obviously fantastical worlds. It’s an absurdity which I suspect all writers have to outgrow, and which many only outgrow so much. But science is just one flavor of the spectrum, isn’t it? Historical novels and militaria and every other sub-genre have their details that a reader can use to disbelieve.

]]> By: Tom Marcinko http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-15149 Tom Marcinko Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:10:43 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/06/16/how-much-science-knowledge-do-you-need-to-write-science-fiction/#comment-15149 I think this is a great question and one that can be pondered to infinity. Obviously it has a lot to do with a particular writer's process. <a HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Blish" rel="nofollow">James Blish</a> was quoted as saying that all the science he ever needed he found in a bottle of Scotch. Nobody has yet accused me of being a hard-science writer, but I do try to keep up with Science Times, Science News, blogs like Science Daily, and programming on the Science Channel. Part of the task, I think, of deciding what's plausible is to get a sense of what people know or think about a subject. Plausibility is about consensus, now that I think of it... I think this is a great question and one that can be pondered to infinity. Obviously it has a lot to do with a particular writer’s process.

James Blish was quoted as saying that all the science he ever needed he found in a bottle of Scotch.

Nobody has yet accused me of being a hard-science writer, but I do try to keep up with Science Times, Science News, blogs like Science Daily, and programming on the Science Channel. Part of the task, I think, of deciding what’s plausible is to get a sense of what people know or think about a subject. Plausibility is about consensus, now that I think of it…

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