Questions tagged [science-fiction]
Stories about space, technology, the future, and other things that could be real but aren't.
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English words in a non-english sci-fi novel
In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC", "...
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3answers
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Is Social Media Science Fiction?
I am writing a science fiction story (actually a screenplay for a film, but I imagine that for the purposes of this question the same rules apply) and I have been told that it isn't really science ...
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7answers
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How do I create uniquely male characters?
In How to write strong female characters, Standback says that the best way to write a strong female character is to make her uniquely female, the type of character that can not possibly be male and ...
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2answers
104 views
Future battlegrounds
What makes a battle scene tense and visceral is the immediate danger and the fast-paced action and reaction. For that, the human soldier needs to be on the battlefield, in the action.
Here's the ...
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2answers
79 views
Characterizing a sentient robot: inhuman PoV
Following the previous question:
Characterizing a sentient robot: sensory data
I'm writing a robot character with a particular PoV. In the previous question I wanted to talk about sensory data; here ...
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4answers
94 views
Characterizing a sentient robot: sensory data
I have a sentient robot in my novel.
Truth to be told, I have many. Sentience is somewhat cheap to achieve, meaning that there are multiple artificial beings that can be considered sentient by our ...
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3answers
329 views
Using substitution ciphers to generate new alphabets in a novel
A substitution cipher is a method used in cryptography to encrypt the meaning of a text. In the most common form, a substitution cipher changes every letter in the target text with another, making it ...
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2answers
95 views
Handling Earth-based religions on a foreign planet
For some context to my question:
The story I'm currently writing takes place on another planet. It is never mentioned whether Earth exists (or had existed), but the characters are all human, have ...
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4answers
107 views
Is it a bad idea to use footnotes to describe new technologies in a science-fiction novel?
I am wondering if we can use footnotes to describe technologies used in a science-fiction novel instead of describing it by switching from an omniscient POV, that describes everything in a poetic way, ...
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2answers
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What are some ways to make absurdity of certain ideas in fiction more palatable?
I am writing a science-fiction short story where there are a lot of pseudoscientific ideas being dealt constantly. I was wondering how to reduce the absurdity of some of those ideas using literary ...
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3answers
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Is time travel science fiction or fantasy?
The line between science fiction and fantasy is often blurred. And that's okay. Genre is often more about marketing than anything else. As a general rule though: SciFi has science and technology ...
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3answers
72 views
Research on an alternate history novel
I love alternate history scenarios; however, I just want to start writing. Should I do research or just start writing and go with it with some research along the way?
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12answers
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Problems Blending Sci-fi & Traditional Fantasy?
I have been cautioned against blending:
Traditional fantasy elements
Such as magic systems and exotic, less plausible creatures (on a scientific level - magic tends to explain away these beasts)
...
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3answers
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Finding resources for sci-fi writers on Quantum Mechanics
I don't have the financial resources to hire a scientific consultant to ask him whether my science-fiction plot is realistic, so I was wondering if there were any resource that teach Quantum Mechanic ...
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9answers
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Is it time to start closing up my novel?
I realize this may be a duplicate question. I've seen, for reference [
How long can a first novel be? ] yet I think my situation is a little more specific.
I find myself in a similar situation. My ...
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5answers
851 views
In the background of the Future
As I've mentioned multiple times, I'm writing a military sci-fi novel. The focus of the story is war, and that happens far away from Earth. However, I'm starting with my MC's "normal", on Earth. It is ...
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12answers
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How to explain the main plot with science based concepts, without the non-sci-fi fans getting bored?
Let me explain: I'm writing a game where the Earth gets a massive biological attack from an alien race in the close future, and only a small part of the planet's life survived (few dozens of humans ...
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1answer
142 views
How do I write a Star Trek themed fiction making the story believable?
I love reading, but I am unable to retain specifics. And Star Trek has quite a few - like the difference between the 'bridge' and the 'deck'.
So, when I try my hand at writing, I tend to skirt ...
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3answers
383 views
Dystopia that isn't cliche
Dystopian fiction is a big thing right now, and YA books like The Hunger Games and Divergent are pretty individual and subsequently are bestsellers. But a lot of stuff is also really cheesy and trite,...
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0answers
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Where can I post my rough drafts for peer evaluations? [duplicate]
I apologize if I am not in the right community but I figured this would be the best place to ask.
I am looking for a place or a group where I can have my story read by others, so they can offer me ...
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3answers
119 views
Writing Structure - Building an Anthology Outline
Hi more experienced writers than I,
I have been struggling to figure out how to outline a story (script) I am writing to put all my ideas together. I would like to make an Anthology where it starts ...
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0answers
48 views
Halting virtual reality advancement [closed]
Imagine a world where a shadow organisation can insert, modify or delete the thoughts and actions of individuals to maintain the status quo in society. Due to one faction of the organisation becoming ...
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2answers
62 views
How to describe movement in zero-G?
Within the setting of my personal project (a hard science fiction) I need to be able to describe movement in zero-G extensively.
Because I wish to write a whole narrative involving very little ...
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2answers
86 views
Characters' motivation and feelings on defending against an alien invasion [closed]
I got really good answers to my last question, so I decided to post a new one:)
In my novel, a few humans suddenly find themselves tasked with defending humanity against an imminent alien invasion. ...
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3answers
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What are key features and pacing in a satisfying ending to a science fiction novel?
My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist driving ...
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12answers
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When writing science fiction, how important is it to provide scientific details for the (fictitious) things you are presenting in the story?
I know there is a difference between 'hard' and 'soft' science fiction. But even then, it can be hard to know what sort of categorization in which to place and treat your story, and it is not really ...
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5answers
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How can I make a compelling character unlikable?
I know what goes in to making an unlikable character compelling and engaging but I'm not sure I know how to make them unlikable in the first place. In particular how does one show that a main ...
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4answers
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How alien can my aliens be if I want them to demonstrate how alien a human character is?
Using non-humans to show human failings is a mainstay of Science Fiction but is there a limit to how alien a viewpoint can be and still be used to show that a human character is devoid of an aspect, ...
2
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1answer
50 views
Seeking Comp (Comparison) Titles for my Work-In-Progress [closed]
Seeking comp titles for my WIP. Can you recommend books that meet one or more of these criteria?
Soft sci-fi
Space setting with fantasy feel
Speculative fiction about species that has advanced ...
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8answers
7k views
Is it considered lazy writing to have a dry prelude at the start of a book?
I'm thinking of the crawl sequences at the beginning of Star Wars, that just give you the background information straight up, and then start the excitement.
I've just been wondering if putting a ...
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18answers
6k views
The role of the supernatural in hard science fiction
The response to this question makes it clear to me that I haven't quite asked the question I had intended, the answers are useful but not quite what I'm looking for.
So different but related ...
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13answers
4k views
The role of inexplicable events in hard science fiction
The modern world has few true mysteries, among them the fate of the Roanoke colonists and the crew of the Mary Celeste but do such happenings have a place in futuristic settings?
In settings with ...
9
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1answer
157 views
Writing a short story set in a place I’ve never been
I’m writing a science fiction type short story set in Germany (actually Stuttgart). To some extent the location isn’t that important- it could be set anywhere but setting it there appeals to me and ...
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3answers
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Researching Future Technology for a Science Fiction Novel
Because I enjoy reading Science Fiction, I'm thinking of writing a Sci-Fi novel myself. I'm interested in 'hard' (related to the engineering sciences) science fiction with a military bent (think The ...
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8answers
269 views
Why do most literature magazines take so long (several weeks or months) to respond to submissions despite having only a few hundred subs per month?
I have heard that the the editor of F&SF (Finlay) is the only one who reads all the submissions. Yet he always responds within a week! (With detailed comments on each story.) Clarkesworld is ...
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8answers
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How do I know which elements I can use from the work which orginally inspired me?
I recently read the Blood on the Stars series by Jay Allan and really enjoyed the idea of a post-Golden Age human civilization that has splintered into factions and is now at war with itself.
I ...
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9answers
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Does everything have to be accurate?
Do I have to make everything apply to logic, physics, science, etc?
The Harry Potter series has been a major hit, and it is nowhere near to being scientifically possible. But I've noticed that I can'...
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7answers
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Fantasy novel with obvious - but never defined - sci-fi elements?
I'm considering writing a fantasy novel. While I'm striving to make the world as original as I can, and not rely on many of the popular fantasy tropes, for the purposes of this question you can assume ...
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0answers
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Am I too young to publish a book? [duplicate]
I am writing a novel called "Abducted by Aliens", but I'm only 9 years old. Am I too young to publish a book?
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5answers
183 views
Creating a logical framework for the concept of “decisional causality”
I'm working on a science fiction universe in which time travel exists, in a very limited form, but it's useless, at least it's the intention that it be useless. To that end time travel, on the rare ...
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4answers
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Writing a Novel Set In The Future
So, I have this idea of writing a novel set in the future. Not the far future but a few decades away from today. Could you please give me an advice for that. The reason that I am asking this is that I ...
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4answers
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Do I have to capitalize ESP in sci fi fiction sentences?
Some of my fiction sci fi characters are ESP sensitive and the term is used a lot. Capitalized ESP stands out in my sentences like yelling so I am using esp,lower case. Is that acceptable? Will a ...
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5answers
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How to add depth to writing - turn a story into a book [duplicate]
I've had a few 'great ideas' for books. I'm a big sci-fi fan, especially Michael Crichton. I'm not sure if that's relevant but there it is.
I want to write a full length book, not a short story, a ...
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9answers
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Referencing modern pop culture in science fiction
A geek today is quite likely to reference the pop culture of 30 years ago: "Do or do not, there is no try", "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Ground control to Major Tom" are easily and commonly recognisable. ...
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1answer
102 views
How to balance between dialogue & character building and action scenes?
I'm writing a novel which takes place in a carefully built (science-)fictional world. The protagonist is also a fictional creature.
Obviously, the reader does not know about the world or the creature'...
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19answers
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Writing a Super Intelligent AI
Something I have been thinking about recently is how to write a character who is an artificial intelligence and not have him feel human. Specifically an AI who is designed to think faster and better ...
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5answers
8k views
Can I use the name Valerian in my sci-fi novel?
I have an Ancient Roman theme with the names of my characters, however someone pointed out to me Valerian is already a scifi character's name. Are the french comics (which spell it with an accent over ...
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2answers
194 views
Third person into first person as the protagonist becomes the same entity as the narrator
I'm attempting to write a sci-fi novel in a dystopian future baring semblance to that within 1984. I'm using third person to describe what the protagonist sees, what he feels and what he thinks, ...
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5answers
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How to write a 'fish out of water' character?
Inserting a Fish out of water character could be good way to introduce the reader to the world and also great for comic relief, but there were cases in books I've read when the character's naivete or ...
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4answers
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Presenting unrelated or vaguely-related stories in a setting in backwards chronological order by epoch?
I'm thinking of a science-fiction or science-fantasy setting wherein modern humanity colonizes a new homeworld in a classical star system, bombs themselves back to a Neolithic technology level, and ...
