: Re: Does the concept come before other "literary devices" in philosophical science fiction? I have read in a few books about writing science fiction that a compelling concept should override considerations

@Holmes449

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You ask if the concept should override the considerations of character etc. My question would be: why do you feel you need to choose one over the other? Why do you find yourself in a position where you feel that in order to explore a creative concept your characters must be, to take a few possible options, flat or inconsistent or boring?

And once you answer that question, I think you will open the door to a better story.

Do you have a character that does seemingly conflicting things? Then either split him into two characters, or consider what are the psychological underpinnings of this inconsistency (in your case, perhaps there are internal conflicts in the futuristic "concept" you are exploring).

Do you have a character that is simply the foil for the hero, making him overly simplistic? Ask yourself why someone would be that way, make them more than just a caricature. I think Ayn Rand tried to do this in, for example, "The Fountainhead" - and that was clearly a book that designed it's characters to serve the concept she was trying to promote.

And so on. You might even find that while trying to figure out how people function in this sci-fi setting in a deeper level, it will also bring you to deeper appreciation and exploration of the concept you want to focus on.

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