: Re: 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'

@Debbie451

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To add another twist to the "is it relevant?" answer, consider the tech in any contemporary fiction.

Does it include people driving anywhere? If so, do they describe the internal combustion engine, or even describe the car? If they've got a plane somewhere, how about theory of flight?

Historical fiction, you're more likely to have some description of non-contemporary items. Still, do they describe how to make a candle or a rushlight?

What matters is the purpose it serves. If its behaviour needs to be described for a plot point, then go for it. if there's a car chase scene then the car will always be described, because it matters whether the hero is driving a Lamborghini, or a Ford Focus. But still, what matters is how the car handles, not describing the engine inside it.

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