: 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'

@Murray165

Vote Up Vote Down

"How important is the science in science fiction?"

It depends upon the audience...If you are writing a hard science fiction story where the protagonist is an engineer who uses her skills to keep her crew mates alive by re-purposing ship board machinery on their crashed ship...You will be explaining or showing why it worked.

However, in most cases do not give in to the temptation to over-explain the science. Most of us know what an internal combustion engine is. However, if you walked around the streets of a typical metropolis and asked passers by to describe the scientific principles, let along the math, that is use in the design and manufacture of that engine, over 95% of respondents could not accurately describe how the engine works. For most drivers, all they need to know is how to operate the thing...not how to design and build it.

Unless the science is critical to the story, most readers do not need to know the "nuts and bolts" of how the science works. Most characters who interact with the technology are users...not maintenance or designers. Show it working and maybe how the character uses it...don't jump out of the story and go into a ten paragraph physics lecture on the scientific principles behind its use.

A way to think about how much detail you will need is to think of driving a car. For most of us, we get inside, fasten the seat belt, insert keys into the ignition, turn it on, press the brake pedal, look around, shift the lever into drive, release the brake pedal, and press the accelerator, turning the wheel to control our directions.

99.9% percent of us, do not think about the interplay between the battery, starting motor, engine, transmission, steering, suspension, tires, and the host of other parts. Unless something is wrong, we are focused on getting where we need to go. Unless something goes wrong, we don't think about all parts and their roles. Likewise, most characters will focus on what's important to them at that moment.

Even mechanical engineers who design cars do not think about the interplay of parts on their drive into work. They are more focused on getting to work. They know about all the science and technology, but that is not what is important at the moment. Focus on what is important and your writing will be better than 95% of the stuff that many authors try to pass off as science fiction.

(0)

Login to post a comment!