: Re: How to avoid or mitigate heavy science lingo and "technobabble" in a science fiction story? Background I am currently working on a small science fiction story (as referenced in a previous question

@Hamm6328258

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"What is the best way to avoid or mitigate dense "technobabble" and scientific lingo in a science fiction setting..."

hszmv and Andrey both have great answers. I was also thinking that you could gloss over some of the stuff you consider to be babble and focus on the key features.

"...and make it easier on the reader in general?"

If you don't want to gloss over, and you want to show your protagonist doing their super-cool-smart-science-thing, then maybe you could use simpler terms for all of the gadget titles. I don't just mean "charged particles" instead of "ions". What about nicknames? You briefly introduce the technical device towards the beginning of the story (or whenever it becomes relevant), explain to the reader what it does, and coin a simple nickname that points to its function. Do that for a few of them, and the ones that matter will stand out and the reader will have a stronger connection to them. The others may not matter as much and could fade to the background.

"How should I explain a possibly unfamiliar science concept to a general reader in a way that's engaging to read?"

As for the engagement for the general reader, you could use metaphors or comparisons to show how things work. I'm no experienced writer or tech person, but I do know that metaphors can often click on figurative levels that stick with you better and that you can understand then the literal version.

Hope this is at least a bit helpful. Have fun with your sci-fi story.

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