How to Write Realistic Science Fiction?

 

Today I bring you the presentation of a new series of entries for my blog. These are resources for science fiction writers who want to write realistic science fiction in their stories. So I've called it Science Fiction.

What is science fiction about?

As I am a regular Twitter user, I have ended up finding profiles that provide very juicy information for those of us who want to build imaginary worlds on sheets of paper (or e - books). Two of those profiles particularly caught my attention: Alister Mairon and his blog write with wit, who advises us on world building (the construction of worlds) in fantasy literature; and Isla Tintero con Tintes de Ciencia, which brings us closer to science as a tool for literary inspiration with Nexus Ghostwriting. And if you want to write realistic science fiction it is good that you know something about science.

Be careful, you don't have to go to hard science fiction. The operating space or military science fiction can also draw on these items. It is enough that when writing you have some basic notions about what you can say and what not. 

And don't worry about bugs, even Neal Stephenson has them. To facilitate a thematic location, the articles will be divided into four categories: astrophysics, infrastructure, astropolitics and transhumanism. Are you liking this realistic science fiction thing? You will like it more as you expand it. Oh, and I'm always open to collaborations on this section! So if you want to write an article you can contact me.

Realistic Science Fiction: Astrophysics

First we have the natural phenomena of the universe. Also some tips on how to handle them. A section for everything that has to do with real astronomy. It will be explained to the best of my ability based on what I have understood and I will accompany the information with any suggestions on how to include it in your science fiction novel.

 

• Lagrange points: how to stay "still" in space.
• Artificial and natural gravity: ways to combat free fall.
• The Great Silence: where are the aliens?
• Asteroids: mineral, habitat and weapon.
• Extraterrestrial signals: the Great Roar that clouds our sensors.
• Realistic Science Fiction: Infrastructure

As much as you want to pay attention to other elements, it cannot be denied that infrastructure is king in any science fiction novel. Keep in mind that it is the materialization of technology that makes the future possible. A review of technological wonders of the future, economic activities and interstellar ships. Engineers to power!

 

• Space Mining - The Vast Resources of the Universe in Search of an Owner.
• How to build a spaceship: a practical example on the necessary components.
• Space weapons: proximity cannons, lasers, shields and torpedoes.
• Space boarding: how absurd and suicidal it is to board a military ship.
• Applications of magnetism to science fiction : magnetic boots, Gaussian cannons ...
• Ultralight Engines: How to Get the Journey through Space.
• The space elevator: the alternative to shuttles.
• How to build a space colony: a guest post on Alejandro de Valentin’s blog .
• Realistic Science Fiction: Astropolitics

Systems of government, lobbyists, society, religion and diplomacy in a science fiction future. How vast and diverse is the Universe. And how many people have interests in it.

Science fiction corporations : economy free of government intervention.

 

• The universe of Becky Chambers: goodbye to anthropocentrism.
• The Pilgrim's Crew: Gender and Race Diversity on Becky Chambers' Ship.
• Agrimundos: providing food to your empire.
• Hive worlds: overcrowded industrial giants.
• Alien language: how to write it in the dialogues.
• How to create a galactic empire: a review of the very diverse forms of political organization.
• The forbidden and the immoral: laws and taboos in the universe of Becky Chambers.
• Interplanetary trading: unprofitable unless ...
• Realistic Science Fiction: Transhumanism

We finally have an idea that many of us want to touch on, but we have not finished specifying. Transhumanism scares science fiction writers. It is a kind of final monster that is very difficult to overcome. Luckily I have plucked up the courage to study it and give it an approach I can understand. What is transhumanism? The artificial evolution of the human being and its social, political and psychological consequences. A list of articles on some of the most difficult concepts to understand. Plus some suggestions for your novel. Usually for those who want to write about hard science fiction ( hard science fiction ). How much can you change while still being human?

 

• What is transhumanism: introduction to the concept?
• Genetic engineering : morphological freedom and bio conservatives.
• Job automation: will robots take away our jobs?
• The transhumanist movement : an article by Alejandro de Valentin

 

I want to help you not to say nonsense, as far as possible

 

Science with fiction in The Lord is my shepherd, by Carlos Pérez Casas

It is no accident that you have learned about these topics. During the writing process of The Lord is my Shepherd I found myself looking for information on the Internet too frequently related to scientific knowledge (chemical combustion engines, fusion engines, plasma weapons, atmospheric reentries, etc.). As a consequence, I have learned something. Without even considering it a harsh science fiction novel, I have tried to make it appear as a realistic future within the hypothetical. So I have accumulated certain knowledge that I would now like to share with everyone so that they can use it to their advantage: either pure curiosity or as a literary setting.

Now I must fire a warning flare. Although I was flirting with Physics and some metallurgy and electronics subjects, I cannot consider myself an expert on the subject, because I ended up studying History and then advanced towards teaching.

So I had to solve my deficiencies with the knowledge of others: Internet, fundamentally. The amount of information you can find on the net about real and hypothetical technologies is a lot (overwhelming), and although much of the available data may be wrong (my historian self makes me distrust the sources) we are in a literary / speculative field where it could be said that anything goes if you know how to put it into your plot. It's a novel.

What do I mean by all this? I'm going to be wrong. Writing realistic science fiction is a tricky business. Errors of astronomical proportions can be found in what you write; but I'm not going to stop for that. I'm just trying to offer some inspiration for a science fiction writer to work with. That is what I want.

One more thing. I have the curious habit of putting the proper names of the heavenly bodies without articles. In other words, I call the Earth Earth; to the Moon, Moon; and to the Sun, Sun. I notice it for those who are missing. Are you interested? If so, you can subscribe to my list of notices to carefully follow future publications.