
If All Stories Were Written Like Science Fiction Stories (2004) - reedwolf
http://web.archive.org/web/20040929041451/http://www.shrovetuesdayobserved.com/flight.html
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philipkglass
Taken to extremes in actual science fiction, this tendency yields "wiring
diagram fiction [1]." It was more prevalent in older SF. A few contemporary
authors produce it often enough that I prefer reading the Wikipedia entries
for their novels over the actual books.

I prefer the "immersion" approach where neither characters nor narrator bother
to remark on what is considered ordinary from the perspective of their
fictional setting. Science fiction also ages more gracefully when the author
doesn't base some key element on a now-discredited New Scientist article that
he read while the story was being written in 1980. Just describe the effects
without being overly specific about the mechanism, and adventure-oriented
readers miss nothing while technically-minded ones can fill in the blanks from
their own imaginations.

[1] From the delightful Turkey City Lexicon:
[https://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-
fo...](https://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-
workshops/)

~~~
aidenn0
The author(s) of that piece really don't like space westerns...

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lidHanteyk
Westerns, as a family of genres, are the first fully-simulated genre. They
depict a never-was fantasy-land reinvention of human society, glorifying
exaggerated violent and sexual behaviors that serve both to elevate and
rewrite a period of history that did not exist as depicted, and legitimizing
those behaviors' analogues in our own modern world.

Space Westerns are, well, Westerns in space. They typically espouse some sort
of manifest destiny and spirit of exploration, justifying victories based on
being the good guys.

~~~
aidenn0
Can you explain what you mean by "fully-simulated genre?"

~~~
lidHanteyk
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation)

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exclipy
This is just as true for new SF as for the old, and I love it. eg. Andy Weir:

[https://io9.gizmodo.com/read-an-excerpt-from-andy-weirs-
spac...](https://io9.gizmodo.com/read-an-excerpt-from-andy-weirs-space-
thriller-the-ma-1495315872)

> Hermes is powered by ion engines. They throw argon out the back of the ship
> really fast to get a tiny amount of acceleration. The thing is, it doesn't
> take much reactant mass, so a little argon (and a nuclear reactor to power
> things) let us accelerate constantly the whole way there. You'd be amazed at
> how fast you can get going with a tiny acceleration over a long time.

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205guy
A thought I had recently is that science fiction and fantasy should really be
called society fiction. If we had robots/dragons, how would people behave
differently, and how would that restructure society.

Traditional western literature explored all the ways that people could behave
within their current society, and it wasn't until the industrial
revolution/world wars/space race/information revolutions that people started
seeing and imagining how societies could be changed.

~~~
philipkglass
Some authors do really think about how technological developments could change
societies, and I love them for that.

I adore the Culture novels of Iain M. Banks, for example, while I only feel a
moderately warm regard for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Both settings have roughly the same imaginary technologies: nigh-limitless
energy, replicators, faster-than-light communications and transportation,
teleportation, strong AI. They both started in 1987. But ST: TNG imagined a
future society that was still easily recognizable in terms of social relations
and behaviors. In the Culture, AIs make most of the big decisions while most
people are (effectively) beloved pets of the AIs; people are also immortal,
gleefully unemployed, regular users of recreational drugs, and biologically
enhanced for pleasure as well as health and intelligence.

I really hope that Amazon doesn't file off the interesting parts of the
Culture setting in their upcoming adaptation of Consider Phlebas. Dennis Kelly
at least seems to appreciate the source material:

[https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/consider-phlebas-iain-m-
ban...](https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/consider-phlebas-iain-m-banks-amazon-
novel-dennis-kelly-1202706327/)

~~~
ncmncm
I have never managed a warm regard for TNG.

Installing a Ship's Channeler killed it for me. A long time after, I learned
about "teching the tech", and all was explained. Contempt for the audience is
hard to hide.

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klodolph
I took a creative writing class in college. At the end of the class, we each
read a section of a story we had written to the rest of the class.

I had a typed up copy of my story in my hands, eagerly awaiting my turn, but
the moment I opened my mouth I realized that I had written a garbage piece of
SF that was mostly S and not enough F. Devastated, I left the classroom after
reading it, and didn’t return.

~~~
goto11
Sorry to hear that! Taste improve faster than ability, so when learning a
creative subject there will be a stretch where it feels like your stuff is
getting worse rather than better.

~~~
klodolph
For me the best lesson was to have an audience if you want to improve.
Something that’s not obvious when you’re writing becomes obvious when you
share it with others.

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ricc
I actually enjoyed it. After realizing where it was going, I imagined myself
as someone from the 18th century or earlier reading about something I haven’t
experienced before.

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upofadown
Dull SF written in the 40s I suppose. Even super hard SF will only go on about
the one crucial scientific plot point. Boring is boring in any genre.

This particular SF story could of been jazzed up with more exposition about
Ann's body.

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sien
This is very true. Also, it's pretty cool.

Most people forget what a difference technology makes and someone should
appreciate it.

Or to put it another way "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy"

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUBtKNzoKZ4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUBtKNzoKZ4)

~~~
growt
I don't think it's true for modern science fiction and also for the good
classics.

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8bitsrule
I once submitted a short story to some SF mag (forget). Editor sent it back
with a very short note roughly: 'Not too bad. But the character isn't changed
by his experience in any way."

Well derp. The -tech- changed. Guess he wanted litrachuh.

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infradig
It made me realise the SF I do read and like is people-centric and simply does
not bother with technical detail. It's just taken for granted.

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Pinthewind
That is not how Science Fiction is written. At least according to the Star
Trek Writers/Directors Guide
[https://www.bu.edu/clarion/guides/Star_Trek_Writers_Guide.pd...](https://www.bu.edu/clarion/guides/Star_Trek_Writers_Guide.pdf)

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Rerarom
I miss stories written in that style.

~~~
klodolph
There are plenty being written every year. They still show up on “best SF
books” lists, too.

