Comments on: Science Fiction—More than Just Gizmos

By: joannereedauthor

joannereedauthor — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:30:02 +0000

“Does it spark joy?”

Not just for writing, that’s something I apply in everyday life. Can be people, gadgets, cups, etc. I always prefer to use something that gives me a little kick.

By: Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 08-01-2019 | The Author Chronicles

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:03:12 +0000

[…] Now Novel has 5 lessons from great writers on how to start a short story, Maria Grace explains that science fiction is more than gizmos, and Michael Gallant shares 10 tips for creating your first children’s picture […]

By: Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 07-25-2019 | The Author Chronicles

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 21:10:31 +0000

[…] a particular genre? Gordon Long asserts genre writing is like playing jazz, Grace Scheufler avers science fiction is more than just gizmos, and Assaph Mehr considers world-building historical fantasy (or, of unicorns and […]

By: Writer Wednesday | Barbara G.Tarn - writer

Writer Wednesday | Barbara G.Tarn - writer — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 07:00:57 +0000

[…] if you plan on writing sci-fi, check this article. I did read that book of putting science into fiction, and it’s good! Also, the article is […]

By: rachel Thompson

rachel Thompson — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 17:14:58 +0000

SF is about the expression of story like all fiction but the tech itself can be a necessary part of characterization and so more than background yet less than the main story problem. Tech is tone,tech influences how character think and act, what they can or cannot do.Tech also puts characters into positions that would not otherwise happen. It’s a licence to ask weird what if questions and illiterate out of the box points. For my story, the Jesus Probe, I asked what would happen if alien union planet molders implanted a probe into Jesus to prevent a religion but the AI went off script and started one? This story is management Vs labor, who is at fault and why, but there is more to it than that. For me, SF is about ideas and one is blending mundane human condition stuff into the fantastic with unexpected outcomes and all to give the reader something to think about while enjoying a story we related to. After Kurt Vonnegut is where I go. Was Vonnegut’s work SF: He said no. He was more and less than SF. He wasn’t either tech is the problem or tech is the background. Vonnegut proves there is a middle where story rises above the either-or of what tech represents while still integral.

By: doovinator

doovinator — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 03:10:39 +0000

I used to read a book a day, more or less, and mostly science fiction. I had about 500 paperbacks piled up on top pf my wardrobe when I was 14 or 15.

By: user613

user613 — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 18:16:17 +0000

Great article. I’m working on my first novel, sci-fi, and struggling adding how much tech-y gizmos, and this really helped me put it into perspective.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 15:51:09 +0000

In reply to Carl D'Agostino. My favorite science fiction always involves the really tough ethical and moral concepts. iRobot STILL makes me cry every time. Gattica and Blade Runner are simply chilling.

By: Carl D'Agostino

Carl D'Agostino — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 11:07:45 +0000

Read some scifi that is called tech/mechanics genre or something like that and 80% about operation of the machinery and rockets and weapons intricately described . Another type I’ll call battle scene genre which is mostly warrior descriptions, combat and battles. I stay away from these because they are 80% machines or fighting with little text as a novel. I suppose there is a market for each and some authors very successful but as your title suggests the story line and character interaction is what I want to read. The gizmos don’t hold my attention and once I realize what I’m reading I toss the book after a few dozen pages.

By: Edmund de Wight

Edmund de Wight — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 21:39:44 +0000

I loved the article. It’s a problem so many authors forget – it’s the story which matters.

I’ll admit my dark secret – I used to read what they called “men’s fiction”. You know, things like The Executioner, The Destroyer – books full of guns and testosterone. It used to make me nuts that they would spend pages of loving detail describing the bullets and barrel characteristics of weapons but the characters were cardboard cutouts and you could predict that the next book would be one of three storylines because it was so generic.

I’m in the middle of writing my second science fiction novel and I know I need to focus on the people and the problems. Whenever I find myself going down the ‘oooh shiny’ path I have to stop and ask myself “Is this cool thing I’m describing really necessary? Does it advance the plot or the immersion in the world?”
The log line example was perfect to get across the point that it’s the story, not the gizmos. (Even if we loooove our gizmos).

Well written Maria Grace. Kristen, great blog as always.