SF don'ts

[Sidewinder]

A very big "do not" in sci-fi is: Do not make it evident that you would be unable to pass a basic science class.

I think this rule will be easily followed if the authors decide NOT to do numbers. I've heard enough trash-talking about the numbers in the 'Star Trek' technical manuals to know it's NOT a sign of good sci-fi.

[General Zod]

I think this rule will be easily followed if the authors decide NOT to do numbers. I've heard enough trash-talking about the numbers in the 'Star Trek' technical manuals to know it's NOT a sign of good sci-fi.

It's entirely possible to not do numbers and still be completely ignorant of scientific concepts. See Star Trek's sheer cockups of evolution and "lol crack in the event horizon".

[Darth Smiley]

2nded!

Another nice sanity check would be to take real world analogs to your sci-fi characters and device and ask how they would do. If they break your expectations, then you better have a very good explanation as to why those modern device don't exist in a supposedly high-tech situation.

As an example, in KOTOR someone with an M16 would absolutely own 90% of the enemies, because unlike the blasters in KOTOR, it is capable of killing in one shot. It is also has several time the range of KOTOR blaster, and is much, much more accurate, (KOTOR blaster bolts are slow enough to be dodged, and often drift so far off course as to hit the ground less than a meter in front of the firer). To be fair this is a game and therefore 'gameplay' gets in the way of plausibility in many games, but this is something of an issue in writen sci-fi as well.

[Hawkwings]

"LOL, I one-shotted you with a blaster!"

"OMG HAX!"

"Actually, that's what would really happen. See Han Solo vs Greedo for evidence."

That's my major problem with those games. Gunfights are short if you're out in the open.

[Cykeisme]

Looking at the game mechanics in a goddamn role-playing computer game and bringing it into this thread is downright moronic. Seriously, what the hell?

M16s don't kill in one shot unless you shoot someone in the head, anyway. I played Counter-Strike, I know.

[Sarevok]

Cykeisme:

The idea does have merit. Spend enough time on KOTOR fan forums and you will see people who seriously think normal men with swords regularly beat futuristic soldiers with ray guns. RPG game mechanic and "in universe reality" has meld into one in minds of many. See the infamous force choke and force push reference even we use even though tk is just tk not DnD style spell casting.

[Plushie]

Not to mention that the main method of Greek city-state warfare - the phalanx - was so heavily dependant on having highly disciplined troops who wouldn't break in combat. Those are readily supplied by that kind of raised-to-fight-from-birth environment, but they got their "elite" asses handed to them by the much more flexible Romans who didn't limit themselves to phalanxes and used more ordinary soldiers.

The Romans were much more flexible because they had better tactics and organization. They were just as 'disciplined' (well not just as, but antique Rome was a very martial culture, just not to the extreme that Sparta was). I mean, shit, where the hell do you think the word 'decimate' came from? The Roman Legion, whenever it encamped (which meant at the end of march every day) would set up a basic fort with wooden palisade and defensive ditch.

Not to mention that the Romans never faced a traditional Greek phalanx with the regular Doru spear (something like 9 feet long, IIRC, held one handed), they faced and defeated the Macedonian phalanx with their sarissa 'spear' (much more like a pike, something close to but less than 20 feet, can't remember the exact figure). Technically the Macedonian phalanxes they defeated were being used improperly, too. The hammer and anvil tactic innovated by Phillip and perfected by Alexander was practically forgotten in Hellenistic warfare afterwards. The Romans were also very good strategists, too, in that they'd chose terrain to fight on which would force the phalanx to break rank, such as hilly or rocky areas.

I don't think the Romans ever beat a Macedonian phalanx used properly and they themselves were defeated by the phalanx several times.

[Aratech]

Cykeisme:

The idea does have merit. Spend enough time on KOTOR fan forums and you will see people who seriously think normal men with swords regularly beat futuristic soldiers with ray guns. RPG game mechanic and "in universe reality" has meld into one in minds of many. See the infamous force choke and force push reference even we use even though tk is just tk not DnD style spell casting.

To be entirely fair, it does state that this is highly abnormal, and only done because Mandolrian-walking-plot-device-armor is so hard to crack open with a blaster in combination with Miners in the middle of the bum end of nowhere being able to afford personal shielding for themselves. Even then, you'll notice that most of the dudes go for guns rather than vibroblades.

[Zixinus]

Can "nuke the entire planet to bits for laughs" thing also be added to the list? I mean it was fun when it was done with Star Wars, but the destruction of an entire planet is not exactly a very funny thing.

[Gullible Jones]

Kind of falls under the generic suggestion about massacres, I guess. Though that was pretty damn inclusive.

[Terralthra]

Just as an aside on the RPG thing, despite its other errors, the WEG Star Wars RPG made it very clear that getting shot with a blaster was a quick way to die. There was even an inset of the "bounty hunter" narrator to the rule book who said "Don't get shot, the odds are, if you die, you'll die."

[Gullible Jones]

Sorry for the necromancy, but how about this: be careful with dramatic irony. It is *annoying* when you have everything figured out and you're waiting for the idiot characters to catch up with you for chapter after chapter.

[Batman]

Sorry for the necromancy, but how about this: be careful with dramatic irony. It is *annoying* when you have everything figured out and you're waiting for the idiot characters to catch up with you for chapter after chapter.

I don't see how this is dramatic irony as opposed to the characters simply being a lot more stupid than the reader (if that, the reader tends to have quite a bit more information than the protagonists as a rule) and anyway that's hardly unique to Science Fiction.

[Gullible Jones]

Ack, blame my stupid HS English class. Apparently "dramatic irony" covers a lot more than I thought. Yeah, I'm referring to situations where either a) the characters are too stupid to put things together, or b) vital information is provided to the reader but withheld from the characters.

[Batman]

*scratches head* Wouldn't that mean dramatic irony covers a lot LESS than you thought?

[Gullible Jones]

No, dramatic irony includes the situations I described, but also includes other situations.

Also, I'm fucking tired.

[Zixinus]

As an example, in KOTOR someone with an M16 would absolutely own 90% of the enemies, because unlike the blasters in KOTOR, it is capable of killing in one shot. It is also has several time the range of KOTOR blaster, and is much, much more accurate, (KOTOR blaster bolts are slow enough to be dodged, and often drift so far off course as to hit the ground less than a meter in front of the firer). To be fair this is a game and therefore 'gameplay' gets in the way of plausibility in many games, but this is something of an issue in writen sci-fi as well.

The fact that its a video game gives very valid reasons to dismiss that argument. Remember, in video games, balance and fun come first. A game where you get shot every five seconds would be very realistic, but everyone would hate it. Trust me, it has been tried.

Sorry for the necromancy, but how about this: be careful with dramatic irony. It is *annoying* when you have everything figured out and you're waiting for the idiot characters to catch up with you for chapter after chapter.

While that is indeed a good suggestion, it is not relevant to sci-fi.

Here is another suggestion:

For the love that all is holy, for that can be loved and worshiped for just cause, do not, repeat DO NOT, take technical explenations from crackpot sites for your technobabble.

For example, rotating gyroscopic movement does not have an anti-gravity effect. In fact, rotating gyroscopic movement only has whatever effect is expectable from rotating gyroscopic movement. It has been tried.

Same goes for psi, cold fusion or whatever. Even if we assume there is such a thing, then why are they not here?

If you still want to use psi, cold fusion (which does actually exist btw, look up "muon-catalysed" fusion) then there must be a reason why it has not been found on Earth.

Anyway, if someone was able to make an anti-gravity device from a couple of springs, tumblers and such, then it would be already done by some random crazed inventor in a garage.

There is no point, or even the possibility, to suppress it by the government, because they will utilise it if it is practical, regardless of price. Which may lead me to another sci-fi don't.

The idea that governments or similar organizations will suppress and lock away any alien technology is idiotic. Any usable technology would be utilised if it is practical, unless the most idiotic bureaucrats were chosen in charge. The United States President has about as much good reason and excuse to suppress say, anti-gravity then the bum on the street does.

[Zixinus]

Another one:

Since it has been clearly discussed, I would like to point this one out:

DO NOT MEDDLE WITH SUNS. Suns cannot be refuelled or their life-span increased. Our sun, Sol, under no circumstances can go nova.

Only massive, 8+ solar mass suns can go nova. And those suns do not live long, so no one sane would put a colony in those systems anyway, or at least not without a very, very good reason and even then, don't plan on staying there for long.

Suns cannot be refuelled, replenished or "saved" from dying in any way. And even if you do, the sun's physical size will change, causing it to change the orbits of he planets, even shift the Goldilocks zone , dooming Earth.

[Cykeisme]

Another one:

Since it has been clearly discussed, I would like to point this one out:

DO NOT MEDDLE WITH SUNS. Suns cannot be refuelled or their life-span increased. Our sun, Sol, under no circumstances can go nova.

Only massive, 8+ solar mass suns can go nova. And those suns do not live long, so no one sane would put a colony in those systems anyway, or at least not without a very, very good reason and even then, don't plan on staying there for long.

Suns cannot be refuelled, replenished or "saved" from dying in any way.

But.. but.. but.. I has SCIENCE!

And even if you do, the sun's physical size will change, causing it to change the orbits of he planets, even shift the Goldilocks zone , dooming Earth.

Ohhhh, man! No!

[Johonebesus]

Another one:

Since it has been clearly discussed, I would like to point this one out:

DO NOT MEDDLE WITH SUNS. Suns cannot be refuelled or their life-span increased. Our sun, Sol, under no circumstances can go nova.

Only massive, 8+ solar mass suns can go nova. And those suns do not live long, so no one sane would put a colony in those systems anyway, or at least not without a very, very good reason and even then, don't plan on staying there for long.

Suns cannot be refuelled, replenished or "saved" from dying in any way. And even if you do, the sun's physical size will change, causing it to change the orbits of he planets, even shift the Goldilocks zone , dooming Earth.

Oh come on, if we can imagine time travel and FTL, then why can't we imagine a means of rejuvenating stars. Maybe one could make machines that draw power from alternate realities/subspace/whatever, and split heavier elements back into hydrogen. Such machines would be sent into the star to float around and keep it from ballooning out and roasting the planets. Granted, with that kind of technology, it might be just as easy to make a mini-Dyson sphere enclosing a planet and simulating a natural environment, but then again that might require more materials than a few hundred stellar-rejuvenating machines. Dumping hydrogen into the star or mining out heavier elements would be stupid, but with all the ridiculous technologies common to our favorite science fiction franchises, I see no reason to insist that there's no way to keep a star from aging at all.

[Darth Ruinus]

Another one:

Since it has been clearly discussed, I would like to point this one out:

DO NOT MEDDLE WITH SUNS. Suns cannot be refuelled or their life-span increased. Our sun, Sol, under no circumstances can go nova.

Only massive, 8+ solar mass suns can go nova. And those suns do not live long, so no one sane would put a colony in those systems anyway, or at least not without a very, very good reason and even then, don't plan on staying there for long.

Suns cannot be refuelled, replenished or "saved" from dying in any way. And even if you do, the sun's physical size will change, causing it to change the orbits of he planets, even shift the Goldilocks zone , dooming Earth.

Oh come on, if we can imagine time travel and FTL, then why can't we imagine a means of rejuvenating stars. Maybe one could make machines that draw power from alternate realities/subspace/whatever, and split heavier elements back into hydrogen. Such machines would be sent into the star to float around and keep it from ballooning out and roasting the planets. Granted, with that kind of technology, it might be just as easy to make a mini-Dyson sphere enclosing a planet and simulating a natural environment, but then again that might require more materials than a few hundred stellar-rejuvenating machines. Dumping hydrogen into the star or mining out heavier elements would be stupid, but with all the ridiculous technologies common to our favorite science fiction franchises, I see no reason to insist that there's no way to keep a star from aging at all.

I think he is saying that this shouldnt be done in sci-fi because it is not scientifcally sound, but if thats the case, we might as well throw out FTL, plasma weaponry, shields, super-clones, super powered armor, hell, we might as well toss out lots of stuff that makes sci-fi cool

[Johonebesus]

I think he is saying that this shouldnt be done in sci-fi because it is not scientifcally sound, but if thats the case, we might as well throw out FTL, plasma weaponry, shields, super-clones, super powered armor, hell, we might as well toss out lots of stuff that makes sci-fi cool

That is exactly my point.

[Zixinus]

Oh come on, if we can imagine time travel and FTL, then why can't we imagine a means of rejuvenating stars.

The reason why not, isn't plausibility (well, that too, but there is more to that) but practicality. There is simply no point. If you can rejuvenate a star, then you can move the planet you want to save in the first place.


It's like trying to put back the safety pin of a thrown hand granade instead of taking cover.

Also, no sane civilization stays anywhere near a planet that is about to go supernova. No story involving suns have ever as of yet even thought of the possibility that the lifespan of a star can be calculated, especially when in-system.

Many authors I see don't bother to read introduction books written for CHILDREN to note these little things or have absolutely no sense of scale.

Furthermore, I have yet to even HEAR about a sci-fi where the sun DOESN'T die in a supernova.

[Molyneux]

Oh come on, if we can imagine time travel and FTL, then why can't we imagine a means of rejuvenating stars.

The reason why not, isn't plausibility (well, that too, but there is more to that) but practicality. There is simply no point. If you can rejuvenate a star, then you can move the planet you want to save in the first place.


It's like trying to put back the safety pin of a thrown hand granade instead of taking cover.

Also, no sane civilization stays anywhere near a planet that is about to go supernova. No story involving suns have ever as of yet even thought of the possibility that the lifespan of a star can be calculated, especially when in-system.

Many authors I see don't bother to read introduction books written for CHILDREN to note these little things or have absolutely no sense of scale.

Furthermore, I have yet to even HEAR about a sci-fi where the sun DOESN'T die in a supernova.

*cough* The second episode of the Ninth Doctor not only has the Sun being artificially rejuvenated and constrained, it has the Earth being destroyed as the Sun undergoes its natural expansion to a red giant. And it did it very well, I think.

[Darth Smiley]

One other thing science fiction authors often miss - scale. Even when not screwing the physics numbers, they can't get their brains around the sheer size of the things they've created.

Example: 3 Million Clones to Defend the Republic (Star Wars)

Correct Example: Practically Everything in 40K.