A story idea I was working on ...

[Crom]

I am doing some groundwork for a story I want to write. I want it to be science fiction but with at least a nod in the direction of actual science. The premise of the story is that there is a group of aliens on a planet that are made entirely out of molecular nanotechnology.

My inspiration for this idea came from the Green/White Martians from the DC Universe.

Anyway, I was going to make them very human-like, for no reason other than I don't want to make them too alien. I was going to include things like radio wave transmitters built into them so they can communicate pseudo-telepathically, as well as some really cliche sci-fi devices like force field generators.

The fact that they are composed entirely out of nanotech machinery almost leads me to believe that they should possess some kind of shapeshifting abilities. At the very least cosmetic changes along with sex changing.

I'm not quite certain of a plot yet. I still haven't figured out how their society is structured or even what these people, I call them Zairushans, even eat.

Is the nanotechnology idea stretching it a little far? Could they subsist on organic materials?

[Peregrin Toker]

Is the nanotechnology idea stretching it a little far?

It's quite far-fetched... though I can't answer your other question.

[Crom]

It's quite far-fetched... though I can't answer your other question.

Hmm ... that's what I was thinking too. Thanks.