this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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What makes a great sci-fi story? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world
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I'm curious what users feel makes a great sci-fi story. What elements do you feel "make or break" the story specifically where sci-fi is concerned? For me, I really enjoyed the Expanse series, as it feels like there's a sort of "believability" to it all. The authors make everything seem very realistic, even if some of the descriptions and physics are made up.

What is it about your favorite sci-fi books and shows that make them your favorites?

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[–] GCanuck@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For sci-fi specifically, the science should be at least probable. I understand that limits things (eg. FTL), but if you’re just tossing Teknobabble around all willy-nilly then I lose my immersion.

Disclaimer: I don’t mind Telnobabble per se, but it shouldn’t be a crutch.

[–] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Oh yes, I'm all for technobabble, but as you say, it shouldn't be a crutch, AND it needs to be explained in the book if they're gonna use it a lot.