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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[–] koreth@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

For me it’s kind of both. If a book has flat, boring characters, I can still enjoy it if it has interesting fake science and/or worldbuilding. And a book with iffy worldbuilding can still be a gripping read if the characters are done well. The best books have both. But they do need to have one or the other.