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Putting science back into science fiction
01/09/2007 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
It might not have escaped your notice that there has been an interesting proportion of science books in the review column in recent months. You might even have read the reviews, let alone pick up the books themselves. Apart from the nature of some personal research which you should see the results of shortly, it is also a reminder of the connection to two key words in our website name: Science and Fiction. We see the two words together so much that we tend to forget that much of our fiction has a solid core of science attached to it. Hello everyone
It might not have escaped your notice that there has been an interesting proportion of science books in the review column in recent months. You might even have read the reviews, let alone pick up the books themselves. Apart from the nature of some personal research which you should see the results of shortly, it is also a reminder of the connection to two key words in our website name: Science and Fiction. We see the two words together so much that we tend to forget that much of our fiction has a solid core of science attached to it.
This doesn't mean that 'pure' Science Fiction can only be written by trained scientists, even if it did appear that way a couple years ago, but it does mean writers in our genre need more than a passing interest in the subject before playing with it. If this applies to writers then can readers be that far behind? How much Science Fiction have you read and known to be intricately wrong in things that you know needed to be right? If so, you have sufficient knowledge that you can't be faked out. Science is there to challenge us after all and we live in a world of its benefits. It also helps if you can keep up to date.
The real problem is much of our basic knowledge tends to come from schoolbooks and unless you're an avid reader of such as 'New Scientist' or 'Scientific American', much of your serious reading ends when you leave the classroom and school behind. Even if you want to do more, looking at the shelves in a library or bookshop shows there's a lot of books on the subject and do you really need to know what is going on let alone which books to choose, let alone what is current.
Schools, even when I was there, taught the subjects but little to do with how to research other than what you picked up by your own volition. Then again, I was always a good researcher and still get instinctively drawn to what I need to know or find out. Instinctively, one never stops learning or finding out things. As readers with probably little time on your hands, how often do you get the chance to revise your scientific knowledge these days?
Science through technology fills up most of our lives whether we want it to or not. The very fact that you're sitting in front of a computer screen reading here today is a testament that you use and maybe take technology for granted. Can you remember what it was like not to have a computer or even a mobile phone and yet both have taken over everyday use in less than a twenty year period. It shows how much we've grown and adapted and taken them for granted.
Yet so much of it is moving away from the layman. You might know what a silicon chip is but you'd need more than a degree to make one. I remember a comment made by Carl Sagan, stating, 'We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.'
If ever a world-wide catastrophe happened, which looking at our current weather situation isn't that remote anymore, we would be quickly moved back to the Stone Age by our own lack of understanding of what we use in life. In other words, we are in the hands of the magicians who create the magical devices we use. If they vanished, how long do you think we'd survive? The only thing is these are not magical devices not their inventors magicians, just scientists and technology developed for our benefit.
We are in a world where we take so much for granted and forget that so much comes from our knowledge of science. Indeed, much of our Science Fiction depends on things working normally that it's taken for granted or reduced to technobabble being deemed less important. Stories where technological catastrophe happens are a lot rarer these days for similar reasons. It's been shown and authors want to move on to something different. The problem is we forget just how much we would lose should it happen. The recent July flashfloods in the UK showed how quickly things can slip away without simple things like fresh water supplies and how barbarism, only seen briefly with vandalism made to temporary water supplies, could rear its head should such situations persist for weeks on end. How simple things such as water hygiene is forgotten mostly because many people either don't know or have taken for granted until now.
In that respect, it's up to us all individually to keep some basic knowledge of the sciences with us. Having the right books to hand can also be useful. The Internet might give information on tap but would be useless unless you can connect into it. We need to keep our knowledge of science alive. With an interest in Science Fiction, we need to remind ourselves that there is more than fiction but real science, too. We need to show we can be sophisticated enough to know some good old-fashioned science and basic technology as well. The real problem comes from knowing what books to look at and indeed to distinguish between than and pseudo-science as well. Oddly enough, this isn't even rocket science. Its just everyday science that we take for granted that we need to keep up-to-date with.
If you can grasp the principles and even know how to apply them in the most basic ways, then you're going to be ahead of the man in the street who doesn't, even if you're not a scientist. Ignorance is not bliss when knowledge means survival. It is the person who can differentiate between the real and the fears and confidently reassure with the right advice when disaster strikes that will be listened to.
That means to do that, then knowing something about science has to be an asset. To proclaim your knowledge is assured because you know something about science because you read Science Fiction is akin to those people who watch medical soap-operas and remember how to apply the Heimlich Manoeuvre to save someone's life from choking. A lot of basic science doesn't need much theory just good common-sense. Having the right books around can back up your statements. Knowledge is power. Applied knowledge will make you good in a crisis and when that includes your safety and that of others, it can only be for the good.
Thank you, take care, good night, be safe and remember: Science is not a dirty word
Geoff Willmetts
editor: SFCrowsnest.co.uk
PS. My thanks to Mike Driscoll for pointing out I was quoting Carl Sagan .
A real Zen thought:Science describes the processes that make the universe tick.
Another real Zen thought but this time for potential writers: If you can express an opinion independently of others and aren't likely to bend to the masses then you might show potential as a writer.
BOOK REVIEWS
Do you like curling up and reading a book? Do you have a preference for fantasy, SF or horror? Do you find it the greatest pastime you have next to being on your computer? Are you very vocal about what you like and don't like in what you read? Would you like to share your thoughts with others about books? Would you like an endless supply of books to do this with? Do you live in the UK?
If you've been nodding your head up to this point then link in below and see if you have what it takes to be a reviewer at SFCrowsnest. If you have that special knack to read and write or want to develop said skill then the only way you're going to find out is to take the plunge yourself rather than wait for others to do it first. It's got to be better than waiting for the sun to come out.
If you've survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter and the above editorial. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything and give it a roadtest before giving a review. You want the bottom line about what you're going to choose to read. We roadtest books so you have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for. That means we need people actually willing to read the book and tell others they're opinion in reviews. For that, we're always on the outlook for more reviewers. Do you think you have what it takes to review a book? It's a skill that can be easily mastered and we need a few more.
Apart from the ability to put words into sentences, you also need to know how to précis, do a little research on associated subjects and can express opinions constructively about the good and bad points about the books you read. We even let you choose from our pile of received books rather than foster something on you that you wouldn't normally read. You'll even get a little editorial help in how to write good copy and that can always lead to other things. I did say you have to love books and willing to read beyond your favourite authors, didn't I?
If you like reading books in the genre, can really think and show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance travelled mostly prohibits elsewhere), then use the link below and see our requirements. We can't pay you but a review for the price and regular supply of new books, this has to be a good incentive to see if you have what it takes.
We have one of the most popular and biggest SF review columns on the Net. Do you think you're up to writing a review? If you think you can, then you're really going to think you've landed your hands in the biscuit tin. It won't hurt to try and see if you have the right stuff by sending me a sample review.
Look up the Review Guidelines by linking here:
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN CONTRIBUTORS AND WRITING GENERALLY
PPS: For those keeping track, I'm still about 18 months (January 2006 - this was a relatively quiet year so watch the months fly by shortly) behind. With going through the ebook samples, I have removed some who've gotten published elsewhere. Thank you for your patience but let me know if you've sold elsewhere so I can reduce my pile or if you've changed address, especially e-mail address. I can't give you my comments unless either is up-to-date. Currently, doing spot-checks to see if you're still there when I reach your sample in the pile is making it easier on my time and catching up on the slush pile.
This isn't much of a repeat, just to show you're not forgotten. Those sending in ebook samples, be prepared for a long wait and read the Guidelines by linking here with your mouse here: elsewhere on this website
They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I'm repeating myself over silly grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that you shouldn't be making. It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work pointing out poor English which should have been sorted out in the first place and more focused on other areas of your work. As a writer, it is your command of the English language and its grammar that will show how serious you are about writing.
NOVEL-LENGTH AND OTHER WRITING
General advice for those who want to become writers of any sort: There's an old editorial adage, if you can't aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? If you're a writer, then you should understand the words, sentences and grammar of the job you're supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right? Fall in love with making every sentence the best you're ever written, read up and understand the rules of grammar. Put the time in researching any subject you're using in the story. Be prepared to put a story away for a few weeks and go back to it for a self-edit. Even I do that. A lot of the time, errors will just stare you in the face when you didn't see them the first time round. Once you know where your weaknesses are, they can be sorted out and allow you to move a little higher up the ladder towards making your material look its best.
Look up the Common Problems Link by linking here with your mouse.
SHORT STORY SLUSH PILE
Please don't confuse the above link with my short story slush pile which is kinda low at the moment. We're always willing to give short story writers a chance to be seen if they can withstand my scrutiny even if we can't pay for their efforts, your material will be seen by a lot of people. If you can get a short story written well then it'll make it easier to move up to novel length.
Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here with your mouse.
FLASH OR ONE-PAGE FICTION Don't forget also, we've got a teaching ground of one page stories, so check out the rules elsewhere on the website. Flash fiction stories by linking here: with your mouse.
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