Writing Science Fiction and Asimov's "Sword of Achilles"

Here's another not-fiction post.  My apologies, and I won't make it too much of a habit, but I think it's valuable!  It's mostly about science fiction, but those of us who aren't writing SF right now do sometimes, or at least read it, so I think everyone can weigh in.

In my internet ramblings I found this two-page article by Isaac Asimov, "The Sword of Achilles," which appeared in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1963.  I think, as usual, Asimov has been proven right, if only in relation to the number of people working on AI who were inspired by his three laws.  Essentially, although science fiction* may not always get the future right, it seems to inspire a lot of people to think about the future and what we could do with it.

Most days, I wish I had chosen science instead of the humanities.  Many of us actually are practicing scientists, and I suspect the rest of us have an enthusiasm for science unusual among folks who haven't been exposed to science fiction.  What do you think?  Is this a slight correlation, a cause-and-effect chain, or none of the above?

As a related question (and one important to the writer of science fiction): who is the science fiction reader?  What brought you to the genre, and what keeps you here?  And what is the cultural impact of science fiction--is it some sort of catalyst for the development of the people who will develop the future, or is it just entertainment?  Should authors be judged in part by their contribution to the development of science, or should they be judged purely on the level of entertainment (or quality of writing) they produce?

I'll weigh in after some of you weigh in, but I want to see what you think before I muddy the waters...

*Asimov defines science fiction here as "an adult literature interested (sometimes seriously, sometimes satirically) in the type of world and society that will develop as a result of changes in science and technology."  Essentially he means hard SF.  I like the definition, but I think there is also some value in the general public being exposed even to science fantasy in order to benefit the development of technology and science--take the huge impact of Star Trek or Star Wars on opening people up to the idea of technological development, at least.

Another Sci-Fi Link

Ok, so here's another Hard-SF link. Orion's Arm is a collaborative world-building group that has built a huge universe that tries as hard as possible to be scientifically accurate (as far as we understand the physics and such at the moment).

This link is to their encyclopedia area where you can browse around. I like it, cause if you're ever wondering how an antimatter drive would work, you can look it up here with fairly high confidence that the explanation you'll get is accurate.


Enjoy!

Later . . . .

Everything you need to know about making a spaceship

Howdy folks,

Just thought I'd post a link up right here to the Atomic Rockets website that gives lots of technical information about spaceships and space combat. Its a sweet site, very informative, but only if you're interested in writing science fiction that leans more to the "hard" (read: plausible) side of the spectrum.

Later . . .

Writing Helps: World-building checklist

A nice list of world-building necessities that I ran across here on the SFWA website.

An old blog of interest

I found this blog while surfing the web and I've found it very enlightening. Specifically in the realms of world building, character design, and a whole matter of other things. Basically the author rants on a specific topic on his own likes and dislikes in fantasy and how one should properly structure a story.

Warning! Author occasionally uses harsh language, and even worse, constantly bashes Robert Jordon. Use his advice on your own terms, some of it I agree with and some I don't.

http://www.forresterlabs.com/limyaael/titlelistall

Can't find the time to write?

Then I would recommend you read the following.

http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=3249

Character Building

While I've been character building for Illusions of Control THE FINAL DRAFT, i found a really decent character builder for defining your characters. basically answer the following questions and see how your character develops. I've found it really useful so far.



PHYSIOLOGY
Height:
Weight:
Appearance:
Defects/scars:
Clothing:
Build or Figure:
Hair/eyes:
Health/strength:
Physical Skills:
Attractiveness:
Voice Quality:
Complexion:
Athletic Ability:

SOCIOLOGY
Occupation:
Work History:
Education:
Birthplace/upbringing:
Past/present home life:
Hobbies:
Ethnic Roots:
Political Views:
Affiliations:
Work Environment:
Criminal Record:
Religion:
Social Status:
Private Life:

PSYCHOLOGY
Fears/phobias:
Prejudices:
Pet Peeves:
Superstitions:
Ambitions:
Personal Problems:
Intelligence:
Secrets:
Values/beliefs:
Complexes:
Habits:
Motivations:
Imagination:
Disposition:
Attitudes:
Inhibitions:
Addictions:
Moral Stands:
Temperament:
Likes/dislikes:

What’s Their Dominant Trait:
What Do They Feel About Themselves:
What Do They Feel About Others in Story:
Most Important People in Life:
How Do They Relate To Each Character:
What’s The Worst Thing That Could Happen To Them:
What’s The Best Thing That Could Happen To Them:

How do they handle:
Stress:
Pressure:
Relationships:
Problems:
Emotion:

Are they:
Extroverted or Introverted:
Intuitive or Analytical:
Active or Passive:

What’s their most:
Traumatic Experience:
Thrilling Experience:

AUDIENCE STUFF (do they have the following):
Outside goal that the audience will care about:
Powerful, personal motivation for achieving said goal:
Opposition character capable of doing great damage:
Human emotions, traits, values, and imperfections that people can identify with:
Their own point of view:
Details, extensions, idiosyncrasies and/or expressions that are uniquely theirs:
A life and voice (dialogue) of their own:
A key event from the past that has given rise to a character flaw:
An inner need that they’re unaware of at first:

CHANGE:
How do they change throughout the story:
How are they different at the end of the story:
What do they know that they didn’t know at the beginning:
What is their perception of reality:
Does that perception change by the end of the story:
What emotion should this character evoke:
Will the audience identify with them on some level:

Resources for Writers

Hey all, I know Jesse and Landon know me, but I'm afraid that is the extent of who knows me. I'm a geology major like Landon, and I enjoy writing in my offtime. Off and on, I'll be submitting writings from a novel I just started writing (technically, I've been writing for a while, but this draft is the newest version), and am looking for feedback. What works, what doesn't work, etc.

In the mean time, here is a great resource for writing
http://www.writingexcuses.com

It's a podcast for writers from several Provo natives, who are reasonably well known in the writing world. I've found it quite useful.