WHY SCI-FI?
Who doesn’t want to be transported into another world, another universe…
Okay, but that’s not strictly why I like to write science fiction since the same could be said for any book you read. You run the risk of falling head first into the world created by the writer, whether it’s a mushy romance, a grisly detective tale, or a way-out-there fantasy with the ever-popular vampires and witches. Every single book you read takes you someplace else other than where you are. And yes, even the dull boring ones, cause you imagine being someplace else rather than having to read the book.
But why did I choose science fiction? Not quite sure, but I do love the genre. Maybe because I have a fascination with wanting to know what the future would be like. It didn’t help that the TV shows and movies that had me riveted were the likes of Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and well, you get the idea. Maybe I’m an inherent geek. Scratch that, I am a closet geek who surrounds herself with all sorts of techie stuff. That being said, science fiction doesn’t necessarily have to be set in the future, or on a different planet, universe, dimension…it could be happening in the here and now. Throw in some choice tech words and cool gadgets, and there you go. These days, there’s all sorts of sub-genres in sci-fi, from hard core sci-fi to space opera to science fiction romance.
When I set out to write my book, The Lancaster Rule, I knew I wanted to write a story so engaging with adventure and excitement and unforgettable characters that live in a world that was believable enough to be real. And I knew I didn’t want it be in the present time, if I wanted to go wild with making up stuff. That was the fun part…just making things up and telling extremely tall tales. After all, it’s the future, it hasn’t happened yet, it hasn’t been invented yet, anything can happen!
When I put together the skeleton of the Lancaster story, I knew I’d created something that needed a little more playtime with, more explanation, more details. I knew that if I wrote a trilogy, I could somehow fully capture the story in its entirety. Hence the sequel, The Master Key was born, and then the final story, The Eternal Knot. And with each book, I could introduce another small element of the future as, well, I see it. Drop a little bit here, tuck it in there so it looks like part of everyday life.
After completing the trilogy, I had more ideas bubbling around in the back burner. I sketched out a rough outline and decided to try a more ‘contemporary’ novel. You know, one based in the present time with a little murder, some mystery, and a little romance (gotta have the love, right?) It wasn’t working. But I did try, then hit the delete button and started from scratch, this time flinging it back into the future that I’d already created. After all, the world there had already been built and I knew it so well.
Perhaps I can attempt a non-sci-fi book in the future. Perhaps… But for now, I’ll stick to the world I created, in the future as I see it, filled with all sorts of interesting and exciting characters as they go through life.
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2 comments:
Great points in your blog. My first love is historical, but I also love fantasy and find I can indulge both passions in writing sci-fi. History gives me insights into what future political venues might exist and fantasy allows for world building. It's a win-win.
Thanks Miriam. Funny enough, in researching for my books, I usually look back in history to see "trends" and how they repeat themselves...oh, you know, like wars, hate, people's indomitable thirst for good over evil, etc, etc... It sets a good background when you're creating an imaginary future. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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