Comments on: Free and Largely Scientifically Accurate Science Fiction http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:24:53 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Jan Vaněk jr. http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-132192 Jan Vaněk jr. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:47:26 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-132192 IS it just me, or is the webdesigner in need of a lecture on Evilness of "Click here"? IS it just me, or is the webdesigner in need of a lecture on Evilness of “Click here”?

]]> By: Justme http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130362 Justme Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:57:25 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130362 This is wonderful. I've already forwarded it to my kid's school. They teach thematically and mixing science and literature fits into that model perfectly. My only regret is that I didn't know about this when the theme was cosmology! I hope this is the first of many such collections. This is wonderful. I’ve already forwarded it to my kid’s school. They teach thematically and mixing science and literature fits into that model perfectly. My only regret is that I didn’t know about this when the theme was cosmology! I hope this is the first of many such collections.

]]> By: Mike Brotherton http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130265 Mike Brotherton Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:03:01 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130265 Thanks for spreading the word, John! It looks like you've got some people here who will appreciate the collection. C-, I don't think your pet peeve will come up very much with these stories. There is at least one story with FTL put to good use, to put the focus on a different issue, and a few other potentially feasible things. Mostly stories to get across some key concepts from current thinking in astronomy and to get readers to think about them. Some good writers on the contributor list and some good stories. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks for spreading the word, John! It looks like you’ve got some people here who will appreciate the collection. C-, I don’t think your pet peeve will come up very much with these stories. There is at least one story with FTL put to good use, to put the focus on a different issue, and a few other potentially feasible things. Mostly stories to get across some key concepts from current thinking in astronomy and to get readers to think about them. Some good writers on the contributor list and some good stories. Hope you enjoy them.

]]> By: Anny Mouse http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130229 Anny Mouse Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:57:10 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130229 As a future high school physics teacher (who just so happens to be double majoring in physics and English), this excites me quite a bit!!! As a future high school physics teacher (who just so happens to be double majoring in physics and English), this excites me quite a bit!!!

]]> By: C- http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130226 C- Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:47:47 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130226 Should be an interesting collection to read. I'd be interested to read what people's views are on the subject. As someone with a grounding in physics, I often find what I read in SF to be like fingernails on a blackboard. Most SF ignores the details of the physics (more SF than ever is based on biology, but I don't know enough for it to be an issue). Assume faster-than-light travel for properly shielded spacecraft is practical, and go on from there. This is not a problem for me. From what we know, we cannot conclude that such a thing is feasible*, but it makes for an interesting story. Hand-held laser weapons, electron personality transfer, and so on fall into this category. What causes nearly physical pain is more or less the opposite - when an author prattles on about the details of a particular thing, and gets it completely wrong. Inertia-canceling interstellar drives don't bother me, but if you are going to write endlessly about orbital mechanics and what happens to a small ship attached to one end of a very large ship, get it right! Similarly, either shut up about relativistic time dilation or recognize that talking about relativity and "simultaneous" long-distance communication in the same paragraph marks you as a hopeless scientific poser. -------------------- * I chose these words very carefully. Evidence of possibility does not equal no evidence of impossibility, etc. Should be an interesting collection to read.

I’d be interested to read what people’s views are on the subject. As someone with a grounding in physics, I often find what I read in SF to be like fingernails on a blackboard.

Most SF ignores the details of the physics (more SF than ever is based on biology, but I don’t know enough for it to be an issue). Assume faster-than-light travel for properly shielded spacecraft is practical, and go on from there. This is not a problem for me. From what we know, we cannot conclude that such a thing is feasible*, but it makes for an interesting story. Hand-held laser weapons, electron personality transfer, and so on fall into this category.

What causes nearly physical pain is more or less the opposite – when an author prattles on about the details of a particular thing, and gets it completely wrong. Inertia-canceling interstellar drives don’t bother me, but if you are going to write endlessly about orbital mechanics and what happens to a small ship attached to one end of a very large ship, get it right! Similarly, either shut up about relativistic time dilation or recognize that talking about relativity and “simultaneous” long-distance communication in the same paragraph marks you as a hopeless scientific poser.

——————–
* I chose these words very carefully. Evidence of possibility does not equal no evidence of impossibility, etc.

]]> By: Robert Cruze Jr. http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130221 Robert Cruze Jr. Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:05:06 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130221 One of the other folks who contributed to this is Dan Hoyt, otherwise known as "Sarah Hoyt's husband." And if you don't know who Sarah Hoyt is, you need to correct this oversight. Trust me; you'll thank me later. ;-) One of the other folks who contributed to this is Dan Hoyt, otherwise known as “Sarah Hoyt’s husband.” And if you don’t know who Sarah Hoyt is, you need to correct this oversight. Trust me; you’ll thank me later. ;-)

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130185 John Scalzi Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:34:10 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130185 Excellent. Excellent.

]]> By: Alisha http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130176 Alisha Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:48:08 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130176 I spread it to our county science curriculae supervisor. :) I spread it to our county science curriculae supervisor. :)

]]> By: xore http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130147 xore Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:49:06 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130147 Scientifically accurate science fiction? I thought this day would never come! Scientifically accurate science fiction? I thought this day would never come!

]]> By: Phiala http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/02/18/free-and-largely-scientifically-accurate-science-fiction/#comment-130102 Phiala Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:04:12 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=6341#comment-130102 I have a new goal in life: get an NSF grant to write fiction, What a fabulous idea, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I have a new goal in life: get an NSF grant to write fiction, What a fabulous idea, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

]]>