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Unpossible
Feb. 14th, 2014 08:25 amJames Nicoll asks Is it possible to "write and sell a novel about space industrialization set in the next half century that does not reply on a combination of truths misleadingly presented, misapprehensions and blatant lies?"
I think I know the type of book he's talking about. In it, a plucky billionaire and his crew, including a stunningly beautiful and smart woman, develop a private space industry despite the machinations of the Evil Socialist (tm) government of the United States. Bonus points accrue if the UN is involved. This is despite the fact that current policy from both those bodies runs from mild assistance to benign neglect.
No, it's not possible, and the problem is structural.
All novels need conflict, and that's either Man vs Man or Man vs Nature. In space, Man vs Nature has several problems. As writers, we're told to not explain the tech, just show how it affects the story. But in Man vs Nature In Space(!!!) we the writer need to really understand the tech and communicate it to you the reader without boring you to tears. The second problem is that, for many stages of spaceflight (ascent and re-entry, for example) the tech either works perfectly or we get a sudden aluminum blizzard that doesn't even allow time for an old Anglo-Saxon expletive.
Despite this, we do get Man vs Nature In Space(!!!) stories. The movie Gravity is a good example, and I hear the new novel The Martian is as well. But in both those cases, the need to focus on tech means that the story isn't one of great exploration, but rather a specific mission that's gone pear-shaped.
So no, if you want to write a novel about developing a spacefaring society, you end up needing a human (or possibly alien) intelligence working to thwart you.
I think I know the type of book he's talking about. In it, a plucky billionaire and his crew, including a stunningly beautiful and smart woman, develop a private space industry despite the machinations of the Evil Socialist (tm) government of the United States. Bonus points accrue if the UN is involved. This is despite the fact that current policy from both those bodies runs from mild assistance to benign neglect.
No, it's not possible, and the problem is structural.
All novels need conflict, and that's either Man vs Man or Man vs Nature. In space, Man vs Nature has several problems. As writers, we're told to not explain the tech, just show how it affects the story. But in Man vs Nature In Space(!!!) we the writer need to really understand the tech and communicate it to you the reader without boring you to tears. The second problem is that, for many stages of spaceflight (ascent and re-entry, for example) the tech either works perfectly or we get a sudden aluminum blizzard that doesn't even allow time for an old Anglo-Saxon expletive.
Despite this, we do get Man vs Nature In Space(!!!) stories. The movie Gravity is a good example, and I hear the new novel The Martian is as well. But in both those cases, the need to focus on tech means that the story isn't one of great exploration, but rather a specific mission that's gone pear-shaped.
So no, if you want to write a novel about developing a spacefaring society, you end up needing a human (or possibly alien) intelligence working to thwart you.
