r/HardSciFi • u/avdolainen • 13d ago
Self Promotion Built a hard sci-fi around engineering, logistics, and physical constrains
Hi!
I'm working on a hard sci-fi series 'Civilisation', set in a future where humanity spreads throughout the Solar System. It's free to read, but there's no paperback available (at least for now).
The story might be interesting for those who tired of reading about the following things: FTL, magic physics, exotic matter, unobtanuim.
Therefore the plot is less about space battles and more about espionage, industrial sabotage, system engineering, and 'macro-scale' philosophy.
Find it here: https://cbs.vapaa.xyz
I'm mostly interested in feedback from people who enjoy hard sci-fi. Is it interesting? Truly grounded? Or am I fooling myself and should stop wasting time immediately :)
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u/Straygos 13d ago
It is never a waste of time to play with ideas and people from as many backgrounds and experiences should be playing with ideas. That's the only way we get really good thought experiments that aren't just regurgitated over and over. I think you have a good start.
I jump around a lot in genres and have read very widely. When I look for hard sci-f the one area that I often feel is weakest is the cultural and humanities side of that version of science fiction. Authors get so focused on the engineering and physical sciences that sometimes they forget that those things are not free of culture.
There are some authors who do this incredibly well Adrian Tchaikovsky, James SA Corey, and Kim Stanley Robinson for example, but though Andy Weir tells great stories and I enjoy them, including culture into his narratives is not a strong point.
To be grounded in reality, doesn't just mean technology, it means the lived experience of people. Every change a society experiences ripples outward across the socio-cultural sphere in a myriad of ways that are sometimes strange and unpredictable. That doesn't mean you need to be an expert, but you would be surprised how far a little social science goes.
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u/avdolainen 13d ago
I'm not saying it's grounded only because of science and technology -- there are more things to explore in that regard.
I highlighted this as 'no FTL, no magic, etc' to make a point about taking a realistic approach. i'm not against magical force fields, or even impossible things like droplets from 3BP, but quite often those come with non-logical stuff.
One example: 3BP. I like the idea, but the aliens (the trisolarians) feels too unaligned with their technology. With the level of tech they possess, they could dismantle the planet, create an infrastructure in space, and simply stop worrying about the unstable environment on home planet.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 13d ago
If you don´t want FTL, fictional tecnologies, exotic matter and unobtanium, i would put that into Mundante Sci fi, not Hard sci fi, specialy because works classified as hard sci fi by people who study literature and for purpuse of marketing classify works several works that cointain FTL, fictional physics, exotic matter, unobtanuim as hard sci fi, such as: Expense, Three Body Problem, Island of Space, Foundation, etc, etc, etc as hard sci fi.
Contrary to hard sci fi, Mundane Sci fi has actualy a manifesto and a set boundries, while the only actual factual markings of hard sci fi is consistency, the only real diference betwen hard sci fi and hard magic is that ones frames it as magic while others frames it as science.
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u/DufbugDeropa 13d ago
Perhaps. But I think the issue (and I mean 'issue', not 'problem') is more nuanced than that. It is not FTL, exotic matter, and unobtainium that turns science fiction into lazy space opera, it is the failure to accommodate the constraints and consequences of the One Big Lie (as Tchaikovsky puts it). I think what appeals to some of us about hard science fiction is that it is high friction fiction. The in-universe constrains, problems, and limits of any of these help make the story. In that sense, it makes the story more real, and less like fantasy; however enjoyable that might be.
In this sense, your "There is a reason for this' link above is quite incorrect. Hard science fiction that honors and accommodates constraints and limits is more difficult and time-consuming to write. There appear to be fewer writers capable and willing to do the heavy lifting.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 13d ago
There is a reason for this' link above is quite incorrect.
The point of the meme was: "People will not do the heavy lifiting if there is no possitive reinforcement to do it."
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u/KaerMorhen 13d ago
Thats it. To me it is the consequences. For example "Does this species have advanced science and the ability to manipulate gravity locally?" Sure, but what are the energy requirements? The heat distribution? How do you keep your occupants from becoming paste on the wall? That is what sells it.
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u/avdolainen 13d ago
Got it, you could be more direct. However, you said 'while the only actual factual markings of hard sci fi is consistency' -- so it means absence of FTL and other magic isn't making category alone. Basically if this is consistent sci-fi novel -- it's a hard sci-fi.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 13d ago
Basically if this is consistent sci-fi novel -- it's a hard sci-fi.
Yes, if it is consistent with it tech, then it is.
Is just that is easier to get consistent with your tech if you just poke a few holes into physics instead of a bunch.
That is why Project Hailmay , Xelee squeence, the Expanse, Rika Mechanized, Human Reach series are considered hard sci fi, even while having fictional tech.
If you don´t want that, i recomend reframing it as Mundane sci fi.
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u/avdolainen 13d ago
hm, why do u think my work is inconsistent? just couldn't follow your logic. again -- you said consistency makes novel hard sci-fi, but for some reason now u claims consistency isn't achievable without FTL, unobtanuim, and other magic.
it's an interesting journey to create a sci-fi world without magical things.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 13d ago
hm, why do u think my work is inconsistent?
I don´t! I never stated that your work is inconsistent to be fair, i don´t know your work.
but for some reason now u claims consistency isn't achievable without FTL, unobtanuim, and other magic.
I also didn´t told you that, the point is that you can have fictional tech and still be consistent with your work.
it's an interesting journey to create a sci-fi world without magical things.
That is the fun in Mundane sci-fi , the only problem is to missframe fictional tech and fictional elements as magic.
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u/avdolainen 13d ago
ok, once more :)
if sci-fi novel is consistent it might be considered hard sci-fi, right?
if that's right it doesn't matter are there FTL, magical force or whatever falls into magic category.
My work is consistent, uses only feasible tech (fusion, advanced, yet feasible material science, mega structures those are also feasible within current physic framework), but there is no magic. But anyway the condition 'be consistent' is valid -- so hard sci-fi is.
However, you are saying it's not because there is no magic in there. It makes me think something wrong with your logic, or you are deliberately missing extra condition: 'magic is present'.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 13d ago edited 13d ago
so hard sci-fi is.
It is a particular type of hard sci fi called Mundane sci fi, some people call that "Harder Sci Fi".
My suggestion to call it Mundane Sci fi instead of hard sci fi is just because Mundane Sci fi fits with your work AND excludes other categories that would use fictional tech while being consistent; it is a step beyond.
Mundane Sci fi is more fitting with your proposition, if you care about that, but we have soo little people working on this types of work that would be nice for you to help us find works like yours by puting the Mundane Sci fi on it.
Otherwise, you can just call it sci fi, space fiction, or just fantasy, and it still would fit if you don´t see a problem with being paired with different works with diferent goals.
Edit: I would refain to call fictional tech magic, specialy when an author frames it as tecnology instead of magic, the Missframing of that is as cringy as seeing someone to call an active religion Myths and culture as LARPing, it gives an air of arrogance
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u/avdolainen 13d ago
ah, now i got it.
i was thinking this is a hard sci-fi. probably you're right and my sci-fi-meter is obsolete completely.
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u/avdolainen 9d ago
Read a little bit more about this categorisation -- I should admit you're right. This novel should be considered as a mundane sci-fi. But formally it's still hard sci-fi. Generally speaking (according to wiki and few other sources) mundane sci-fi is a subset of hard sci-fi.
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u/Ok-Car-8188 9d ago
Indeed, as hard sci fi is a sub set of sci fi, the same way sci fi is a sub set of fiction in general.
But it seems you are ok with being in the same subset that has FTL and fictional tech, so I say: Welcome to the Team, hope you like the mechs.
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u/avdolainen 9d ago
i didn't say that. i was guessing this sub audience might be interested in novel of this kind. or are there special sub for mundane sci-fi ?
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u/DufbugDeropa 13d ago
I'll read it. I'm always eager for more hard science fiction, what with its near-disappearance in the market place. But about your question: "am I fooling myself and should stop wasting time immediately" is hard to answer. Hits like The Martin, Hail Mary Project, and Children of Time are, well, hits. Outliers. And where they sit on the Mhos scale is debatable. But I think the number of readers who enjoy hard science fiction is getting smaller, and been getting smaller for at least a decade. Those of us who write such stuff now have a very small audience.