Hard Science Fiction: A Definition

ESFoster

1 year ago

Welcome back to another Sci-fi Month post!

What exactly is hard science fiction, and how does it work? Also, what are its characteristics? If you’re interested in writing it, you need to know how to include real science in your story. Because of this, this goes beyond making things up to put them into your world.

It’s not uncommon for writers of hard science fiction to have a background in any of the sciences, but don’t worry! Look below to understand what it is and how to get started writing it.

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Characteristics

Hard science fiction is science fiction that strives to be as scientifically accurate as possible in a fictional setting. It also attempts to emulate reality and its scientific laws so that all technology described can, theoretically, exist in the real world.

This differs from soft science fiction because that subgenre doesn’t try to be accurate. It can include technology that wouldn’t be possible in the real world but still makes sense in the world created.

For example, we haven’t invented teleportation. With hard sci-fi, teleportation technology would be explained in a way that sounded plausible. In soft sci-fi, you could include a space elevator or something similar without explaining how it works. Readers will just know it works in the world.

So remember the following when writing hard sci-fi:

1. Be scientifically accurate. Whether you include engineering, physics, or any other hard science, make sure it follows the real world.

2. Be logical. Don’t make up your own rules. Instead, follow the rules of science.

It can be overwhelming to write hard sci-fi if you don’t know anything about science. But there are some tips for writing it.

How to Write Hard Sci-fi

Writing hard science fiction requires doing plenty of research. It’s normal for hard sci-fi writers to have degrees or years of experience in certain fields. So how do you write hard sci-fi?

1) Know what you want to study. If there’s one concept you want to explore, don’t waste your time getting distracted and overwhelmed by everything else. Just cut down and keep your goal in mind.

2) Write things down. You’re more likely to remember what research you want to include by writing it down. Take the time to understand a concept, then insert it whenever you need it.

3) Keep it simple. Introducing one accurate concept goes a long way for readers. You don’t have to overwhelm yourself or your readers with loads of information on a topic. Familiarize yourself with the basics then build on the complexity from there, but slowly. The best ideas can be basic ones.

What to Avoid

Hard science fiction has specific rules that you need to follow. When you get started with it, you need to avoid the following:

1. Don’t make things up. Don’t create your own science! Save that for other sci-fi. Instead, do your research on the real stuff.

2. Don’t add too much. If you can, introduce just one concept then go for it. For example, The Three-Body Problem deals with the three-body problem in physics, then goes from there.

Notable Works

If you’re interested in reading hard sci-fi, here are a few great examples below:

Foundation – Isaac Asimov

The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton

The Martian – Andy Weir

The Three-Body Problem – Liu Cixin

Happy reading!

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