Sunday, September 30, 2018

World building in Science Fiction part 1


There are 2 major questions that I get as a science fiction author:
  1. Where do you get your ideas?
  2. How do you create such a vivid world?
Now the first question is one that authors have been asked for as long as there has been publishing.
“Every artist gets asked the question, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ The honest artist answers, ‘I steal them.’” – Austin Kleon
"From the Idea-of-the-Month Club"  - Neil Gaiman 
"Poughkeepsie.- Harlan Ellison 
 Now for me the where and how do I build my world are intertwined.

So I will try to explain. I looked at current communications technology and the sudden push into wearables. This got me to thinking about what is possible in a wearable and then what impact it could have on society. So from my concept notes:
Personal comms/ net  
Most people have built-in small personal communicator that allows them to communicate and surf the internet with data coming up on retinal implants can provide “heads up display as well as video feed and recording. They also can get full data net access the same way. Wrist pads offer external recording option for when you want to be seen when talking to someone and for holographic displays of data etc. Wrist pads are personalized to look like bracelets, sports bands, old style smart watches, gauntlets etc. Most have basic AI / personal assistant (Siri grown up) 

Ok, so that is the tech, but unless you are into communications technology this will leave you feeling something is missing. So rather than tell it this way in the story, I got to thinking how it would affect society (think about what the car did to society).

             Social side effects:
An always connected intelligence has led to a reduction of personal attacks and reduced problems like rape due to the ability of the semi intelligent devices recording and broadcasting full 3d holograms in real-time to the police, but also the medical state of the victim – preventing the claims of the person asking for it or liking it. The recordings with GPS locations lead to an almost 100% conviction rate that led to a steady decline in violent crimes. It also had the side effect of increasing the legal establishments for those who prefer violent or non-standard behaviors (not just sex) where the employees are either personally enjoying it or good actors who have “signed up” for these acts for quite a high pay.
Some of these effects are suddenly being debated in terms of the auto-call feature in the new iWatch and the rights of police responding to enter without an warrant.

So now I have an interesting future tech, an idea about how it will affect people and how they will interact with it. This leaves the rest of the world.

I chose our Solar System, but you can choose any world or place you want.

In my next installment, I will explain how I build it from the "ground up."

If you want to read about how other authors build their worlds, I do a weekly blog interview at https://www.ericlklein.com/feature-friday-futures/  where you can find many authors discussing the worlds in their novels.


Photos of 2 works by  Lissanne Lake that are hanging on my wall.

Click to read more posts in our Blog post Gallery


COMMENTS

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Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post Eric. I like how you explain the practicality of technology, including all the difficulties that may arise from its use. Your work sounds interesting and complex. Thanks for sharing.
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Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today, Eric Klein discusses science fiction world building an technology over at #OurAuthorGang.
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P. J. Mann

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
What an interesting post! Although I am pretty much an old school person (can be the age) I find it very fascinating topic, and I can't see the time to read your next post.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today on #OurAuthorGang, one of our newest members, author Eric Klein, brings us World-Building in Science Fiction.
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Joe Bonadonna

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post, Eric!  I've done a LOT of world-building for my fantasy stories. I've always found building worlds for science fiction to be a more daunting task. I had to do a little for my space opera, but that story didn't require a lot.  When I set out to write my sword and planet adventure, however, I had no choice but to build a complete world. There was no way around it. If I was going to write about a planet's ecosystem and endangered species, I needed to plot it all out. I borrow, too: my Questron instantaneous, sub-space communications transmitter is actually Ursula K. LeGuin's "Ansible." Look forward to more of your posts. Welcome to the blog! 
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post Eric! I love speculative fiction in all its forms. This is fascinating!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Author Eric Klein shares his world building process on #OurAuthorGang today. Fascinating -- he starts with technology and how it affects people and society.
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Nikki McDonagh

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Interesting post Eric. As a fellow sci-fi writer, world building is something I really enjoy as you can let your imagination fly.
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Lorraine Carey

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post, Eric. I really think those who write SciFi have quite a sophisticated imagination. I admire that. Your works sounds most intriguing.Thank you for sharing.
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Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Interesting post Eric! When you write sci-fi you have to build a complete, believable world with technical details while in fantasy stories, which I write, I can let my imagination fly. I'm looking forward to your series.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

The New Member of #OurAuthorGang

A New Face in the Hood
P.J. Mann

There are always mixed feelings when I am asked to introduce myself. On the one hand, it makes me eager to tell something about me and all the aspects of my life, on the other hands, there are so many things to say that it is difficult to choose what it is important to tell and what it is better to discard. Summaries have always been my weakness.
Nevertheless, I will start with the basics and starting with my name, Paula, proudly given by my father whose name was Gianpaolo, as a legacy.  
In my life, there are mainly three things that I treasure; loyalty, honesty, and silence.
I work full time as a geologist and sometimes my working schedule can be quite crazy, I might get the next flight to a working site with a few hours' notice, just the time to reach home, grab some clothes, and reach the airport, from where I call my husband informing that I won’t be home for dinner.

During the free time, I write psychological thrillers, which considering my lifestyle, sounds quite natural. The way I love to relax and find peace of mind is spending my time in the forest. Living in Finland means that the forest is just behind the corner, even if you are living in the middle of the capital, Helsinki.

I have a passion for traveling. I have just reached my first milestone of 50 countries visited, and my list is still quite long. So far, my favorite continent is Africa for the sceneries, the people and their heritage. Not to talk about the feeling of freedom I get every time I jump out of the plane. I keep a blog about those experiences together with other personal considerations, so if you want and check it out, here is the link: www.paperpenandinkwell.blogspot.com

My novels are very much inspired by my travels, and the people I get to know. They all have interesting stories to tell, and I always find the way to insert them into my books. 
Another passion is photography, I believe that this is another way to tell a story and one image can be worth more than thousands of words and can tell a thousand stories. Somehow, I consider it a way to complement my writing by telling my story through the lens of a camera.

About my books and my audience, I have tried to envision many times the ideal reader who would enjoy my books. Therefore, if you are an adult person who likes movies like “The shutter island,” and “Inception,” if you are interested in being challenged by different points of view, also the ones of the villain, then you are much likely going to enjoy my novels. 

For me writing is also a way to get deeper into human nature and feelings, it is a way to know better myself and the rest of the world. Being an introvert, this is also a way to communicate my feelings to the rest of the world.

You can find my books for sale on Amazon following the link of my author page: www.amazon/author/pjmann
For more information about ongoing giveaways, deals, and offers, you can follow me on my website: https://pjmann2016.wixsite.com/pjmann


You can also follow me on Facebook: 
Twitter: 

Or why not? Joining my amazing group of subscribers to my Newsletter and find out something more about being an indie author. As a welcome gift, you will get the first 77 pages(!) of my award-winning novel “A Tale of a Rough Diamond.” http://eepurl.com/dny4RL

I really hope you enjoyed reading this small introduction about me, and see you soon either on social media or on my next Newsletter.
Have a great day!
Paula J. Mann
Click to read more posts in our Blog post Gallery


COMMENTS

Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
It good to have you here, welcome. You have such an interesting career and a smorgasbord of inspiration for your writing. I look forward to your contributions.
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Thank you, I try all my best to come out with the best content.

Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, welcome author P.J. Mann to #OurAuthorGang. We're so glad to have her.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Saturday on #OurAuthorGang, author PJ Mann - Author​, another of our new club members, introduced herself to us all.
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Joe Bonadonna

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Welcome to  the hood, PJ! Glad to have you with us.
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Welcome to the blog! I"m looking forward to your posts!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
#OurAuthorGang's newest member, PJ Mann introduces herself and her novels!
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Erika M Szabo via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
The newest member of #OurAuthorGang
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Congratulations, PJ!
 
+Eva Pasco
Thank you Eva!

Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Welcome to our group Paula! I'm looking forward to your posts about your travels and exciting life as a geologist
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Thank you very much for having me in. It feels great to be a part of this team of talented authors <3

Lorraine Carey

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
What an interesting life you lead, PJ! Welcome aboard. Your books sound quite interesting. Looking forward to seeing you here along with your posts.
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Thank you Lorraine, for stopping by and liking my blog post. I am overwhelmed by the warm welcome I have received so far.
 
+P. J. Mann Good to have you on board.

Lorraine Carey via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Our Gang of Authors is not only trending but growing by leaps and bounds. See our latest new member!
Toi Thomas originally shared this
 
Today, welcome author P.J. Mann to #OurAuthorGang. We're so glad to have her.
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Eva Pasco via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Erika M Szabo originally shared this
 
The newest member of #OurAuthorGang

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