Science Fiction Themes: World Building (Part I)
by Alissa Grosso
This article is the first in a series of articles highlighting traditional themes and concepts of science fiction. Each month we will take an in depth look at one of these themes to help you master and incorporate these important concepts in your writing.
Creating New Worlds
When you write science fiction it is your job to create a world that has never previously existed. You must take your reader on a journey to a new and exciting place. Whether this world is simply our own in a far off future or whether it is a completely alien planet, science fiction stories must convey a description of a place that has never existed before.
To do this, you will need to describe many things, even things that we often take for granted. You will have to ask yourself questions about the world you have created. In a future Earth, do people still use telephones? Do they still drive automobiles? Do they have pets? On an alien world, how do the aliens communicate? Is it through scent or maybe sign language? What do the aliens look like? What are the unique features of the world, and why are they that way? These are just a sampling of the many questions you need to ask yourself when creating a new world. You may not need to include all the details in your story, but you should have a blueprint in your head when you sit down to write to ensure that your story is logical and believable.
Building the Blueprint
Your blueprint can be extremely detailed and should be if you are working on a novel. A rough sketch will suffice for a short story. We will look at creating a blueprint for an alien world, but the same can easily be applied to a future earth story. You can create your blueprint on a piece of ruled paper, on your computer, and even on a giant piece of poster board, if that is your preference. The medium is your choice. The information is what is important.
The following information is what needs to be contained in your blueprint:
Where are we?
Describe to the best of your ability where the world is. Is it in the Milky Way Galaxy? Another galaxy? Does the planet orbit a dying sun? Is it actually a moon orbiting a planet? Remember that where this world is in relation to its heat source will tell us what the temperature will be like and the type of life forms we will find there. The where question is an important consideration in any story, but is especially important when writing a novel or a hard SF story.
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