What makes Sci-Fi work
- Speculative Concept (essential): A scientific, technological, or futuristic idea drives or shapes the narrative.
- World-Building: The story establishes a world that differs from the present through technology, science, or cosmic scale.
- Consequences of Innovation: The narrative explores how a technology, discovery, or scientific change affects people or society.
- Logical Extrapolation: The speculative elements follow some internal logic or plausible extension of known science.
- Sense of Wonder or Discovery: The text evokes awe, curiosity, or revelation about what is possible.
Tone and themes
Tone: Curious, cerebral, awe-inspiring, cautionary, or adventurous
Themes: technology, exploration, artificial intelligence, alien life, space travel, ethics of progress, humanity's future, alternate timelines
Setting guidance
Futuristic cities, space stations, alien worlds, near-future Earth with advanced technology, virtual realities, or alternate timelines. The setting should reflect the speculative premise.
What Sci-Fi is NOT
- [Critical] Must not read as pure fantasy with no scientific or technological grounding
- [Critical] Must not be a contemporary realistic story with no speculative element
- Should not abandon the speculative premise for an unrelated personal drama
Writing tips
- Ground your speculative concept early — the reader should understand the 'what if' quickly.
- Show technology through its effects on characters, not just technical descriptions.
- Explore consequences: what does this innovation cost, change, or break?
- Even far-future settings need relatable human (or sentient) emotions.
- Consistency matters — your fictional science should follow its own rules.
Example openings
“The colony ship had been silent for forty years when the first message arrived from Earth.”
“She was the last person on the planet who had never been uploaded.”
“The algorithm predicted his death at 3:47 PM on a Tuesday — and it had never been wrong.”
Mood keywords
futuristic, technology, space, quantum, cybernetic, colony, innovation, discovery, alien, android, starship, dimension
Related genres
- fantasy — Fantasy uses magic and mythical elements; sci-fi uses science and technology as the speculative engine.
- cyberpunk — Cyberpunk focuses on high-tech/low-life and corporate dystopia. Sci-fi is broader.
- dystopian — Dystopian focuses on oppressive societies; sci-fi may include utopian or neutral futures.
- ai — AI stories center specifically on machine intelligence; sci-fi can include AI as one of many speculative elements.
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