Science and Fiction

Almost Diamonds recently asked science fiction writers to answer a set of questions about science and its relationship to science fiction. Never one to keep my opinions to myself, I've posted my responses below.

• Why are you writing science fiction in particular? What does the science add?

My SF reading began with Asimov and Arthur C Clarke, both of whom placed a great deal of importance on the science in their work. I guess it was natural that when I started to write, science fiction was my first choice.

Science is like a huge, ever-changing toolkit or framework. There's just so much incredible stuff that you can never run out of ideas or possibilities.

• What is your relationship to science? Have you studied or worked in it, or do you just find it cool?

I have a computer science degree, and I've been working as a self-employed programmer for two decades now. And yes, it's cool. I don't bury my fiction with excessive detail about computers or programming, but I do like my robots: after all, they're the ultimate in mobile computing ...

• Do you have a favorite field?

Humanoid robots and self-aware computers please!

I'm writing novels based in the far-future, where humans are the same cantakerous self-centered beasts they've always been, but robots and computers are intelligent, wise and caring. I've seen reviews declaring that my human characters are bastards one and all, while my robots represent the ideal I'd like humans to aim for. Not far wrong, that.

• How important is it to you that the science be right? What kind of resources do you use for accuracy?

I wouldn't knowingly leave an error in the books, and I do check whatever I can. For example, I had a scene where a robot is trapped in a vacuum at a distance from its spaceship, and uses a gas cylinder to push himself back to safety. I just wasn't sure how to research that one. Then, a couple of weeks ago I saw an old Jon Pertwee episode of Doctor Who where he pulled the exact same stunt, so now I can point to that and say 'hey, they thought it would work too ...'

Not that I'm going to claim Doctor Who as my one and only resource ...

• Are there any specific science fiction blogs you would recommend to interested readers or writers?

The SFNovelists group blog contains posts by a wide range of published authors, and is certainly worth bookmarking. And I regularly read Slashdot.

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, with four novels in print.
You can read his published short fiction here and download his first novel here