I know this is probably a common topic. For me, I’m not sure if it’s a “trope” or just totally misinformed writing, but it’s how many authors approach alcoholism. Some examples are Girl on the Train and The House Across the Lake, among HUNDREDS. If anyone else here has struggled with alcoholism, you know it’s not just "i woke up after downing an entire bottle of whiskey but was able to shower, down a cup of coffee, and solve a murder. "
Pretending to do hard sci-fi when you’re really just making stuff up and throwing some science words at it.
This is why Phillip K Dick is king. Science fiction without any science really. Just ideas and suggestions, and never lengthy explanations of how things work.
There needs to be a new category between the two where the author goes to some lengths to make things feel scientifically plausible, but still doesn’t let themselves be limited by what’s actually possible. Eg Peter Watts, Alastair Reynolds.
I guess we could call it “chewy sci-fi”
Speculation about science and technology is ok imo. If you extrapolate from experiments and observations we do today you can take some liberties. Especially if it’s not foundational to the plot or themes, and consistent within the book.
(I would argue e.g. Blindsight (Watts) can be labeled hard sci-fi.)
I literally threw my copy of Absolution Gap across the room at one point. I love Alastair Reynolds, but the last two books in the revelation space series just threw all hard sci-fi restrictions out the window and it was magic quantum tech after perpetual motion machine for the rest of the story. Hell of an anticlimactic ending too. (Galactic North was good though.)
Urgh and when the plot is based on pseudo-science and one of the characters goes into a lengthy diatribe in pseudo-jargon to pseudo-explain it.
Especially because when this finally happens, usually about 50% into the story, I was already onboard with the dumb plot and didn’t need the pseudo-bullshit. So what ends up happening is that the explanation takes me out of the story instead of letting me enjoy my holiday in the sweet land of Suspension of Disbelief.
You’re saying the quantum crypto hyper drive isn’t based on real science?
No it’s not, but the asteroid fragmentation polarity simulator definitely is.
Move zig!
Quantum anything is usually a dead giveaway :)
That’s correct, unlike the warp defranculating dirigible.
Roman DeBeers us that you?
Really just roasted Cixin Liu to a crisp here.
I love those books but he definitely does this.
Or calling something hard sci-fi because they don’t have artificial gravity… only to introduce artificial gravity and other supernatural elements later in the book.
Looking at you, Leviathan Wakes + the rest of The Expanse.
Yeah I stopped there, in both the books and the show. I loved the first part of The Expanse series. But everything after opening the gate was trashy nonsense.
Book 5 (Nemesis Games) might be the best in the whole series, probably because it’s back to hard scifi. Very little protomolecule magic going on, way more character development than the previous books.