This article on radiation detection and measurement is part of the Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series. Each week, we tackle medi
The Expert: Sifa Poulton
The heroes enter the room and an irregular click click clicking noise can be heard. The frequency of the clicks increases as they slowly advance. That is the sound of a Geiger-Müller counter, ubiquitous in media and labs as a way of detecting ionizing radiation.
Ionizing radiation isn’t just present in the labs of villains, though. It constantly arrives on Earth from the sun and the rest of the universe as cosmic rays, radiates from rocks in the ground, and can be deliberately created in accelerators. Some of its many uses include medical imaging, cancer treatment, inspecting manufactured goods, and determining the age of historic objects.
This article on radiation hazards in space is part of the Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series. Each week, we tackle medical or te
The Expert: Steven Fritz
Radiation is widely misunderstood in both science fiction and popular culture. The word is used to refer to radiation emanating from many things that have little in common: power lines, cell phones, microwave ovens, UV lights, X-ray machines, radioactive isotopes, and nuclear reactors among others to name a few. But the real hazard in space comes from specific types of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation, as the name implies, is radiation with enough energy to ionize atoms as it passes through material.
If you’re writing a novel this November that has the potential to involve a lot of research—say, science fiction or historical drama—you may be feeling a little overwhelmed trying to balance your time. Today, Dan Koboldt, author of Putting the Science in Fiction, shares his tips for making your research help rather than hinder your writing:
Doing research is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. Of course, I'm a genetics researcher by day, so I probably love it more than most.
Scientists don't exactly advertise this, but we don't know everything. Just like engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, we tend to specialize in a particular area. Often, we don’t know anything more about a subject outside our field than the average Joe. So yes, I do my research, and I encourage other authors to do the same.
At the same time, it's important not to let research become an excuse to avoid writing. I see this happen to some of my friends who aspire to be authors. Heck, I'm guilty of it myself. It's understandable, because writing is hard. It's much more fun to read stuff that's already written under the guise of preparing to crank out words of our own. Yet, a writer who wants to be successful must not fall into this trap. Especially if they hope to win NaNoWriMo.
Naturally, this raises the question of how an author should balance research for writing purposes with the writing itself. I'd like to offer a few suggestions.
1. Research Efficiently
In this digital age, information is more readily available than ever before. It's easy to get lost in the flood of new information. One thing I try to do is to limit the scope of my research to what I need right now. If I'm writing a story about space travel, for example, I don't need to understand everything that's happened since The Big Bang. I just need to know where the closest celestial bodies are (short answer: really far away) and how long it would take to get there using current technology (short answer: thousands of years).
It's useful to come up with specific research questions before diving into a book or search engine. For example, I might want to know the crew size and approximate armament of mid-century Soviet submarines. That's a specific inquiry that might take some detective work, but at least I know the type of information I need. When I find the answers I need, I stop.
2. Ask an Expert
One of the most efficient ways to do research is to approach an expert in the relevant subject area and ask for help. Thanks to social media, real-world experts are easier to find than ever. If you approach them politely and with genuine interest, many are happy to talk about their work (I love it when people come to me with genetics questions). An interactive conversation with an expert can get you answers quickly, and also provide important nuances that you might miss when researching on your own.
This is part of why I began seeking out scientists, engineers, and other experts for my Science in Sci-fi blog series. Each week, I invite someone with real-world expertise to share it in a guest post on my blog. With 150 articles and counting, it's grown into a massive resource for writers of genre fiction.
I'm also a prodigious note-taker. When I read something or get answers from an expert, I write it all down in a text file. Often I encounter interesting tidbits that aren't related to my immediate question, but might be useful later. Everything gets copied into a searchable notes file—which I back up to my Dropbox account—so that I know I'll have it later.
3. Block Out Writing Time, Squeeze In Research Time
If you want to be a productive writer, you have to protect your writing time. That means putting it on the schedule and blocking out those crucial hours to get words on paper. Research, on the other hand, is something you can squeeze into the margins. Maybe you're waiting in line or zoning out after the kids take control of the TV. Grab those few minutes and spend them on your research. If you follow my note-taking advice, you'll have it all in place when you need it later.
An important corollary of this time management strategy is this: when you're writing and in a groove, don't stop for anything. This includes doing research, picking character names (my personal weakness), or other tasks that pull you away from the writing. Use TK as a placeholder and stay in the writing groove. That's what it takes to win NaNoWriMo.
4. Start and End with Research
You can always do some research after you've written a draft to make sure that you got those details right. But if you're like me, you want to get your feet wet even before you start. In fact, one of my favorite things about research is that it often seeds new story ideas. That's why my blog contributors have been sharing sci-fi story prompts all month long in the run-up to NaNoWriMo. Read them, get some ideas, and go write that novel!
You can enter to win a free copy of Dan’s book, Putting the Science in Fiction, by clicking on this link!
Dan Koboldt is a genetics researcher and fantasy/science fiction author from the Midwest. He is the editor of Putting the Science in Fiction (Writers Digest, 2018) and the author of the Gateway to Alissia series (Harper Voyager). Dan works at the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he and his colleagues use next-generation DNA sequencing technologies to uncover the genetic basis of pediatric diseases. He has co-authored more than 70 publications in Nature, Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and other scientific journals. Dan is hoping to reach his 10th consecutive NaNoWriMo win this year.
Science in Science Fiction: orbits and artificial habitats
This article on satellite orbits in sci-fi is part of the Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series. Each week, we tackle medical or te
The Expert: Adeena Mignogna
“Standard orbit” is a phrase used frequently in a popular sci-fi franchise. Problem is, there is no such thing as “standard orbit.” But that’s okay. This is not a sin… maybe someone will define a “standard orbit” for spaceships one day.
Biomedical scientist Philip Kramer shares tips on enclosed ecosystems and life support in science fiction.
The Expert: Philip Kramer
Closed Ecological System (CES) is a broad term that encompass any self-sustaining and closed system in which matter does not leave or enter. These artificial habitats can be built in space, underground, or underwater, but no matter where they are, chances are they are closed for a reason. Whether it is an underground bunker in a post-apocalyptic setting, a distant planet in the early stages of colonization, or a spacecraft carrying the last remnants of humanity, the environment outside is not hospitable. To ensure long-term survival, the occupants must maintain a well-balanced air and water system, a continuous food supply, and a reliable source of energy.
I'm right around a quarter of the way through Silver Queendom by Dan Koboldt and I'd say it's a soft pass from me. I'm about ready to put it down. It's one of those books where a lot of things just... happen. There isn't enough focus in the story, so it feels like it's just a sequence of events rather than a plot, if that makes sense. The things that have happened so far all make perfect logical sense, but they feel very light on narrative purpose.
For example: the book opens with an in media res sequence of the characters, who are a small group of thieves, working. There's some tension, a little action, and then they make a run for it. That run takes up a pretty significant amount of time in the beginning of the book and tells you almost nothing about the characters or the world. There's information in there, sure, but it's mostly repeated from stuff you learned in the first part of the opening sequence, and the little extra that you learn about the characters and world is so sparsely scattered that it feels like Koboldt was just doing train-of-thought writing.
Part of the reason this particular style falls so dead-flat is that the characters themselves are so very, very basic. I generally believe that there's nothing wrong with simple characters and simple plots, but there's a certain level of complexity that each of those has to have to make up for the other's lack. If your plot is "steal a thing from a place", your characters need to be more compelling to make up for it. If your characters are "the most normal five people you've ever met", your plot had better put them through interesting events. Koboldt has about a 3/10 on both sides. The plot is simple and the characters are basic.
Now, there's nothing inherently bad about that, but the action is slow and the worldbuilding is simple. Plot, character, action, and worldbuilding are, in no particular order, the four main things that keep me interested past page 50 of a book. If one of them looks good to me, I'll usually stick it out; if none are, I'll drop it. I'm thinking I'll drop this book. I'll stick it out a little longer, but unless I'm proven wrong by some really subtly written arcs, I'm about done.
Silver Queendom does nothing wrong, but it doesn't really do anything right. It feels like it was written to fill shelf space. The cover is sweet. Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on.
I mean... I wouldn't tell you not to read it. But your time can go elsewhere.
Publishers Weekly: With characteristic verve, Koboldt contrasts the playful adventure plot with the eerily dystopian setting and a searing examination of corporate greed and ambition. Fans of inven…
Coming Soon: Putting the Fact in Fantasy edited by @DanKoboldt #FactInFantasy
Putting the Science in Fiction is getting a companion book! Putting the Fact in Fantasy been officially announced. In Putting the Fact in Fantasy Dan Koboldt gathered essays written by experts for his popular Fact in Fantasy blog series. Like Putting the Science in Fiction, I’m contributing an essay or two to the anthology. I enjoyed working with Dan, and it’s going to be fun to do it again. Look…
Geneticicst and author of The Rogue Retrieval, Dan Koboldt’s science fiction novel Domesticating Dragons in which a talented genetic engineer infiltrates a biotech firm that builds made-to-or…
