SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
hubie (1068)
(email not shown publicly)
Been around from the beginning, but only recently volunteered as an editor.
A story idea I just submitted. I've never used the journal before, here or on the other site, and I never thought to do this with submitted stories, (in case they get rejected, I won't lose the submission).
Although at times science fiction stories need to take liberties with physical law to advance a story, there are many instances where writers remain consistent with the current understanding of physics and astronomy. Andrew Fraknoi has assembled a nice list over at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific of 270 science fiction stories that portray the science accurately. The list is nicely broken down into 40+ subtopics and is intended to be used as a teaching resource, so for example if you are teaching about neutron stars, you could include Stephen Baxter's Flux as recommended reading.
If you know a good example that isn't on the list, Fraknoi would like to hear about it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by fliptop on Thursday March 20 2014, @04:02PM
Under the category "Life Elsewhere" I'd include Niven and Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye, a look at alien life forms and the physiology they developed for specialized purposes (workers, rulers, warriors, etc.).
Also, I wonder why there's no category for "Collapse of Civilization?" Science fiction doesn't always have to be about something in outer space, does it? A good one that comes to my mind on this topic is Battle Circle by Piers Anthony.
To be oneself, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity
(Score: 2, Informative) by gishzida on Thursday March 20 2014, @06:38PM
One of the Alex Kasman [cofc.edu] a faculty member at the College of Charleston is keeping a mathematical fiction list [cofc.edu].
I would imagine that this overlaps with the Physics / Astronomy list.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by stormwyrm on Friday March 21 2014, @06:41AM
I noticed that the Rendezvous with Rama series doesn't seem to be there, although it fits quite neatly in both the 'Life Elsewhere' category and like all of Arthur C. Clarke's books, its depictions of celestial mechanics and interplanetary travel are accurate. I see Clarke's works are very well represented. I wonder why there's no category for extrasolar planets, which is where the Dune saga might have gotten listed.
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
(Score: 1) by Camembert on Monday March 24 2014, @09:59AM
A recent book that is much lauded for its general correctness (and also because it is quite simply a good story) is The Martian by Andy Weir. First self-published, now out from a "proper" publisher, and movie option rights are already sold.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday January 26 2018, @10:00PM
They have a dark matter category:
I thought they were looking for science fiction, not science fantasy
Hmmmm'kay... or current misunderstanding of physics and hand-waving.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---