Writing “Hard” Science Fiction: A Personal Account

1. Writing “Hard” Science Fiction:A Personal Account John G. CramerProfessor of Physics Department of PhysicsUniversity of WashingtonSeattle, Washington 98195-1560 E-Mail: cramer@phys.washington.edu Web: http://faculty.washington.edu/jcramer Presented to Bellevue Rotary ClubSeattle, Washington, May 20, 2003 John G. Cramer

2. Outline of Talk • How did I get into all this? • “The Alternate View” Columns in Analog • What is “Hard” Science Fiction? • Twistor – 1989 • Einstein’s Bridge – 1997 • Real vs. “Rubber” Science • Writing your novel: “The Cramer Method” • Getting it published • Conclusion John G. Cramer

3. How did I get into all this? • Chair (1977- 81) of APS/DNP Nuclear ScienceResources Committee, providing physicsinformation to Congress (not lobbying!). • Popular science writing, “The Alternate View”bimonthly science column in Analog Magazine,1983 to present. 108 columns written. (See http://www.npl.washington.edu/AV). • Twistor (written 1986-88) about an unexpectedbreakthrough from a “small” table-top physicsexperiment in a university physics lab (UW). • Einstein’s Bridge (written 1989-96) about “big”physics at the SSC in Waxahachie, Texas. John G. Cramer

4. "The Alternate View" Columns Now 118 columns, ~2,000 words in length, on a wide variety of topics in physics and astrophysics: http://www.npl.washington.edu/AV • Group 1 -- Cutting Edge Science • Group 2 -- Quantum Mechanics • Group 3 -- Neutrinos • Group 4 -- Cosmology and Astrophysics • Group 5 -- Gravity and General Relativity • Group 6 -- Wormholes and Space Warps • Group 7 -- Mega-Projects • Group 8 -- Space Drives • Group 9 -- Evolution and Catastrophe • Group 10 -- Communications and Virtual Reality • Group 11 -- Flashes in the Pan - Things That Didn't Work • Group 12 -- Science Policy  John G. Cramer

5. What is“Hard” Science Fiction? • Serious attempt to portray science andscientists as accurately as possible. • Scientists are often principal characters. • Scientific problem solving is a major plot element. • Authors are often scientists or engineers. • Examples of hard SF by physicists and astronomers: • A for Andromeda – Fred Hoyle • Timescape and Cosm – Gregory Benford • Dragon’s Egg – Robert W. Forward • Contact – Carl Sagan • Twistor and Einstein’s Bridge – John Cramer John G. Cramer

6. Twistor (Morrow/Avon-1989) Scientific extrapolations of Twistor: • Condensed-matter physicists are performing an experiment to study “holographic spin-order” for use in memory storage devices. • Their EM field unexpectedly rotates the “shadow-spin” of particles, converting normal matter to shadow matter andvice versa. • Earth’s orbit is occupied by two other “shadow-Earths” that interact onlythrough gravity. • These have been cross-seeded with life through infrequent action of ball lightning. John G. Cramer

7. Einstein’s Bridge (Avon-1996) Scientific extrapolations of Einstein’s Bridge: • Collisions at the SSC produce extra-dimensional signals that propagateto other bubble-universes. • Intelligent aliens in another universeuse such signals to establish wormhole contact with other intelligent specieswho are doing high energy physics. • Creation of time-like loops using wormholes can destroy the universeback to start of the wormhole, so thatthe universe can re-evolve from thatpoint. John G. Cramer

8. Real vs. “Rubber” Science • Hard SF uses both real science and extrapolative“rubber” science in the plot. • The real science must be completely accurate,or at least as accurate as the writer can manage. • The made-up rubber science must be convincing and plausible. Twistor used extrapolations of 1986 condensed-matter physics ideas. Einstein’s Bridge started with SSC physics from design study reports. • The joint between the real and rubber science must be invisible to the reader, like a root-graft on a fruit tree. • I like to include an Afterword to inform the reader what was real and what was not. John G. Cramer

9. Writing Your Novel:“The Cramer Method” • Construct a set of memorable imagesand scientific extrapolations that appeal to you. • Design a plot that will use the science and conjureup the images. • Design characters to fit the plot. Write their biographies. Have conversations with them. • Choose the setting. Learn as much as possible about it. • Outline the novel in scenes and chapters. • Write the scenes. Write the dialog first. Then use third person point of view and sentence length to create effects. • Rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and … John G. Cramer

10. Getting YourNovel Published • DO NOT self publish! • Who do you know? Meeting writers and editors. • Surviving the slush pile. (First page is crucial!) • Get an agent after you have an offer.(DO NOT pay an “agent” to read your manuscript!) • The book contract. (That’s what agents are for.) • Dealing with editors (They’re not journal editors). • Rewrites (expect them) and copy editing (“stet”). • Cover art (DO NOT expect to have any input!) • Time to publication (Hurry up and wait). John G. Cramer

11. Conclusion • There is a good market for hard SF.Both of my novels are now in their4th Avon mass-market paperbackprintings, and editors and readers are asking for more. • The readers of hard SF really appreciate works of fiction in which the science is represented as accurately as possible. • There is a need for good hard SF that portrays science and scientists in a positive light and communicates the challenge, excitement, and sheer fun of doing science. • Hard SF reading and writing: Try it. You’ll like it. John G. Cramer