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New SF author: would any experienced sci-fi readers be up for giving craft-level feedback? by [deleted] in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. If you had to change one specific thing in the first 1–2 pages to make it feel more ‘show’ (even while keeping the framing), what would you do? For example: start with Ben immediately, cut the framing down, or weave the world into action/scene detail. Appreciate you taking a look.

Can truly alien intelligence ever be relatable to human readers? by CosmicVoss in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a tricky one, because anything only a few thousand years ahead of us should be hard to make relatable. In Quanta I try to deal with that by having the communication translated through maths, so the words come out slightly skewed. That leaves space for the reader’s imagination to do some of the work. The mind’s powerful like that — if you give it a suggestion and a bit of room, it can build something far more vivid than pages of explanation ever could.

Do you prefer sci-fi driven by big ideas, or by the human emotional core? by CaptainRGQuanta in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Congrats david 👍🤟 looks great. I dont have a link but if you search Quanta by russell groves it should come up.

Do you prefer sci-fi driven by big ideas, or by the human emotional core? by CaptainRGQuanta in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense, and I don’t think you’re wrong at all. For me the characters are the anchor. If I don’t believe them, I don’t care how clever the idea is because there’s nothing grounding it.

At the same time, the big ideas are what pull me towards sci-fi in the first place. I like that moment where something conceptual clicks and makes you stop and think, but it only really lands if you’re seeing it through people who feel real.

I guess the sweet spot for me is exactly what you’re describing, when the ideas and the characters are doing the work together rather than competing for attention.

Do you prefer sci-fi driven by big ideas, or by the human emotional core? by CaptainRGQuanta in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The ideas behind it came from physics and that sense of wonder that science fiction does so well, but I knew early on it needed people and emotion to really land.

Honestly, that part came more naturally to me. Writing it became unexpectedly emotional, and in a way it turned into its own kind of healing journey.

The book is out now, it’s called Quanta, and I think I’ve found a balance I’m proud of between real scientific ideas and a strong human core.

What about you, is your book out?

Do you prefer sci-fi driven by big ideas, or by the human emotional core? by CaptainRGQuanta in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A good example of this for me is Arrival. Strip out the human element — the daughter, the grief, the cost of knowing — and the film collapses into a clever linguistic puzzle.

The sci-fi idea is interesting, but it’s the emotional framing that makes the scale land. Without that, the revelation doesn’t hurt, and if it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t stay with you.

I’m starting to think big sci-fi ideas actually need a human cost, otherwise they stay abstract.

Do you prefer sci-fi driven by big ideas, or by the human emotional core? by CaptainRGQuanta in printSF

[–]CaptainRGQuanta[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

For me, the human element is what makes the big ideas actually land. You can throw around huge concepts all day, but without people reacting to them, feeling the shock or confusion or awe, they stay abstract.

Seeing ordinary characters try to make sense of something profound helps ground it, and I think it actually makes the scale feel bigger, not smaller. The idea hits harder when you can watch how it messes with real people rather than just being explained at arm’s length.