Short Story Requirements (originally "Ask Ian Whates a question...")

[Gary Compton]

Seeing your the King of short stories, I'm going to ask your advice.

Ian Sales is editing a new anthology, the theme is:

"ROCKET SCIENCE is looking for stories which realistically depict space travel and its hazards. The reader needs to know what it would be like to be there. This doesn’t mean stories must be set in interplanetary or interstellar space; but the technology and science involved must be present somewhere. It could be a story set in a spacecraft, on an asteroid or space station; or about a mission soon to leave Earth’s surface. It could be a first contact, a rescue against the odds, or a study of some unusual space phenomenon. Whatever suits. Don't be afraid to be literary.

But no space opera, definitely no space opera."


I was wondering if you could offer any advice as I might give this a go. I haven't read anything like this which makes it a challenge for me; but my naivety and lack of experience may mean I come up with something different.

Have you done any stories similar to the theme?

Regards as always

 

[Ian Whates]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

Hi, Gary, apologies for the tardiness of my response -- I've been offline since the weekend with server problems, only getting back online late yesterday.

Hmm, an interesting one. Trust Ian to come up with something a little awkward. (I like the 'no space opera' warning -- I'm not sure how a short story can qualify as 'space opera' in any case unless it's part of something longer).

Personally, first thing I'd do if I were targetting this is to research all I could on the international space station -- watch video footage, see if I could read or listen to astronauts' accounts. Ian is stressing the realism in the guidelines, and my first priority would be to get a handle on what it's really like to be out there (as opposed to what so many SF authors have imagined it might be like).

After that, it's a case of deciding how far you want to push this and where you want to bring the drama into the piece: enigmatic visitation, full blown alien contact, deliberate sabotage caused by an onboard love triangle, catastrophic equipment failure, or whatever... and I'd build the story from there.

Hope that helps.

 

[iansales]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

I like the 'no space opera' warning -- I'm not sure how a short story can qualify as 'space opera' in any case unless it's part of something longer).

Perhaps we should call stories set in intergalactic empires, with aliens, FTL, etc., "space arias"?

Personally, first thing I'd do if I were targetting this is to research all I could on the international space station -- watch video footage, see if I could read or listen to astronauts' accounts. Ian is stressing the realism in the guidelines, and my first priority would be to get a handle on what it's really like to be out there (as opposed to what so many SF authors have imagined it might be like).

After that, it's a case of deciding how far you want to push this and where you want to bring the drama into the piece: enigmatic visitation, full blown alien contact, deliberate sabotage caused by an onboard love triangle, catastrophic equipment failure, or whatever... and I'd build the story from there.

Hope that helps.

Sound advice. I'd certainly consider any story that did the above to meet the theme.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

What about an alternate history on the Challenger disaster and her mission?

 

[iansales]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

That certainly fits, altho alternate space histories may prove a popular idea.

 

[alchemist]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

When I first saw the competition, I thought of researching the ISS too. I presume a story wouldn't have to be set in the very-present, but the near-future would be an option, with an ISS-type space station.

I may discount my first option; Horror on the ISS - Fedorov farts.

 

[iansales]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

It may be best to move this thread to the writing group as it has nothing to do with Ian W.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

That certainly fits, altho alternate space histories may prove a popular idea.

Not the way I intend to write it! he said probably shooting himself in the foot

 

[The Judge]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

It may be best to move this thread to the writing group as it has nothing to do with Ian W.

Good idea. I think it will be of interest to other aspiring writers interested in the anthology who might not have noticed the thread here. And since Ian W hasn't jumped in to move it himself, I'll do the honours.

Gary, I'll also revamp the title to reflect the move -- hope that's OK.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Seeing your the King of short stories, I'm going to ask your advice.

Ian Sales is editing a new anthology, the theme is:

"ROCKET SCIENCE is looking for stories which realistically depict space travel and its hazards. The reader needs to know what it would be like to be there. This doesn’t mean stories must be set in interplanetary or interstellar space; but the technology and science involved must be present somewhere. It could be a story set in a spacecraft, on an asteroid or space station; or about a mission soon to leave Earth’s surface. It could be a first contact, a rescue against the odds, or a study of some unusual space phenomenon. Whatever suits. Don't be afraid to be literary.

But no space opera, definitely no space opera."


I was wondering if you could offer any advice as I might give this a go. I haven't read anything like this which makes it a challenge for me; but my naivety and lack of experience may mean I come up with something different.

Have you done any stories similar to the theme?

Regards as always

Hi Gary,

Is there a link to the site/thread/details?

Cheers.

TEiN

Oh, just noticed Ian has been on the thread.

Ian, is there a link to what you are after or is it "by invitation"

Cheers

TEiN

 

[The Judge]

TEiN -- here http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/531362-new-sf-anthology-call-for-submissions.html

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: Ask Ian Whates a question...

Good idea. I think it will be of interest to other aspiring writers interested in the anthology who might not have noticed the thread here. And since Ian W hasn't jumped in to move it himself, I'll do the honours.

Gary, I'll also revamp the title to reflect the move -- hope that's OK.

Aye, nee bother. You couldn't edit my manuscript also while your in the fettle?