Any SF topics to avoid?

[Sir Vivor]

This question is really for people who have read tons of sci-fi, which I haven't, unfortunately. Are there any subjects, topics, even plots, that have been done to death in sci-fi? I mean, things that will make the eyes of your readers roll with boredom, proclaiming "boring, deja vu!" ?

My guess is that it's hard to claim any subject being old hat and impossible to include in a new story, so long as the story is captivating enough.. Opinions?

Thx in advance.

 

[Danny McG]

Galactic empires (and royal intrigues) many years from now

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Chosen ones and prophecies.

Also: read more sf. It’s useful to be up to date with any genre you hope to write in.

 

[Danny McG]

Generation starships and they don't know

 

[Sir Vivor]

I recently read The Martian by Andy Weir, and that gave me the (fairly robust) push in the back to try and go for fame and fortune (ahem) myself ;-)

 

[Brian G Turner]

This question is really for people who have read tons of sci-fi, which I haven't, unfortunately.

Then read tons of sci-fi, if that's what you're wanting to write.

 

[Sir Vivor]

I've read maybe a shelf section half a meter long of sci-fi books in my life.. I guess that's not much, but it's given me a reasonable idea of where these stories can go. For the moment though, I'd rather write than read.. especially since the juices are in a potent mood.

 

[Cathbad]

Talking dogs. Don't do it any more - dogs are stupid!

Use cats.


(There. Was that good enough, Mr. Whiskers?)

 

[janeoreilly]

I've read maybe a shelf section half a meter long of sci-fi books in my life.. I guess that's not much, but it's given me a reasonable idea of where these stories can go. For the moment though, I'd rather write than read.. especially since the juices are in a potent mood.

Honestly, you've barely scratched the surface, and reading is as vital to writing as writing itself. I schedule in reading time and use goodreads to keep me on track (the goal is 150 books a year). Although I would say just write what you enjoy and try not to worry about the other stuff (partly because what you're worrying about is publishing stuff rather than writing stuff), I can't emphasise enough how important it is to be actively reading as well.

 

[psikeyhackr]

There have been lots of Evil/Stupid computer stories.

There Will Be School Tomorrow, by V. E. Thiessen

The Project Gutenberg eBook of There Will Be School Tomorrow, by V. E. Thiessen

We still have the real problem of what to do with AI in education. What if an AI wanted to make people smarter while our so called government and social structure does not really want that? That short story is amusingly simplistic but what are we really going to do in the next 50 years?

I watched that almost 30 years ago. At first I found it hilarious that Harvard graduates did not know what causes the seasons. But what jobs require that knowledge? It is interesting that people that can get into Harvard didn't have the curiosity to learn that on their own. After thinking about it I noticed that I learned the orbital mechanics involved because of science fiction not because it was in any course I took in school.

psik

 

[Lumens]

Nothing that betters the genre has been done to death. Best way to do that is to forget the genre, take a chance and write what you intimately know. If you set yourself a lofty goal though, you will only hamper that, in my experience, by making yourself overly critical of your writing.

 

[Danny McG]

I've read maybe a shelf section half a meter long of sci-fi books in my life

* Gasps in pity*

 

[Phyrebrat]

Don’t limit yourself to reading only sci fi. Read everything!

But read Scifi

pH

 

[Khuratokh]

* Gasps in pity*

I'm more envious. To experience so many wonderful worlds for the first time...

Perhaps you could tell us what you've read so far?

 

[BAYLOR]

There is nothing quite like a well executed done to death Science fiction cliche

 

[BAYLOR]

Okay, there there is one exception. I don't want to see any science fiction stories involving Video Terminals with Image problems.

 

[Penny]

I would suggest more than avoiding certain subjects that have been done to death, find a nice mix of subjects that you think might work in a sci fi, if you spend too much time worrying about what other people are thinking you probably won't get too much writing done, good books sell themselves.

If you decide you want to do a galactic empire type thing, expect your reader to have read several like it before so you better do it really well and if you can't do it better than whats already out there then you have to ask yourself if its worth the effort.

I think a lot of scifi at the moment seems to focus on personal journey's and adventures in a wider universe so focus on good interesting characters, if you have good likeable characters you already won half the battle, trying to be unique in such an idea saturated environment is difficult and I honestly wouldn't spend too much time on it.