Writing Science Fiction Stories – Guest Post by Craig Boyack…

Posted on by Chris The Story Reading Ape

In previous posts on this site I’ve talked about writing paranormal tales, my love of short fiction, and fantasy. I also write a bit of science fiction, and that’s the topic today.

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We grow and mature as we write. The more we produce, the more we learn about ourselves. I love a good space opera. I read them, I go to movies with that theme… I don’t write them well. Maybe I should make this one of my personal challenges, but sometimes you just have to face facts.

My science fiction works best as what I call “ten minutes into the future.” I totally stole that from an old television series that was based upon a New Coke advertisement. Bonus points if you remember.

I write better science fiction that is more like Planet of the Apes. I really enjoy them, and feel no need to test the space opera out again. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite books.

My first publication was Wild Concept. This is a play on the concept model vehicles produced by automobile manufacturers. Lisa Burton is a concept model robot. She has upgraded equipment to allow her to blend into modern society. She is viewed as an experiment, and scheduled to be dismantled after her experiment. It was a complete publicity stunt for the company who built her to draw attention from consumers.

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The problem arises when Lisa becomes a little bit too human. She decides that she has value and is determined not to be torn down. (This the wild part.) It ends a little bit differently than similar stories of this kind. If you want to check it out HERE is the link.

Lisa was my first really good character, and that’s why I made her my personal assistant and spokesmodel. I wrote a bit about her in my last post. I allowed Lisa to appear in a short story inside my first Experimental Notebook. HERE‘s the link for that one if you’re so inclined.

This is not to say I avoid space as a setting. It’s just that the classic galactic struggles are not my style. I prefer to use space more like it was used in Gravity or The Martian.

Arson is my own example. Perry Wolfe is an elite space firefighter. When spaceships are burning, it’s his job to save lives and extinguish the fires. He loses everything to a freak accident, and has to rebuild his life. Space and aliens play a role, but the story is about Perry’s journey to find himself. He enrolls in the arson investigator program through the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms. The theme is less galactic in scope and more personal. HERE is the link for Arson

Craig Boyack.

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44 thoughts on “Writing Science Fiction Stories – Guest Post by Craig Boyack…”

  2. I love a good space opera! Somewhere tucked away in a closet or trunk is an old unfinished space opera of mine called Icarus Rising. I had fun experimenting with it, but never finished the book.
    You always do an excellent job with your take on a sci-fi theme.

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