While my science fiction writing has stayed on Earth, I’m always reaching for the stars and the unknown beyond them. Space in and of itself can be tricky though. With Star Wars, Star Trek, and dozens of other space franchises, there’s a lot of ideas and theories about the unknown blackness and how to travel across it. Luckily, my favorite writing resource has a section on space and time travel canons that gave me hundreds of ideas about how to develop and write a great space novel. Without further a-do, here’s the rules of space and time and the known canons of the unknown.
Why Rules?
The best part of science fiction is the impossibility of everything. A writer can craft new technology and science solely for an interesting plot or strange atmosphere. Despite the limitless opportunities, readers still need to understand and believe every word of the story. Even if the science isn’t all there, the reader needs enough detail to believe the science exists.
Science, similarly to magic, needs a set of rules. The canons below are ideas. The important thing to remember is to do the research and craft the rules before diving into an unknown scientific world. Doing all the background information beforehand will help you later as you’re writing and trying to explain the science behind it.
Starflight
Orson Scott Card, the writer of this particular chapter, actually starts the space discussion with a short dissertation on when considering star-flight is necessary. If the story is centered around Earth or another planet similar to Earth, space travel isn’t important. Because you’re not connecting to other star systems, the science and theology behind space travel isn’t necessary.
Of course with space operas and anything galaxy-related, it seems like a waste to not have space travel. Which is where the ever popular hyperspace comes in. I won’t get into the nitty-gritty, but I’ll give you some terminology and understanding. Hyperspace says our three-dimensional existence becomes 4+ dimensions. One of these other dimensions folds or bends space so that star systems are closer and quicker to travel to. Beyond that, the rules are fair game. Authors have had dying part of the process, random locations, or infinite gateways. There’s even stories without the usual spaceship. When it comes to hyperspace, two things must be decided: how fast and how cheap. These two elements can create suspense and conflict in a story, whether space travel is relatively easy or highly dangerous.
Now, I have an alternate space travel possibility that’s a little sketchy. Card is very against Star Trek’s warp speed because of the bad science. Warp speed says the speed of light is a boundary that, when broken, allows space travel. This is different from hyperspace where another dimension closes the gaps. He suggests avoiding warp speed (including the terminology) because of the faulty science, but if breaking the speed of light is something you need and can facilitate believably, go for it. I’d do a lot of research into light though for that one.
Space Ships
My brother is obsessed with space ships from Star Wars. However, the universe needs more than small fighter ships. There’s a few things that go into traveling the distance that I’ll cover.
Other than good old hyperspace, there’s sub-light travel which involves a generation ship. A generation ship takes centuries (yes, centuries) to cross space from point A to point B using its initial acceleration to coast. In this scenario, the entire book could be about the people’s lives on board or can start on the new world after millenia of forgotten history from the origin world. Otherwise, kind of boring.
Which is why cryo-travel, or suspended animation, was imagined. The same concept of a generation ship is used, but cryo-travel allows the passengers to be frozen until the end of the voyage. This reduces the necessary square footage the ship requires for supplies. I actually like this method, but you need to consider and sometimes showcase the other uses for suspended animation. These include freezing someone who is ill, prolonging one’s life, and transporting other organic materials like animals. I wanted cryo-travel and hyperspace for my space opera; I changed the rules to where cryo-travel is dangerous for complex beings and is used for produce and other goods.
Ramdrives are another method that says a ship needs to reach a certain speed and then a net is deployed and collects matter. This matter becomes fuel that maintains speed. A little sketchy in my opinion, but Card says it allows for ships similar to the size of Star Wars fighters and such. The last method that brings me to my least favorite topic is time dilation travel. This says that a ship can travel nearly at the speed of light. The time dilation is between the home planet and the travelers; the travelers might experience two weeks travel while twenty or more years pass on their home world. The time dilation and separation from the home world can create some intriguing character development, but you have to be careful when messing with time.
Time Rules
While I’m interested in space and what it provides for a story, I’m highly against anything time travel. Paradoxes are headaches and no one ever seems to realize that if you change something in the past, everything goes out of whack (I mean seriously, do book characters not have TV or something?). Still, time can heighten a story as long as the rules are clear.
Orson Card lists a few canons, but I’ll condense. Most canons have two streams of time so when someone goes back, they’re in a separate time stream. This prevents them from changing things so they don’t exist. There’s also the idea that you can only make minor changes and that long term effects aren’t possible. One canon allows you to view time but unable to change it while another sends you into your past self’s mind. In all of these and whatever else you imagine, the rules need to be created before Chapter 1. Believability, even in the impossible, is important to crafting an intriguing and engaging story.