The Challenge of Plausibility in Writing

When it comes to science fiction, plausibility is an interesting question.

For the most part, the fiction I write is in one of three genres. Fantasy, science fiction, and Steampunk.

When it comes to fantasy, I get to make shit up. The worlds you create can operate with nary a thought towards certain scientific laws. What’s more, you can have fantastical creatures, other humanoids, and powers that don’t exist in our world and need ZERO plausibility (save connecting to your reader and their invested suspension of disbelief).

With Steampunk, it’s largely about the aesthetic. Gears, steam-powered contraptions based on ideas of a bygone age, and steam-powered engines. Some give this a fantasy element with whole new worlds (which has been my approach) while others do an alternate history – giving the Victorian era incredible technologies they didn’t have. It is, however, a relatively niche idea.

Then you get to science fiction. This is not a single, wholly united genre either. For example, you get ideas of sci-fi that are fairly plausible like Andy Weir’s The Martian and Artemis or James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse series (ignoring the protomolecule). Then, you get slightly less plausible ideas like Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Firefly.

And then, you cross into a realm alternatively referred to as science fantasy. This is where Star Wars, The Fifth Element, and Avatar exist. A lot of implausible ideas existing in a space opera that is sci-fi – but also rather fantastical.

Jedi Knights, four magical stones, and unobtainium, anyone?

For sci-fi, the choice of plausibility or not determines just where on the spectrum your tale will exist.

Plausibility in science fiction science

I cannot deny that my Void Incursion series is science fantasy. I have created worlds in an unnamed galaxy alongside mixed modes of faster-than-light travel and other elements lacking plausibility. It’s a lot of fun to write. While I keep SOME science in my science fiction – I know it’s barely paying it lip service

For my upcoming Forgotten Fodder series, on the other hand, I’ve been striving to maintain more plausibility. I did a lot of research into known stars – within a reasonable number of light-years from the Earth – with exoplanets. I’ve done some research into current scientific theories of faster-than-light travel.

While one or two concepts currently lack true plausibility – such as hover-vehicles and artificial gravity – most are not outside of the realm of possibility and realistic science fiction.

However, this is not going to pass a close examination. It’ll pass the ten-foot test and most likely the five-foot test. (If you are not familiar with the concept – it looks right from ‘X’ number of feet away – but any closer view will show the flaws, faults, and other matters that are wrong or incorrect.)

Ergo, my new series exists somewhere between The Expanse and Star Trek for plausibility. But I still wanted enough of a basis in science to pass the five-foot test.

This has led me down some amusing rabbit holes. Research into exoplanets, antimatter, fusion, and a lot of science that I have naught but super-basic minimal understanding. Fortunately, I LOVE learning new things – so all the research I have put into this has been fun.

However – the choice as to where in the sci-fi genre I want my stories to sit is a necessary consideration.

For the love of space operas and epics

I saw Star Wars (Episode IV – A New Hope) when I was 5 years old in 1977. That awakened in me a deep love of sci-fi. As a kid, I got into the original Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers, among other things.

While also a lover of fantasy – sci-fi has longest-held my interest. Hell, technically, the first book I wrote when I was 9 was sci-fi. So, too, was the work I wrote when I was 13.

But I have come to recognize the three vastly different takes on sci-fi – and where the plausibility falls or is utterly ignored. And there are stories, movies, and TV shows in all three that I love deeply.

I am on several different Facebook groups involving sci-fi and fantasy readers and writers. There are frequent discussions about the plausibility versus implausibility of things. Perhaps it’s the tech, human evolution, and similar matters.

Take religion. When we finally leave this solar system and start exploring space far beyond where we have thus far, what will become of religious beliefs? Since these matters of faith differ and impact everyone differently – how will they hold up to interstellar travel? Different authors have addressed this in different ways.

This brings up another, huge issue in sci-fi. Faster-than-light travel. Right now, this would violate Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity – nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Thus, even at light speed, the nearest potentially habitable exoplanet to Earth is 4.2 YEARS away.

Hyperspace, warp speed, wormholes, folding space/time – all tend to appear as aspects of space operas and epics.

Paying a visit to multiple worlds taking years doesn’t make for great storytelling. But – faster-than-light travel means those years become weeks, days hours, or even instantaneous (depending on which mode you use).

Science fiction that has become plausible

There are lots and lots of examples of sci-fi ideas that have gone from fantastical to realistic.

I am almost as big a fan of Star Trek as I am of Star Wars – though, admittedly, The Original Series is my least favorite Trek. But ever notice how early mobile phones – before smartphones – emulated the communicators from Star Trek?

Then, you got tech in The Next Generation that was fantastical just 30 years ago that’s our reality now. Tablets computers, virtual reality (granted – not the full-on holodeck), and video chat are here now. Yes, these programs inspired that tech – but the implausible has become plausible over time.

This is not the only example. Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game – published in 1985 – envisioned the world wide web – much as it is now – before it evolved into what we call the internet. (Though originally conceived in the 1960s, the modern variant came about in the very early 1990s). Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash of 1992 not only envisioned a world run by business much like today’s is – but he also included a car specifically designed to transport pizza (seriously – Domino’s has built this!)

There are lots of examples of sci-fi ideas becoming realities. The implausibility of yesterday is plausible and real today. If you are reading this – the tech you’re using was dreamed of in science fiction before becoming reality.

Plausibility (or lack thereof) in writing and artistic choices

No matter what genre you are working in – save nonfiction (yes, I am well aware you can make arguments for certain ideas like the Law of Attraction being more implausible than plausible – let’s not go there) – you get to choose. Do you inject plausibility into your story – or let it be magic?

There is room in fiction for both. I think one of the things people enjoy about James Bond films are the cool toys and mods to his cars that – though fantastical – are not wholly implausible. But then, his ability to escape (almost) always unscathed – and get the girl – stays in the fantasy realm.

As a writer, you get to choose. Other artists – such as painters – choose reality or more fantastic movements and styles. For example – impressionism, surrealism, and so on. Writing and the arts are all subjective – so as the creator you get to choose how much plausibility to apply – or not.

Whatever you decide is right. Give your love to your creativity no matter how plausible it is or isn’t.

Enjoy creating and all the work that goes into it. Plausible or implausible – realistic or fantastical.

Thank you for being part of my ongoing journey, for joining me, and for inspiring me and my craft.

This is the ninety-third article exploring the ongoing creative process. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.

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