Writing

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Writing Hard Science FictionA Personal
Account

• John G. CramerProfessor of Physics
• Department of PhysicsUniversity of
  WashingtonSeattle, Washington 98195-1560

E-Mail cramer_at_phys.washington.edu Web
http//faculty.washington.edu/jcramer
Presented to Bellevue Rotary ClubSeattle,
Washington, May 20, 2003
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Outline of Talk

• How did I get into all this?
• The Alternate View Columns in Analog
• What is Hard Science Fiction?
• Twistor 1989
• Einsteins Bridge 1997
• Real vs. Rubber Science
• Writing your novel The Cramer Method
• Getting it published
• Conclusion

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How did I get into all this?

• Chair (1977- 81) of APS/DNP Nuclear
  ScienceResources Committee, providing
  physicsinformation to Congress (not lobbying!).
• Popular science writing, The Alternate
  Viewbimonthly science column in Analog
  Magazine,1983 to present. 108 columns written.
  (See http//www.npl.washington.edu/AV).
• Twistor (written 1986-88) about an
  unexpectedbreakthrough from a small table-top
  physicsexperiment in a university physics lab
  (UW).
• Einsteins Bridge (written 1989-96) about
  bigphysics at the SSC in Waxahachie, Texas.

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"The Alternate View" Columns

• Now 118 columns, 2,000 words in length, on a
  wide variety of topics in physics and
  astrophysics http//www.npl.washington.edu/AV
• Group 1 -- Cutting Edge Science
• Group 2 -- Quantum Mechanics
• Group 3 -- Neutrinos
• Group 4 -- Cosmology and Astrophysics
• Group 5 -- Gravity and General Relativity
• Group 6 -- Wormholes and Space Warps
• Group 7 -- Mega-Projects
• Group 8 -- Space Drives
• Group 9 -- Evolution and Catastrophe
• Group 10 -- Communications and Virtual Reality
• Group 11 -- Flashes in the Pan - Things That
  Didn't Work
• Group 12 -- Science Policy 

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What isHard Science Fiction?

• Serious attempt to portray science andscientists
  as accurately as possible.
• Scientists are often principal characters.
• Scientific problem solving is a major plot
  element.
• Authors are often scientists or engineers.
• Examples of hard SF by physicists and
  astronomers
• A for Andromeda Fred Hoyle
• Timescape and Cosm Gregory Benford
• Dragons Egg Robert W. Forward
• Contact Carl Sagan
• Twistor and Einsteins Bridge John Cramer

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Twistor (Morrow/Avon-1989)

• Scientific extrapolations of Twistor
• Condensed-matter physicists are performing an
  experiment to study holographic spin-order for
  use in memory storage devices.
• Their EM field unexpectedly rotates the
  shadow-spin of particles, converting normal
  matter to shadow matter andvice versa.
• Earths orbit is occupied by two other
  shadow-Earths that interact onlythrough
  gravity.
• These have been cross-seeded with life through
  infrequent action of ball lightning.

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Einsteins Bridge (Avon-1996)

• Scientific extrapolations of Einsteins Bridge
• Collisions at the SSC produce extra-dimensional
  signals that propagateto other bubble-universes.
• Intelligent aliens in another universeuse such
  signals to establish wormhole contact with other
  intelligent specieswho are doing high energy
  physics.
• Creation of time-like loops using wormholes can
  destroy the universeback to start of the
  wormhole, so thatthe universe can re-evolve from
  thatpoint.

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Real vs. Rubber Science

• Hard SF uses both real science and
  extrapolativerubber science in the plot.
• The real science must be completely accurate,or
  at least as accurate as the writer can manage.
• The made-up rubber science must be convincing and
  plausible. Twistor used extrapolations of 1986
  condensed-matter physics ideas. Einsteins
  Bridge started with SSC physics from design study
  reports.
• The joint between the real and rubber science
  must be invisible to the reader, like a
  root-graft on a fruit tree.
• I like to include an Afterword to inform the
  reader what was real and what was not.

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Writing Your NovelThe Cramer Method

• Construct a set of memorable imagesand
  scientific extrapolations that appeal to you.
• Design a plot that will use the science and
  conjureup the images.
• Design characters to fit the plot. Write their
  biographies. Have conversations with them.
• Choose the setting. Learn as much as possible
  about it.
• Outline the novel in scenes and chapters.
• Write the scenes. Write the dialog first. Then
  use third person point of view and sentence
  length to create effects.
• Rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and

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Getting YourNovel Published

• DO NOT self publish!
• Who do you know? Meeting writers and editors.
• Surviving the slush pile. (First page is
  crucial!)
• Get an agent after you have an offer.(DO NOT pay
  an agent to read your manuscript!)
• The book contract. (Thats what agents are for.)
• Dealing with editors (Theyre not journal
  editors).
• Rewrites (expect them) and copy editing (stet).
• Cover art (DO NOT expect to have any input!)
• Time to publication (Hurry up and wait).

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Conclusion

• There is a good market for hard SF.Both of my
  novels are now in their4th Avon mass-market
  paperbackprintings, and editors and readers are
  asking for more.
• The readers of hard SF really appreciate works of
  fiction in which the science is represented as
  accurately as possible.
• There is a need for good hard SF that portrays
  science and scientists in a positive light and
  communicates the challenge, excitement, and sheer
  fun of doing science.
• Hard SF reading and writing Try it. Youll
  like it.