So this may possibly be a stupid question, but I'm having a few issues creating my sci-fi novel and creating a suitable world. I'm trying to create a world with a totally new government system, different rules etc. The thing is, I wanted to at first do this using our world. But I was having issues finding a way to make it like this. I just couldn't find a suitable way to transition from the current state of the world to the way I wanted it to be. So I was thinking whether I should just create a whole new world similar to ours. So my stupid question is: Is it more interesting to create ones own world or use ours but adding that twist? What do you ind more interesting to read? I know I should be deciding this by myself but on one side I like my original idea of using our world but twisting it up, but then on the other side I'm not sure if I can make this work and using my own fantasy world would be alot easier. Thanks
I find more realisistic sci-fi entertaining. Perhaps you could use this world in a parallel universe.
You can make a different world any way you want it to be. I think this is why fantasy genres are so popular these days (at least judging by the folks who post here). Sci Fi, magic, etc, can be convenient ways to get around the difficulty of more realistic settings that have details that make things difficult for the writer. Much easier if you can wave an inconvenient reality away. Ah, but there is a catch. If you invent a new world, or a future version of this one, you need to have a thorough understanding for yourself of how and why things are the way they are. You may find yourself dwelling on the oddest little details. Not that they will necessarily be part of the story, but they will be part of the background that you need to understand. And, no, it's not a stupid question at all.
I would have to disagree with sci-fi being classed alongside fantasy. Sci-fi takes what we currently know of our universe and current highest technology and looks at the theoretical then makes predictions in a creative way of what the future could be like. It doesn't even jump into fantasy when imagining other worlds. The created world has a realistic, predictable feel entirely based in current science.
Basically the sci-fi story I have in mind is quite realistic and possible. It deals with Eugenics. Not planning on doing the generic alien invasion, robots etc. This will be quite a realistic story with a different government system...or entire world system I guess. I want to use our world, but I seriously have no idea at all how to transition from how the world currently is, to my slightly future state of it. I'm thinking about maximum 100 years into the future.
Take a look into history if you want to know the future. See how and why countries change govenments then apply it to today.
I did not say they were similar in all respects, I said they were similar in one particular respect - in allowing the writer to interject a different reality from the here and now.
Well, okay, if you want to a new form of government, you need to know your politics and economics. Wikipedia actually isn't a bad start, but you have much research to do if you aren't knowledgable on the topic. Lets just say it goes far beyond mere government vs markets and liberals vs conservatives.
The best comparison I can come up with is that of the Middle Ages. I won't have kings or queens, but instead creating my own rulers. They also won't be ruling entire countries, instead areas depending on their wealth and power. I'm not planning on having some crazy complicated system...calling it a government was a mistake on my part. That's not the problem I'm having though. I can't figure out how to transition from how the world currently is to what I want it to be in the space of about 100 years. I need a realistic reason for this. The easier way of course would be to just create my own world, but I'd prefer the first.
Hmm...well, when countries are at war with each other, governments can become really unstable. (For example: Hitler got power because after WWI, Germany wasn't doing well and he promised to bring Germany back to the powerful country it once had been.) So, maybe, you could create a sort of WWIII. That way, many countries could be involved and it would serve as an interesting piece of history to mention - if you choose to do so. One certain ruler (a Hitler sort of figure) ends up winning WWIII and in turn takes all the land he has won and divided them into regions to entrust to his important and trusted friends. Then you could maybe have a small Civil War that will knock the top guy down and instead the regions would be determined by how powerful a certain ruler was.
Okay, you're looking for feudalism. You should read some cyberpunk, which will tell you about neo-feudalism through corporatism, the latter of which you can read about on wikipedia. But anyway, you should develop the politics, for it will add depth to the world, and will make the world more believable for readers. The latter is important because simplistic politics will not only make the world seem very shallow, but will also strike many readers as overly black and white. Black and white morality is fine, if well developed. Simplistic Black and White though isn't a good idea in a novel.
The novel I'm writing at the moment isn't really what I'd call sci-fi, but it kind of is at the same time. It's a sentient A.I. story, blah blah blah. It starts before a major governmental change and ends at/after one. The government beforehand isn't mentioned so much, because it's not particularly necessary to mention it. It's a democracy to <new system that is still pre much democracy> change. The changes are monumental, but it still retains the appearance of democracy and all that, if that makes sense. For you, I suggest you look at democracy, and look at your system, and you think about the single defining moment that would bring that change about. Have that change be a part of your universe. Apply new system.
Ah nice thanks guys I'll have a look into those! I guess what makes it hard thinking of such a change is the fact that I need it to happen to the entire planet, not just one or two countries.
That doesn't seem so odd. The Human Rights Document didn't just change the countries of the "West". It changed every country in the world. Some countries will always be a few years behind others, but the change is inevitable. All you need to do is have the change be finished everywhere. If that makes sense? I'm pre sure it does.
Creating a new world is almost as detailed a task as writing the story/novel itself in my experience. It requires much more thought and detail than one would think as everytime you make one decision about the way your world works, you end up posing yourself an additional five questions to answer. Like an earlier poster commented, you can end up focusing on minute details that most readers may not notice, but you have to get right for your own accuracy or even peace of mind. If creating a new world from scratch, ensure you are enthusiastic enough with it to become familiar with it. You have to know your world inside out. I once made the mistake of rushing the creation of a world and, as I wrote, I kept forgetting how things worked because I musn't have believed in it enough. As a consequence, when I came to a rewrite and an edit I discovered numerous contradictions and plotholes. In a new world, even the simplest things have to be acknowledged to the reader if they are different from the norm. If you're happy enough to do this and you pull it off successfully, becoming immersed in a new world can be a valuable experience for the reader.
