sci-fi.md 2.6 KB
name: Science Fiction id: sci-fi language: en chapterTypes: ["Exploration", "Combat", "Setup", "Transition", "Payoff"] fatigueWords: ["delve", "tapestry", "testament", "intricate", "pivotal", "vibrant", "comprehensive", "nuanced", "embark", "foster", "underscore", "bolstered", "crucial"] numericalSystem: false powerScaling: false eraResearch: true pacingRule: "Worldbuilding emerges through action, not exposition. Tech reveals tied to plot-critical moments. Political/exploration arcs alternate with action every 2-4 chapters." satisfactionTypes: ["Discovery", "Tech Breakthrough", "Political Victory", "First Contact", "Mystery Solved", "Survival Against Odds"]
auditDimensions: [1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,24,25,26]
Genre Prohibitions
- Tech rules changing to serve plot convenience — once physics/tech is established, it must stay consistent
- Technology solving everything — every tech must have limitations; introduce problems tech cannot fix (corruption, emotion, human greed)
- Info-dumping science/tech explanations outside of plot-critical moments
- Ignoring logical consequences of technology — FTL, AI, biotech all have societal implications
- Hand-waving hard-science concepts in hard sci-fi without clear intent to treat science as soft
- Characters behaving as if from present day when story is set centuries ahead — cultural/linguistic adaptation matters
Tech Consistency Rules
- Every technology must have defined limitations and side effects
- New technologies create new problems — they don't just solve old ones
- If the story uses FTL, hyperdrives, or teleportation, establish rules and stick to them
- Hard sci-fi: explain the science, make it plausible, build consequences. Readers will check
- Space opera: science can be soft, but internal rules must be consistent across the narrative
- Show technology through character interaction, not textbook entries
- Era research required: reference real science correctly, extrapolate plausibly
Pacing Guidance
- Hard sci-fi: logical problem-solving drives pacing — each chapter should advance understanding or create new constraints
- Space opera: epic scale requires political/interpersonal arcs between action sequences
- Exploration chapters establish wonder and worldbuilding through character experience
- Political complexity: factions with competing interests, diplomacy alongside combat
- Tech reveals at plot-critical moments only — never dump specs for their own sake
- Action scenes grounded in established physics/tech rules — no surprise capabilities
- Settings spanning star systems need clear spatial orientation for readers