| How do authors develop the scientific ideas found | | | | bad and is cast out of the heavenly (morally pure) |
| in science fiction stories? The science in a SF | | | | universe. |
| story should be possible. That is, readers are | | | | The third story problem that needed a scientifc |
| easily convinced that the hardware (for example, | | | | solution was the need to find a means for human |
| a hyperdrive) could exist and that a described | | | | beings to fight aliens who possessed these kinds |
| technique for its use (warp speed achieved | | | | of powers. The science fiction solution to this |
| through use of dilithium crystal) is reasonable. The | | | | problem lay (in my mind) in abstract algebra. |
| ways authors find an idea for use in a story is | | | | Scientific literature I had read mentioned that our |
| the subject of this article. | | | | dimensions of left=right, back-forth, and up-down |
| In my own case, I began with three story | | | | have been described in the laws of physics by |
| problems. The first was how do I explain that | | | | about 20 constants. (Brian Greene explained this |
| when aliens appear, humans tremble and collapse | | | | idea in the elegant universe which I read and |
| in their presence? This response in the presence | | | | loved.) If we had a machine that could constantly |
| of an alien being is well-documented in literature | | | | monitor these fundamental constants of nature in |
| and modern mythology. In the Hebrew Scriptures | | | | some sort of field around us, we could know if |
| humans often collapse in the presence of an | | | | the numbers were changing or new numbers |
| angel; for example, in Daniel 8:17-18, when the | | | | were being introduced. If we could project such a |
| angel Gabriel approaches him, Daniel writes, I was | | | | field around us (in which these 20 constants were |
| terrified and fell prostrate. Reports of alien | | | | maintained), then a person inside such a field could |
| abductions often contain similar mention of | | | | stand in the presence of an alien who was |
| paralysis or disorientation. I used this human | | | | warping our space-time with values from his own |
| response in my story and explained it scientifically | | | | antithetical universe. In the end my story used |
| by suggesting that human incapacitation occurs | | | | bosonic field equations as a means of determining |
| because of the overlayering of the alien universe | | | | the presence of deformations caused by the |
| with our universe when an alien appears in our | | | | introduction of additional dimensions into our |
| space-time. In my story aliens bring their nine | | | | space-time. |
| dimensions with them when they appear, making | | | | This personal illustration exemplifies what I believe |
| three-dimensional beings physically sick. | | | | is the means through which science fiction authors |
| The second story problem was how can beings | | | | develop fictional science. Exposure to current |
| fight using thought alone? The idea was that in | | | | scientific thought in the dumbed-down literature |
| their own nine-dimensional universe, thoughts are | | | | scientists create for non-scientist is one place to |
| physically potent. Beings from a multi-dimensional | | | | look for ideas. By extrapolating from these ideas, |
| universe need only think to make things come to | | | | we can speculate on where scientific and social |
| pass. But what science could support such a | | | | issues may take a society. |
| WYTIWYG (what you think is what you get) | | | | What will happen with the fusion between man |
| universe? The physics of our universe support | | | | and machine (cyberpunk), how will warfare be |
| our life, so it is reasonable to suppose that the | | | | changed (military SF), what might an alternate |
| physics of a universe of nine dimensions would | | | | parallel universe look like, how might science |
| support the lives of spirit beings living there and | | | | effect intrigues or quests. In my case I'm |
| the actualization of their thoughts. | | | | interested in the idea of magic and the |
| However, this solution creates another story | | | | supernatural. My novel Time of the Heathen |
| problem: if a being living where thoughts became | | | | involves the idea that the supernatural is really |
| real suddenly had a bad thought (like monsters | | | | just the natural world of dimensional beings whose |
| destroying their civilization), such a thought must | | | | reality is supported by a physics we are only |
| come true, being supported as it is by the physics | | | | beginning to imagine. |
| of that universe. Therefore, beings living in such a | | | | If that were so, if the supernatural were really |
| place must be morally pure so they were not | | | | just something natural to another dimension or |
| subject to any evil designs or dark thoughts that | | | | another universe, what perspective would it |
| would change their universe from a heaven into a | | | | provide when looking back over human |
| hell. We've seen this idea in literature before. In | | | | mythology or forward to a prophetic future? |
| Milton's Paradise Lost a good angel (Lucifer) goes | | | | |