10 Underused Concepts in Science Fiction


I already did underused creatures in fantasy, and it seemed to be pretty popular (you can go see it here), so now I'm doing another one! Since the only creature consistent to sci-fi is, um, aliens, I'm doing concepts instead. So, allons-y! Off we go on our list of ten underused concepts in science fiction.

Ever consider:

  • Aliens that are seriously NOT humanoid. Question: Does a fish have arms and legs? No? And yet they function anyway? News flash! Not all of God's creations are built the same way, so let's have some diversity! Make them something that can be more or less easily imagined, of course, like saying they were a cross between a squid and an albatross, but not all of them have to be humanoid.
  • Humans getting the short end of the stick on everything. A lot of people use the thing where we're underdeveloped as opposed to the other races, but we could even take it a step further. Maybe our lack of unity in our own race is frowned upon by the others. Maybe the way we insult each other left and right (you know, teasing) is considered bad. Or maybe we lack something they have. But wouldn't that be an interesting turn?
  • Racism. Rather than whitewashing, what do the aliens have? Who are the people that are all but worshipped? Who are shunned? What creatures are acceptable to use as pets (because think about it, if they aren't pets, they're slaves)?
  • The seriously dangerous habitats in which some species could live. There are planets out there that rain molten glass. What if someone lived there? If humans can survive at the north and south poles, think of the extreme conditions that aliens could live in!
  • The different generations of people. There are different generations here, think about the ones you might find in space! There would be people who were born before living in space was even an option, and there would be kids who were born in the years of transit from one planet to another and act weird because they're not used to life on the ground.
  • Planet vermin! This is a really weird thing, but I like it because it adds realism to the world. What little- or possibly big but stupid- creature are they always driving out of the house?
  • The 'humans are space orcs' conversation. If you have Tumblr, or even follow enough writing boards on Pinterest, you'll run across this eventually. Seriously, look it up on your Pinterest account. There are entire boards of this stuff. And the funny thing is, everyone loves to talk about it, but have I ever seen it in a book?? No!!! C'mon, pitch it at me! I'm ready! The basic concept of the 'Humans are Space orcs' thing is that humans might seem really weird with the stuff we put up with and the inconsistencies in our behavior. Example given:

  • Translation tech that doesn't work super well. I think I've only seen this in online posts, but think about some words that wouldn't have equivalents in the other language or the little notes after a bit of speech stating how accurate the translation of that last word was. Or the gaps between bits of speech while you're waiting for it to finish the translation to the other person. Translators are a pretty cool addition to any sci-fi novel, I think.
  • Some people being too poor to have the basic materials they need to make it on another planet. Not everyone might have what they need. They might be missing the basic stuff that all their friends have (like, you know, a translator, a spaceship/bus pass, the means to communicate with a ship to pick them up, boarding papers, idk, money in general???)
  • Weird rules. Sign posted: Please do not laugh at the trees. They will kill you. Why is this concept not used more? (the weird rules, not the deadly trees) If you can't come to Earth and verbally note that one human's skin tone is different from another, surely other planets can have weird taboos as well. The best is when the rule exists, and it's super important to keep to the rule, but the reason for it is never explained.

More from the Underused series:

Which was your favorite of the ten? Want any additions or part 2's in this series? Drop me an idea in the comments! I will make sure to reply!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

12 Underused Creatures and Animals in Fantasy

Image
Photo by  Антон Воробьев on Unsplash Look look! Another series! It'll probably be pretty short since I can only think of fantasy, sci-fi, and realistic fiction to involve in a series about underused creatures, but if you have another genre I could do, please comment and tell me because I would LOVE to expand this series! It is one of my favorite things in the world to think outside the box and do things that other people haven't done yet. And using creatures that no one else has used yet has been a big deal for me ever since I started writing. Heck, people didn't use the internet a ton just yet, so I would go fishing through the dictionary and encyclopedia to find a creature no one had used yet so I could use it. Or other times I would just make up something weird and give it a name.  Here's a list of the fantasy creatures/animals you've probably heard of, written about, and/or read about. Elves (one of the most common tropes, but how I love them) Fai
Read more

10 Underused Historical Settings in Fiction

Image
I've already done  10 Underused Concepts in Sci-Fi  and  12 Underused Creatures in Fantasy (click the titles to go to the posts), now it's time for historical fiction to get the spotlight. I don't write a lot of historical fiction myself, but I know there are a lot of historical fiction writers out there! These settings can also be used in a historical sci-fi novel, in a steampunk novel, or even for a fantasy setting. So this is applicable to almost everyone! So on that note: Idea list: activate! The Great Depression. I know that writers like to stray away from talking about people who are broke, on hard financial times, or homeless. It makes people uncomfortable. Well, you know what I say? Good . If you want to make a change, you're gonna make some people uncomfortable. You could write an excellent sci-fi novel based on the next depression that hits the future, or a fantasy world that is hitting hard times. Mesoamerica. Me! Me! I've done this! Whet
Read more

Villain Motivation Ideas Taken From History

Image
Not all villains are works of the imagination. And not all villains are as completely inhuman as we might prefer to think. Some people that we consider to be very, very bad had what could almost be seen as good reasoning behind their actions. Their deeds may have been bad, but maybe the thoughts from their heads can be used to tell some incredible stories. So here's four villain motivations taken straight from history. Changing the wording. (Hitler) Let's just get this guy out of the way first, shall we? Hitler and his Nazis are known across history to be some of the evilest people ever to exist. If someone's trying to think of a really evil person to use as an example, the name they settle on is normally Hitler's. And don't get me wrong. Hitler was a very, very bad man. But the thousands of people who followed him did not start off thinking the same way he did. They were carefully primed before they were commanded to help him in his dirty work. Hitl
Read more