Tag: sci-fi

Five Subgenres of Science Fiction Explained

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 2 Comments

Hello Writer Bees,

Today, we’re jumping into a spaceship and exploring the subgenres of science fiction. Let’s blast off and discover some sci-fi subgenres.

Space Opera

As the name would suggest, this sci-fi subgenre takes place in outer space, without the opera singing. Plotlines center around high-risk adventure and space travel. And yes, there’s usually a sweeping romance mixed in for good measure. Space exploration is prevalent in this subgenre. Which means your characters may encounter warfare, political rebellions and exotic locations with interesting inhabitants. World building is critical in Space Opera. You not only must create one planet but an entire universe. Try keeping notes for each location close by as you write to act as a guide to your galaxy.

Dystopian & Apocalyptic

In Dystopian and Apocalyptic fiction, every day is doomsday. The world is in turmoil. Every living creature struggles. The apocalyptic story takes place in an alternative reality or timeline, after a catastrophic event or the end of the world. After the decline of the human race or the end of Earth itself, your heroes do whatever they can to survive. As a whole, this sci-fi subgenre can be looked as a metaphor. A chance to explore social and political structures, if you’re into that sort of thing. Examine the different directions humanity can take depending on their choices. What the end result of those decisions? That’s up to you. When writing a dystopian story, keep in mind the message and theme you are trying to convey. That message will act as your compass are you craft the dystopian world.

Cyber Punk 

The cyberpunk subgenre is a futuristic world centered around computer technology. This sci-fi subgenre tends to have an urban, gritty, futuristic vibe. Sometimes, cyberpunk stories have elements of dystopian fiction mixed in, making for a nuanced narrative. With overt surveillance or advanced weaponry, technology has overtaken everyone’s lives on way or another. And characters may not be 100% human. Be prepared to construct characters that aren’t all flesh and blood, that may have some machinery incorporated into their bodies. Think about how the added metal impacts their day-to-day lives.

Steampunk

Get those cogs turning with steampunk fiction. In this sci-fi subgenre, it’s all about a specific aesthetic. It’s retro and futuristic and whimsical all at once. Technological innovations are based on the shiny brass and steam powered marvels of the 19th century industrial era. Not only are the contraptions vintage inspired, so are the character’s clothing. Goggles on top hats is a look. Authors such as H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley are huge inspirations for this sci-fi subgenre. Might be a good idea to brush on that Victorian era history. Some aspects of Victorian era culture and societal norms can still be prevalent in a steampunk world.

Alternate History

Imagine if you could go back in time and change one historical event? In the Alternate History subgenre, you can. Use fiction to twist the past. In this sci-fi subgenre, a momentous event from the past occurs and is resolved differently than what happened in real life. How does the altered resolution effect the rest of the timeline? Not only that, how does this change in the timeline effect characters and society as a whole? It’s up to you as the writer to redesign history. Create what the world looks like when history has derailed from its known course. For this sci-fi subgenre, make sure you do the research beforehand. Once you have a solid understanding of history, then you can distort history with creative liberty.  

Interested in learning about other subgenres? Check out these!

What’s your favorite science fiction book? What sci-fi genre do you gravitate towards? Talk to me in the comments.

Write with heart.

Love,

Lady Jabberwocky

A Remnant of Earth (Sci-Fi 100 Word Story)

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 7 Comments

Shoved to his knees, the scavenger kneels before Lady Pellanora of the Vega Galaxy. Sitting on a throne, she wears a gown of silver stardust. Hulking mechanical guards at her sides.

Knife to throat, he pleads. “Your brilliance, apologies for entering your realm without permission. Please, grant my ship safe passage and in exchange, I’ll bestow a priceless artifact.”

“And what, feeble human, could you possibly offer me?” The Lady muses.

He holds a glass vial housing a green sprout in soil sample. “A remnant of Earth.”

She scoffs. “Earth was destroyed.”

In his helmet, he grins. “Earth is resilient.”

Write with Heart.

Love,

Lady Jabberwocky

What Inspired My Short Stories (Part Two)

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 8 Comments

Hey Writer Bees!

So, this week, I tested positive for Covid. I’ve had a bad fever and chills and non-stop coughing. Not a fun time, I assure you. This is my first go-around testing positive with Covid. Don’t worry, I’ve been resting and working from home the past few days. And I’m looking forward to a three-day weekend staycation.

You guys loved my last story inspiration post, I decided to do a part two while I’m quarantining. Enjoy!

Remember The Crazy Times of 2020?

How fitting is it that I start off with this story, huh? While surrounded by blankets and used tissues? Right at the start of 2021, I wrote this 100-word story. We were all in the middle of the pandemic. I wanted to remember this crazy time and captured that in a short story. Because really, years from now, how will quarantine and covid be remembered? How will we talk about this moment in time? That idea inspired this piece. Also, it was an effort to spread some hope through humor. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Sunny Day Towing Company

Let’s keep the positivity train rolling, shall we? Frankly, this short was inspired by a bad day. I had a stressful and overwhelming couple of days, was in a bad headspace. My mental health was struggling. But the magical thing about creativity is that it can be used as an outlet. Using this blog as a safe space, I channeled all my sadness into writing a short story. I imagined my worries being towed away. And honestly, my heart felt a little lighter after writing this story. Lesson learned, sometimes, you have to write with heart and write what you are feeling. No shame in that game.

A Victim at Midnight

Before I wrote this story, I wrote 5 Subgenres of Horror Fiction Explained. One of the subgenres I talked about was psychological horror. While horror isn’t my favorite, I do enjoy a good ghost story. Taking inspiration from the psychological horror subgenre and my love of all things haunted and mystery, I wrote this story. Plus, I was able to mix in detective fiction elements too. Super happy with how this piece turned out. To challenge myself, I try writing in genres I don’t usually write in. It’s a great writing exercise, I highly recommend exploring other genres.

Is there a story behind your stories? What has inspired your creative endeavors? Talk to me in the comments.

Write with heart.

Love,

Lady Jabberwocky

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What Inspired My Short Stories (Part One)

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 14 Comments

Hey Writer Bees!

I’m always interested to hear where other creators find their inspiration for their stories. What tiny seed of an idea grew into an amazing work of fiction. Today, I’m sharing what inspired some of the stories I’ve posted here on this blog. The story behind my stories, if you will. Hope you enjoy.

The Sleepless Queen

Funny story behind this story. Every Sunday, I play Dungeons and Dragons with friends. My DnD character, Poet the Tiefling Rogue, has made an appearance here once or twice. Character creating in DnD is super fun. Different races and classes have their own unique traits and set of guidelines. For example, Elves don’t need eight hours of sleep, they only need four. And that got me thinking. What happens if your partners does not require the same amount of sleep you do? Like do they just watch their lover sleep? Or do they go do their own thing? I’m speaking in a hypothetical fantasy setting, of course. This simple “What if…” question sparked the idea behind this fantasy piece. A Queen who never sleeps, watching over her king and her kingdom.

This is BEN-G567

This 100 word story is about a robot drifting in space. That’s all. Essentially, this was a writing exercise in quick sentences. Brief sentences reminded me of robot speech. That mechanical, stiff way of communicating. Short sentences paired with an 100 word limit pushed my imagination into overdrive. Also, sci-fi is not a genre I swim around in often. Most of the time, I’m writing fantasy or mystery. As writers, It’s important to experiment with different words and writing styles and genres. Those challenges expand our horizons and make us stronger writers and creatives.

Oh She’s Marvelous

This one is about a clairvoyant wizard who looks into the future of his unborn child. At the time of writing this story, my partner’s family was expecting a baby. My nephew was about to be born. You know, when someone in your close family is pregnant, everyone gets excited. I remember all of us in baby fever. That baby fever surrounding our nephew’s birth inspired this short story. Along with my love of Merlin, of course. If I’m honest, I don’t know yet if children will be in my future. Right now, my partner and I are content being the fun aunt and uncle. But, it’s nice to imagine what a little one’s life will become. That’s what this story is about. And now, I can’t believe that tiny peanut will be two years old in September! Time flies!

At the end of the day, inspiration is hiding where you least expect. Open your eyes and your brain to the stories around you. Is there a story behind your work? What has inspired your writing? Talk to me in the comments.

If you guys really enjoy this post, let me know. Maybe this could become a series on the blog.

Write with heart.

Love,

Lady Jabberwocky

It Lives in Kentucky (100 Word Sci-Fi Humor Story)

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 11 Comments

“What did you do!?”

The girl. Wendy Jane. From a farm in nowhere, Kentucky. Freckles.

“Smee wanted hamburger.”

The extraterrestrial. Sm’ium. Smee for short. From a planet past Pluto. Laser gun in tentacle.

Together, they stood in front of the vaporized remnants of a cow. Blood and guts splatted onto the grass.

“Generous one said hamburgers come from beef, yes?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Generous one is generous. Let Smee sleep in red dwelling with riding beast.”

“You mean the barn with the horse?”

“If beef is in cow, then hamburger is in cow.”

She facepalmed. “Your logic’s off, buddy.”

Hey Writer Bees. Two 100-word stories in a row? Crazy! Actually, this one’s been sitting in my drafts folder for YEARS. I always said I’d play around with it on a rainy day. And today is that rainy day. I kinda like how it turned out. It’s dialogue heavy and with limited descriptions. When it comes to filling any blanks, I’ll leave it to your beautiful imagination.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Write with heart.

Love,

Lady Jabberwocky

This is BEN-G567 (100 Word Sci-Fi Story)

~ ladyjabberwocky ~ 6 Comments

This is BEN-G567. Robot of Earth.

1,340.50 miles to target.

Total duration of flight since launch: 199 days, 20 hours 36 minutes. 24 seconds. 25 seconds.

986.72 miles to target. Energy levels sufficient.

Probability of successful landing: 95%.

Incoming unknown mass. Brace for impact. Impact. Emergency. Emergency.

Plutonium power source damaged. Leak detected. Wheels down.

This is BEN-G567. I am lost.

Navigation damaged. Current distance from target: Unknown.

Propulsion engage. Engine failing. Repeat. Engine failing.

Entering planet atmosphere. 100 miles to target.

Probability of successful landing: Less than 5%. Landing preparation sequence activated.

This is BEN-G567. BEN-G567 programmed to endeavor and discover. Spare jets engaged. Accelerate.

Lost. Lost connection. Lost.