Science fiction is a massively popular genre, but is it really science fiction, or is it fantasy? I believe it used to be based on science, back when writers like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke were publishing stories. Some say that when Star Wars came out in theaters in 1977, it forever altered the genre, even ruined it. I remember when my dad took me to see it in the theater in Seattle, 1977. I can attest to the fact that it changed my life. My perception of what movies could be was permanently altered and Star Wars became the standard in which all others were compared to and judged. It was an epic story, but let’s face it, it was less science, and more action/adventure and fantasy.
Really, I think it’s important to ask what readers want. Do most readers want to focus on the technical aspect of what’s going on? What makes spaceships fly, how machines work, or are they interested in the characters and the struggle they are going through? The hero’s journey? The amount of research it would take for an author to do, to be able to speak the technical language, would be incredible. I suppose I cheated, by having my books focus on characters that don’t understand the technical aspect but are forced to use it. After all, how many of us know every detail of how a car works, but are able to get inside and drive it with no problem. For me, it’s the same thing for a character to get inside a space ship and fly away. The machines are complicated inside, but they are so advanced, they practically fly themselves. It’s not such a stretch in my opinion.
So back to my original question, did Star Wars ruin science fiction? I don’t think so. It made it more appealing to more people; more exciting. The Ruins of Arlandia is science fiction, in that it is set in space, but it doesn’t focus on the technical workings of machines. It focuses on the characters, their victories and defeats, the ruthless enemy and the struggle to defeat evil. My goal was to make it feel as real as possible, with characters that felt real and believable.