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hard science fiction
10 Books that Prove Science Fiction Just Got Harder
Why do so many books labeled "hard science fiction" actually contain technology that works pretty much like magic in a fantasy novel? Hard science fiction is supposed to be the branch of SF that's rigorously scientific, and doesn't gloss over difficult problems like faster-than-light travel. Larry Niven's Ringworld series, with its long passages on how you'd engineer a giant space structure, is often held up as a prime example of hard SF that works. And yet most lists of hard SF include authors like Frank Herbert, whose Dune series about giant worms who create a substance that allows people to "fold space" with their minds is many things — but not so much based in science. At the same time, hard SF is often defined very narrowly, not including cutting-edge sciences like biology or nanotech. It's as if most definitions of hard SF were written back in the 1950s and not rethought much since. That's why we've got a list of ten books that we think are redefining hard SF for the twenty-first century. More »
9:52 AM on Thu May 29 2008
By Annalee Newitz
20,620 views,
78 comments
Latest by n/a: On the other hand, I like action/adventure in space. Not so much on the relationships. To me Sci-fi requires space ships, blasters and some serious daring do. Scantily clad maidens are appreciated, but optional. I really don't care if the more »
