In mainstream literature, a trope is a figure of speech: metaphor, simile, irony, or the like. Words used other than literally. In SF, a trope - at least as I understand the usage - is more: science used other than literally. Edward M. Lerner More Quotes by Edward M. Lerner More Quotes From Edward M. Lerner The biggest fatal flaw in most fictional portrayals of nanotech - what sends those books arcing across the room - is ignoring that the nanobots need energy to do... anything. Edward M. Lerner energybookneeds I was only eight when Sputnik was launched, and at that age the boundary between science and fiction is pretty blurry. Whichever way the process ran, I've been a fan of science and SF ever since. Edward M. Lerner eightfansage Science works as a way to make sense of life and the universe. Hard SF as my preferred fictional genre just feels natural. Edward M. Lerner genrenaturalway The scope of what I have to say determines the length of what I write. Edward M. Lerner lengthscopewriting One doesn't just wander unvetted into someone else's epic interstellar future history. Edward M. Lerner interstellarwanderepic Collaboration is a nice change of pace from the often solitary nature of the writer's craft. Edward M. Lerner collaborationpacenice The medical nanobots in my novel 'Small Miracles' tap the energy sources that the patient's own body provides. That is, they can metabolize glycerol and glucose, just as the cells in our bodies do. Edward M. Lerner smallmedicalbodyenergy Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect. Edward M. Lerner time-traveluniversetimetravel One of the bedrock principles of physics is the conservation of energy. In this universe, energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Edward M. Lerner universephysicsenergyprinciples Anything that can unambiguously represent two values - while resisting, just a wee bit, randomly flipping from the state you want retained into the opposite state - can encode binary data. Edward M. Lerner youvaluesdatawant The challenge - and much of the fun - of writing in an established future history lies in incorporating new knowledge while remaining true to what has gone before. Expanding and enriching, not contradicting. Edward M. Lerner challengefuturehistoryknowledge Some books are serials, not to be mistaken for anything else. 'The Two Towers,' for example, ought never to be read in isolation. Edward M. Lerner someneverisolationtwo Readers and viewers will differ about what's totally standalone, what's totally serially dependent, and what's merely enriched by reading/viewing in a particular order. Edward M. Lerner aboutwilldependentorder Authors like reading. Go figure. So it's not surprising that we sometimes bog down in the research stage of new writing projects. Edward M. Lerner downresearchreadingsometimes Happily, researchphilia is not the problem it once was. The Internet makes just-in-time research very practical. Edward M. Lerner practicalinternetproblemresearch Too much detail can bog down any story. Enough with the history of gunpowder, the geology of Hawaii, the processes of whaling, and cactus and tumbleweed. Edward M. Lerner downstoryenoughhistory History buffs expect historical background in historical fiction. Mystery readers expect forensics and police procedure in crime fiction. Westerns - gasp - describe the West. Techno-thriller readers expect to learn something about technology from their fiction. Edward M. Lerner mysterypolicetechnologyhistory Lots of science fiction deals with distant times and places. Intrepid prospectors in the Asteroid Belt. Interstellar epics. Galactic empires. Trips to the remote past or future. Edward M. Lerner placesfuturesciencepast The distinguishing characteristic of the techno-thriller is technical detail. Edward M. Lerner characteristictechnicaldetail A funny thing about near-future stories: the future catches up to them. If the author is unlucky, the future catches up faster than the book can get out the door. Edward M. Lerner doorfuturefunnybook
