WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.790 --> 00:00:30.039 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): All right. Hello, everybody happy. Tuesday afternoon, evening, morning from wherever you are joining us in the world. It is so good to see you. I guess my dog is my dog is here and joining us as well. Just to make sure that everything is working. If you can see and hear me. Okay, can you please drop your name in the chat? As well as your favorite sub genre of Science Fiction to read or to write, or both. 2 00:00:30.940 --> 00:00:32.789 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Hi, Patrick! Good to see you. 3 00:00:37.540 --> 00:00:40.589 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Hi, Phil! From Chicago. Good to see you as well. 4 00:00:45.080 --> 00:00:46.500 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Hi, John 5 00:00:46.990 --> 00:00:48.780 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): and Wyoming. 6 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:53.789 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Nicole, like speculative Science Fiction. 7 00:00:56.127 --> 00:00:58.309 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Letia, Leticia, Letia! 8 00:00:58.400 --> 00:01:04.760 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Etya! Sorry if I'm mispronouncing that loves what was that? Paranormal sci-fi? 9 00:01:04.790 --> 00:01:16.910 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): And so for those of you who just are joining us. You're just dropping your name if you want to share where you're coming from as well. And then your favorite subgenre of Science Fiction, Arthur from the nether Netherlands says, can't pick just one. 10 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:23.239 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): We have someone from Latvia, Chris from Latvia, Andres from Colombia, Linda from California. 11 00:01:24.270 --> 00:01:25.709 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Rosemary in Georgia. 12 00:01:26.090 --> 00:01:32.450 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Hi. Erin from New Zealand. Good to see you shek abhishek from London, India, and London. 13 00:01:32.570 --> 00:01:35.833 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Devin from Washington, originally in the Uk. 14 00:01:36.670 --> 00:01:58.139 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): sci-fi fantasy, Mary's a space opera fan. I love space opera as well. Brandy loves the overlap of sci-fi and fantasy. John loves time, travel, alternate history great. We've got a wide, a wide representation of Sci-fi sub genres here. So I apologize for the fact for Knox just rolling on the background. He's apparently this is his nighttime ritual. 15 00:01:58.410 --> 00:02:23.369 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Anyway, it is so good to see all of you we are. I'm going to turn the reins over to Kyle in just a second, but I'm going to start with a little bit of housekeeping, just to make sure that if this is your 1st session with us you are caught up on what to expect, as well as how to make sure you have any of your questions for Kyle in the right place. So 1st of all, how to access your replays. So your replays are added to the Hub page. 16 00:02:23.370 --> 00:02:46.059 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Once they're done processing by zoom. And Youtube this can take a little bit of time they're typically added by the next day. So if you want to go to sleep today and check back in the morning, the Content should be up there at that point, and then they're going to be on that page until September 20, th and at which point they will transition into the pro writing community pro writing aid community for all members to view at that point. 17 00:02:46.962 --> 00:03:11.500 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): All of the sessions this week on Monday, through Thursday, are free for everyone to attend. But Friday sessions are limited to premium and premium pro users. We have a number of cool things happening on Friday. We've got some live workshops, and just some really interactive and fun things. So if you'd like to upgrade by Friday any type of plan will, if you upgrade by Friday, will give you access to that final day of session. And if you are already a premium or premium 18 00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:21.379 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): pro user, or if you upgrade by that point, you'll receive an email Friday morning with instructions for how you can attend those live sessions as well as view the replays for those particular sessions. 19 00:03:21.667 --> 00:03:36.129 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): And then, if you would like to join us for the 1st time, and you have not yet if you join us during this week, you will get 15% off premium or premium pro subscription to providing aid which, in addition to all of the amazing content that you'll get on Friday. 20 00:03:36.290 --> 00:03:52.600 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): also unlocks all the kind of premium tools within prowriting aid itself. So you'll be able to work on entire chapters with things like critique customize your editing experience, and I'll be talking a lot more actually on the session on Thursday about how you can utilize prowriting aid to edit your sci-fi. So we'll talk more about that on Thursday. 21 00:03:52.790 --> 00:04:10.380 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): and then, if you would like to keep connecting with us talking about Science Fiction, either continuing the chat with other users or with some of our speakers. You can join the online writing community utilizing the link and on the screen there you can also just find it by going to prowritingaid.com, and then find a community under the learn heading. 22 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:34.799 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Now a few reminders for this specific session. Please use the Q&A box which is located in the center of your screen. If you have questions for Kyle, we'll have some time for questions at the end and utilizing that Q. And a box helps us keep track of those questions, so we don't miss anything. If you want to just chat with other viewers, or just talk about what's kind of going on in the presentation. Then go ahead and use the chat, but otherwise I'll redirect you into the Q. And a. 23 00:04:34.820 --> 00:04:44.800 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): In order to make sure that we don't miss anybody's questions, and Kyle's slides, as well as some more information about Kyle will be linked on the Sci-fi week hub, which is right there 24 00:04:44.850 --> 00:04:51.990 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): and then, if you would like to learn more about what Kyle offers as well as his editing services, I'm going to put a couple of links in the chat 25 00:04:52.230 --> 00:05:10.170 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): for both his editing services and the ability to book a 30 min consultation. Call with him. I'll drop that again as we get to the end of the session. Okay, with all of that housekeeping taken care of, I think it is time to welcome our speaker, so I am thrilled to welcome Kyle Sisko to Science Fiction writers. Week. 26 00:05:10.170 --> 00:05:35.150 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Kyle is a story grid, certified editor from Winter Springs, Florida, where he's told me there might be a thunderstorm today. So we'll keep an ear out for that. And Kyle is a disabled Air Force veteran, utilizing his discipline and attention to detail as an aircraft mechanic to check the structural integrity of your story. He's a writer working on a flintlock fantasy, thriller series and horror story. Anthology. Kyle has 3 kids, 3 dogs and a wife that supports history 27 00:05:35.150 --> 00:05:53.850 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): of editing books, as well as a love of reading that can never be sated, which is very similar to me. And then, as an editor, Kyle specializes in helping authors bring their world to life through the compelling world building and his vast knowledge of history. So Kyle, welcome. Thank you so much for joining us at Sci-fi writers week and yes, I'll turn it over to you. 28 00:05:54.370 --> 00:05:55.580 Kyle Cisco: Thank you for having me 29 00:05:56.350 --> 00:05:57.780 Kyle Cisco: alright. So 30 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:04.050 Kyle Cisco: today, we're going to be talking about the subgenres of Science Fiction and how to 31 00:06:04.690 --> 00:06:05.880 Kyle Cisco: use 32 00:06:06.010 --> 00:06:07.600 Kyle Cisco: or how to 33 00:06:07.830 --> 00:06:11.849 Kyle Cisco: meet the reader expectations that they have for those subgenres. 34 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:19.699 Kyle Cisco: This is a topic that I'm extremely passionate about. I love science fiction. I have since 35 00:06:20.630 --> 00:06:27.650 Kyle Cisco: I started reading, and it's just such an amazing genre. So as we get into it. 36 00:06:28.070 --> 00:06:32.250 Kyle Cisco: this is the agenda. We're going to go over a quick introduction 37 00:06:32.986 --> 00:06:38.633 Kyle Cisco: as well as an introduction into the Science Fiction subgenres, at least the main ones. 38 00:06:39.190 --> 00:06:47.059 Kyle Cisco: then we're going to go into the reader expectations of Science fiction, and then we're going to go into 4 of the ones that are 39 00:06:47.190 --> 00:07:02.770 Kyle Cisco: less likely seen in the mainstream nowadays, just to kind of give you a taste of what Science Fiction is capable of, and give you some ideas of how to write within these 4 specific sub genres. 40 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:13.519 Kyle Cisco: So, knowing the Science fiction readers, expectations. The great thing about Science Fiction is that 41 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:15.110 Kyle Cisco: it's 42 00:07:15.750 --> 00:07:24.730 Kyle Cisco: a setting for a story. And within that setting you can tell basically any of the stories that you want to tell. 43 00:07:24.960 --> 00:07:34.720 Kyle Cisco: The main thing that I get when I work with clients is that they come to me and they're like, Hey, I wrote a sci-fi, and I was like, That's great. What kind of story are we trying to tell? 44 00:07:34.780 --> 00:08:03.890 Kyle Cisco: And then they give me a little bit of what the story is about. And the wonderful thing about Science Fiction is that you can write an action story. You can write a crime story. You can write a love story all within the Science Fiction realm, and it makes each individual science fiction story different. That's why, when you go to a bookstore and you're looking for what Science Fiction book that you want to read. You always have to read all the backs of the books, because you're never quite sure what kind of story you're going to 45 00:08:03.890 --> 00:08:11.530 Kyle Cisco: get in that broad term of Science Fiction. So you have to investigate all of the stories to kind of read which one 46 00:08:11.940 --> 00:08:13.960 Kyle Cisco: tickles your fancy the the 47 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:15.140 Kyle Cisco: the most. 48 00:08:15.640 --> 00:08:21.679 Kyle Cisco: So with that being said, we're going to go into the elements of Science Fiction specifically 49 00:08:21.970 --> 00:08:40.020 Kyle Cisco: now, as Isaac Asimov said in the 19 fifties he came up with these 3 kind of categories for Science Fiction. Now, back in the day, it was more generally accepted that one of these would influence your story, and you'd kind of stick to that one. 50 00:08:40.130 --> 00:08:46.429 Kyle Cisco: The the way Science Fiction has been going in recent times is that most of 51 00:08:46.570 --> 00:08:49.352 Kyle Cisco: the 3 are used in a single story. 52 00:08:49.950 --> 00:09:06.490 Kyle Cisco: The difference with today's Science Fiction is that you'll have 2 of the main elements in the story. And then the 3rd element that isn't part of the main like that isn't the main element will support those 2 main elements in 53 00:09:07.410 --> 00:09:10.270 Kyle Cisco: making you able to bring the world 54 00:09:10.400 --> 00:09:21.670 Kyle Cisco: to life a little bit better. So the 3 categories are technology based which focuses on the emergence of a new technology which fundamentally changes the way people live 55 00:09:22.495 --> 00:09:33.230 Kyle Cisco: in this new tech used for the betterment? Or is this new tech used for the betterment of society? Or is it co-opted into being used as a tool to control it. 56 00:09:33.280 --> 00:09:41.599 Kyle Cisco: And so those are kind of the the questions that go along with when you include the technological element into your story. 57 00:09:41.800 --> 00:09:44.300 Kyle Cisco: The social element. So 58 00:09:44.660 --> 00:09:59.740 Kyle Cisco: most Science Fiction is about that new idea, the the pushing of boundaries, the way that we do that is through conceptual breakthrough. This is the point at which the world view is challenged by a paradigm shift. 59 00:10:00.010 --> 00:10:11.790 Kyle Cisco: Now, a paradigm shift is, or a paradigm is, the consistent idea that's relevant in the world as the story begins. You know the Old Guard. And then. 60 00:10:12.010 --> 00:10:21.039 Kyle Cisco: because of this new emergence of conceptual breakthrough, this new idea that comes onto the scene. It challenges that old worldview. 61 00:10:21.690 --> 00:10:32.930 Kyle Cisco: And that's where you get cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is where those 2 world views are struggling to see which is going to be the everlasting idea. 62 00:10:33.760 --> 00:10:41.606 Kyle Cisco: So when we look at social Sf, a lot of the examples that come to mind usually lie in dystopian 63 00:10:42.190 --> 00:10:49.819 Kyle Cisco: fiction or science fiction, as well as alternate history, delves a lot into this, and 64 00:10:49.970 --> 00:10:53.840 Kyle Cisco: cyberpunk as well, is usually the second 65 00:10:54.010 --> 00:10:55.290 Kyle Cisco: of the 66 00:10:55.370 --> 00:11:06.860 Kyle Cisco: the main elements. But we'll get deeper into that as we go along. But just as an example, those are some of the ones that heavily rely on the social aspect of Science Fiction. The last one is setting. 67 00:11:06.880 --> 00:11:18.110 Kyle Cisco: So the setting of the story in this is, does it take place on a different planet are we on Earth? But after an apocalyptic event? Is this distant or far future, or even 68 00:11:18.991 --> 00:11:27.179 Kyle Cisco: Or it distant past or far future? You know the galaxy a long time ago, far, far away kind of thing? Or is it 69 00:11:27.340 --> 00:11:39.049 Kyle Cisco: further in the future? And then setting is essential in the grounding the reader into the store, and solidifying how much they have to suspend their disbelief as well. So 70 00:11:39.070 --> 00:11:44.879 Kyle Cisco: these are the elements of Science Fiction. Now these go hand in hand with the type of story that you're going to tell. 71 00:11:45.060 --> 00:11:46.070 Kyle Cisco: and 72 00:11:46.660 --> 00:11:56.570 Kyle Cisco: it will differ, depending on what story you are going to tell within the Science fiction genre, but these are the main staples to stay true to the Science Fiction genre. 73 00:11:59.020 --> 00:12:04.250 Kyle Cisco: These are the main subgenres of Science Fiction. As far as 74 00:12:05.470 --> 00:12:06.990 Kyle Cisco: these are the most 75 00:12:07.050 --> 00:12:17.890 Kyle Cisco: relevant. There is a larger list, and that stream off of each one of these and gets more specific. But these are the ones that are the accepted 76 00:12:18.330 --> 00:12:29.350 Kyle Cisco: sub genres so alternate history. This is the ultimate question of what if? A great example of this one is, you know, what if the South had won the Civil War 77 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:35.140 Kyle Cisco: in America? Or what if the Germans had won World War 2, 78 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:51.309 Kyle Cisco: or if the United States had lost the Cold War. Those are 3 of the most popular examples in alternate history at this moment. The next one is this heavily relies on the emergence of a new technology 79 00:12:51.470 --> 00:12:57.760 Kyle Cisco: and kind of how it changes the world, and also in some of the novels it 80 00:12:58.140 --> 00:13:04.819 Kyle Cisco: allows the protagonist to enter into a stream of consciousness that isn't 81 00:13:06.397 --> 00:13:28.679 Kyle Cisco: available to us right now, especially in books like the neuromancer when he enters into what they call the matrix, which is basically the precursor since it came out before the emergence of the Internet. That's basically the Internet is where the he's entering into as is as an avatar and kind of able to manipulate the world. 82 00:13:29.060 --> 00:13:35.230 Kyle Cisco: The next one is for contact. And this is the traditional sci-fi story where 83 00:13:35.990 --> 00:13:41.579 Kyle Cisco: us humans come in contact with another sentient race. And it's how 84 00:13:42.250 --> 00:13:48.100 Kyle Cisco: that interaction goes. Is it peaceful? Is it not peaceful? Alien invasion? 85 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:49.660 Kyle Cisco: Stories 86 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:55.520 Kyle Cisco: fall into this category as well as a sub sub genre of 1st contact. 87 00:13:56.910 --> 00:14:00.900 Kyle Cisco: the next one is hard, slash, soft science fiction. 88 00:14:01.290 --> 00:14:06.810 Kyle Cisco: So in hard Science Fiction, like Alistair Reynolds, you get a lot of technical. 89 00:14:07.010 --> 00:14:11.359 Kyle Cisco: how the science works behind the technologies that he's describing 90 00:14:11.510 --> 00:14:30.759 Kyle Cisco: and really going into the science of how it works. And then, on the opposite side of that is soft science fiction. This is more when the story is relying on a social aspect. Because political science and other sciences are influencing 91 00:14:30.890 --> 00:14:40.339 Kyle Cisco: that story. So it's softer in the fact that it's not a whole bunch of technology that's being discussed. But there are changes going on either in Us. 92 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:44.079 Kyle Cisco: Sociopolitical aspect, or just in 93 00:14:44.510 --> 00:14:46.749 Kyle Cisco: in general, normal life. 94 00:14:46.780 --> 00:14:51.330 Kyle Cisco: The next one is military science fiction. This is the. 95 00:14:51.880 --> 00:14:54.400 Kyle Cisco: It's an amalgamation, usually of 96 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:58.500 Kyle Cisco: space opera and Military Science Fiction. 97 00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:04.930 Kyle Cisco: A lot of the Times pure Military Science Fiction is kind of like a starship troopers where you have 98 00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:17.350 Kyle Cisco: war in space, and the biggest elements are the technology that that's used in those wars that we don't have now, and how military operations have changed. 99 00:15:19.005 --> 00:15:22.330 Kyle Cisco: From our present time in the future 100 00:15:22.852 --> 00:15:28.499 Kyle Cisco: space opera. I'm pretty sure this is probably the most familiar to everybody. This is the traditional 101 00:15:28.590 --> 00:15:30.740 Kyle Cisco: Science Fiction story that 102 00:15:30.920 --> 00:15:31.910 Kyle Cisco: is. 103 00:15:32.190 --> 00:15:32.900 Kyle Cisco: or 104 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:37.020 Kyle Cisco: ever before. This is 105 00:15:37.030 --> 00:15:44.190 Kyle Cisco: the the Star Wars and those epic journeys across space and exploration of space. 106 00:15:46.770 --> 00:15:47.560 Kyle Cisco: The 107 00:15:48.650 --> 00:15:49.730 Kyle Cisco: the next 108 00:15:50.030 --> 00:15:53.290 Kyle Cisco: are post-apocalyptic and 109 00:15:53.310 --> 00:16:00.810 Kyle Cisco: Utopia dystopia. Now these play together generally in the fact that a post apocalyptic event, or 110 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:12.100 Kyle Cisco: the apocalyptic event, you know, you can write a story about that. The post Apocalypse is usually how society comes back to reform itself after an event of that scale. 111 00:16:12.170 --> 00:16:23.719 Kyle Cisco: and generally after the Apocalypse is when society either comes into a dystopian kind of tyrannical watchdog, especially when 112 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:27.824 Kyle Cisco: your if your story is based off of nuclear weapons, for example. 113 00:16:28.190 --> 00:16:35.759 Kyle Cisco: you'll have either a really tightly controlled, Dystopian kind of tyrannical rule that tries to limit 114 00:16:36.153 --> 00:16:42.620 Kyle Cisco: warfare. And even though they're trying to keep the peace, they just don't do it in a way that is 115 00:16:43.370 --> 00:16:55.219 Kyle Cisco: morally right, and then you have a Utopian society that could emerge as well, which is, you know, the paradise on earth that everybody sees peace Utopian novels aren't 116 00:16:55.690 --> 00:17:00.080 Kyle Cisco: as common as dystopian. But we're going to go over that in more detail. 117 00:17:00.560 --> 00:17:06.260 Kyle Cisco: So from there we're gonna start and hit our 1st subgenre, which is alternate history. 118 00:17:07.410 --> 00:17:34.660 Kyle Cisco: so alternate history is an exploration of what could have been the subgenre emerged as a question of what if expanding upon the theory of what the world would look like when events in history had not happened, or it ended differently. So the 2 main elements in alternate history stories are generally going to be setting? What does the world look like after the pivotal change in history 119 00:17:35.370 --> 00:17:40.429 Kyle Cisco: and the social? And that is, how did this change affect society? 120 00:17:40.820 --> 00:17:57.300 Kyle Cisco: The supporting element in these stories are generally the technology. So, for example, if the Nazis had built the atomic bomb before America and the Allies, how would that. How would that development look like now, if the Germans and Japanese ruled the world. 121 00:17:58.010 --> 00:18:02.569 Kyle Cisco: and what kind of different technologies would we see from 122 00:18:02.910 --> 00:18:09.710 Kyle Cisco: that experience as well as other aspects that go into it. Now, the 2 123 00:18:09.890 --> 00:18:19.079 Kyle Cisco: 2 of my favorite examples for this that I put slides is Harry Turtle, Doves, Joe Steele. This is basically a book that 124 00:18:19.780 --> 00:18:23.449 Kyle Cisco: has America going Socialist after 125 00:18:24.053 --> 00:18:30.229 Kyle Cisco: Fdr. Is an elected President before World War 2 and kind of how that works out for America. 126 00:18:30.510 --> 00:18:31.560 Kyle Cisco: and 127 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:34.290 Kyle Cisco: the next one is Philip K. Dix. 128 00:18:34.350 --> 00:18:40.580 Kyle Cisco: man in the high castle, which is, if the Axis had won World War 2 and split America in half 129 00:18:41.536 --> 00:18:50.630 Kyle Cisco: the East coast, being ruled by the Nazis and the West coast being ruled by the Japanese and going into what that would look like as well. 130 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:52.010 Kyle Cisco: These 131 00:18:52.020 --> 00:18:53.850 Kyle Cisco: stories are 132 00:18:54.250 --> 00:18:58.230 Kyle Cisco: pivotal in Science Fiction, and really the 133 00:18:58.350 --> 00:19:02.000 Kyle Cisco: the thing that comes up the most is the event that you use. 134 00:19:02.180 --> 00:19:07.619 Kyle Cisco: and where that break in history occurs. So in the beginning I went over kind of the 135 00:19:07.870 --> 00:19:09.159 Kyle Cisco: the general 136 00:19:10.040 --> 00:19:22.362 Kyle Cisco: 3 or 4 biggest ones that are used. But there there are so many points in history that you can see as the starting point for a different, a differing timeline. 137 00:19:22.780 --> 00:19:24.600 Kyle Cisco: the one that I really 138 00:19:24.650 --> 00:19:27.250 Kyle Cisco: have been waiting to see is 139 00:19:27.735 --> 00:19:44.320 Kyle Cisco: if America, or if the British had lost the French and Indian war and the French still controlled Mo, some of North America what that would look like going forward, and how that would have affected the World Order. And if the American Revolution would have even happened at that point. 140 00:19:45.770 --> 00:19:46.860 Kyle Cisco: The 141 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:49.230 Kyle Cisco: there are other ones that 142 00:19:49.250 --> 00:19:56.640 Kyle Cisco: explore the similar kind of avenues. A lot of them take place around wars, but don't have to. 143 00:19:57.350 --> 00:19:59.260 Kyle Cisco: This could be an event that 144 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:12.530 Kyle Cisco: drastically changes the timeline. But it doesn't have to be a war per se. It could be an assassination of a key figure throughout history that would have changed something or something isn't invented 145 00:20:12.870 --> 00:20:16.821 Kyle Cisco: and affects the timeline. As far as that goes. 146 00:20:19.450 --> 00:20:22.010 Kyle Cisco: alternate history. It gives you so many 147 00:20:22.190 --> 00:20:28.250 Kyle Cisco: options to explore those? What if questions that are so prevalent throughout? 148 00:20:28.670 --> 00:20:32.879 Kyle Cisco: Society in general like you know? What? What if that had happened? 149 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:36.770 Kyle Cisco: It gives you a chance to explore that. And through using the 150 00:20:37.100 --> 00:20:43.630 Kyle Cisco: the setting and the social aspects of how that factors into that change that you 151 00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:48.890 Kyle Cisco: are proposing is going to influence the story 152 00:20:49.380 --> 00:20:51.070 Kyle Cisco: that you're going to tell. 153 00:20:51.840 --> 00:20:55.990 Kyle Cisco: The next thing that we're going to dive into is cyberpunk. 154 00:20:58.590 --> 00:20:59.550 Kyle Cisco: So 155 00:20:59.730 --> 00:21:07.610 Kyle Cisco: cyberpunk is a sub genre focusing on the transformative technological, a transformative technological advance 156 00:21:07.780 --> 00:21:11.800 Kyle Cisco: causing a radical change or a breakdown in social order. 157 00:21:12.390 --> 00:21:32.661 Kyle Cisco: So the 2 main elements of a cyberpunk story are the 1st one is definitely the technology. This is the primary focus of this subgenre, the use of which leads to a new human experience, and even being able to enter a different plane of existence. As I said, with neuromancer and several other books. 158 00:21:33.040 --> 00:21:34.520 Kyle Cisco: the reminiscence. 159 00:21:35.345 --> 00:21:53.160 Kyle Cisco: existence reminiscent to the world. Wide web the next one that is usually coupled with the technology in a cyberpunk is the social aspect. And this is usually a secondary focus. But it's just as important as the technology. 160 00:21:53.667 --> 00:21:59.279 Kyle Cisco: It's because of this change in technology that influences the complete reordering 161 00:21:59.340 --> 00:22:04.600 Kyle Cisco: of the social system. Or, conversely, it could be what causes it to collapse. 162 00:22:04.840 --> 00:22:21.989 Kyle Cisco: So, using the social element in conjunction with the technological aspects of a cyberpunk is going to be what gives you the divide between technology and the emerging or collapsing social order that they're dealing with 163 00:22:23.020 --> 00:22:32.890 Kyle Cisco: cyberpunk does tend to mix well with dystopia as well, which I'll get into as we get into dystopia further on, a little bit more. 164 00:22:33.030 --> 00:22:39.099 Kyle Cisco: but that's usually a good coupling as far as coupling subgenres to make 165 00:22:39.907 --> 00:22:44.720 Kyle Cisco: it more interesting and use more of the elements. Equally. 166 00:22:45.840 --> 00:23:07.200 Kyle Cisco: the supporting element in a cyberpunk is usually the setting, and it's in order to have a more vivid and detailed setting. It can ins it can expand the world and really show the impact that the emerging technology has had on the state of the world and the social order that it came into 167 00:23:08.216 --> 00:23:22.959 Kyle Cisco: the the best example. My favorite example is neuromancer, but also John Brunner's shockwave rider is a great example of the this genre at work as well. William Gibson basically 168 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:27.830 Kyle Cisco: is the the grandfather of cyberpunk. And he 169 00:23:28.070 --> 00:23:33.779 Kyle Cisco: he! He does such a great job in neuromancer to kind of set the stakes. And what is 170 00:23:34.060 --> 00:23:35.250 Kyle Cisco: truly 171 00:23:36.210 --> 00:23:42.969 Kyle Cisco: just a monumental feat in science fiction and literary literature in general, and 172 00:23:43.430 --> 00:23:47.170 Kyle Cisco: really kind of calling. The emergence of the Internet 173 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.839 Kyle Cisco: before it happened. The 174 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:53.320 Kyle Cisco: cyberpunk as a genre isn't 175 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:06.110 Kyle Cisco: as popular in the mainstream nowadays, but this is something that, with the emergence of so much AI technology and just the technological advances that we're going through in the world today. 176 00:24:06.190 --> 00:24:14.410 Kyle Cisco: it can really become relevant again because there is so much changing in the technological or in the technology 177 00:24:14.590 --> 00:24:18.416 Kyle Cisco: field as it is that there is so much information to work with here 178 00:24:18.730 --> 00:24:20.930 Kyle Cisco: and really getting. 179 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:26.759 Kyle Cisco: you know more and more advanced as we go. So 180 00:24:26.910 --> 00:24:31.450 Kyle Cisco: yeah, I mean, the sky's the limit with cyberpunk, especially with 181 00:24:31.560 --> 00:24:33.879 Kyle Cisco: how technology goes. So 182 00:24:34.840 --> 00:24:41.759 Kyle Cisco: the next one that we're going to talk about is the science Military Science Fiction. 183 00:24:43.565 --> 00:24:51.660 Kyle Cisco: War stories on different planets and in the future, and the future of warfare in essence. These are the trials and 184 00:24:51.800 --> 00:24:54.300 Kyle Cisco: deprivations of the ultra 185 00:24:55.080 --> 00:25:14.720 Kyle Cisco: of ultra modern warfare on the soldiers and humanity. This sub. This subgenre frequently crosses over and couples well with space opera, just mainly because space opera and the exploration of space usually leads to conflict. So it it 186 00:25:14.780 --> 00:25:16.740 Kyle Cisco: plays heavily into 187 00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:27.069 Kyle Cisco: both of those genres expectations. The the main 2 elements of Military Science Fiction that you want to hit is the setting. 188 00:25:29.190 --> 00:25:37.909 Kyle Cisco: it's 1 of the driving factors the reader wants to see new and exotic worlds and aliens. It must. It's a must have for 189 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:53.310 Kyle Cisco: readers to experience different, vividly colored planets, or even just barren wasteland planets. That's that's what those readers really want to see, as far as the setting goes, and then the secondary one. 190 00:25:53.740 --> 00:26:06.529 Kyle Cisco: But still one of those main elements is the technologies new and more destructive weapons of war are reality in our lives as it is today. And this makes the genre exciting and seeing 191 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:10.119 Kyle Cisco: the new innovation of warfare, and how it will change. 192 00:26:10.580 --> 00:26:11.750 Kyle Cisco: and how 193 00:26:12.040 --> 00:26:14.589 Kyle Cisco: and how will warfare change in the future? 194 00:26:16.350 --> 00:26:19.569 Kyle Cisco: The supporting element in this is 195 00:26:19.650 --> 00:26:21.370 Kyle Cisco: generally social. 196 00:26:21.600 --> 00:26:26.460 Kyle Cisco: and especially in the case of when you're writing a series. 197 00:26:26.670 --> 00:26:27.680 Kyle Cisco: The 198 00:26:27.800 --> 00:26:39.189 Kyle Cisco: the 1st few books in a military Sci-fi series are usually, you know, different planet, different planet different planet. And then once you get to Book 3, they really start to 199 00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:44.069 Kyle Cisco: come up with their own ideas about the conflict and kind of the, the. 200 00:26:45.610 --> 00:26:48.740 Kyle Cisco: the aspect of the forever war kind of. 201 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:50.779 Kyle Cisco: and knowing that 202 00:26:50.840 --> 00:27:07.080 Kyle Cisco: if they just keep fighting everything, then not much is going to change, and that social aspect as it gets added in, even if you do it from the first, st you know, 1st or second novel in a series, it's going to build to a point where they look upon 203 00:27:08.330 --> 00:27:17.050 Kyle Cisco: the the actions that they're doing or the technology and how it's being used to base, basically propagate warfare. 204 00:27:17.610 --> 00:27:28.719 Kyle Cisco: And they're going to look back on that and question why? And this adds another element into a series, particularly because it can change it from just being. 205 00:27:28.790 --> 00:27:40.739 Kyle Cisco: you know, conquer this planet, conquer this planet, conquer the next planet into okay. We've conquered all these planets. But why are we still fighting? And then it can throw the series in a different direction 206 00:27:40.950 --> 00:27:47.060 Kyle Cisco: and really leveraging. That is going to be what makes the series 207 00:27:47.655 --> 00:27:54.020 Kyle Cisco: step out of the mold of being a really plot driven kind of story into a more character driven 208 00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:57.790 Kyle Cisco: and plot driven series going forward. 209 00:27:58.330 --> 00:28:02.539 Kyle Cisco: the 2 best examples of military science, fiction 210 00:28:02.810 --> 00:28:10.419 Kyle Cisco: and kind of the main staples of the genre are starship troopers from Robert a highline cause. That was 211 00:28:10.590 --> 00:28:15.609 Kyle Cisco: basically the the one that made the genre what it is. And then 212 00:28:16.236 --> 00:28:36.329 Kyle Cisco: Joe Halderman basically wrote a rebuttal to starship troopers in the forever war and the forever war. It leans more heavily towards the social changes because it is a where it was meant to be a standalone book. But then, several sequels had come out, but at the time it was 213 00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:38.080 Kyle Cisco: leaning on 214 00:28:38.280 --> 00:28:39.300 Kyle Cisco: the 215 00:28:39.570 --> 00:28:53.730 Kyle Cisco: the main character, Mandela's experience as when he returned to Earth it was always several decades had passed, so there was big social upheavals between his journeys home, and how that kind of played into 216 00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:58.119 Kyle Cisco: his character, and why he stayed his stays in the military. 217 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:01.840 Kyle Cisco: So the 218 00:29:01.890 --> 00:29:03.630 Kyle Cisco: next and 219 00:29:04.943 --> 00:29:17.286 Kyle Cisco: final one that we want to go over in depth, and we'll start taking questions is the Utopia and dystopia. So for this one there's a quote that I found that I really 220 00:29:18.260 --> 00:29:20.409 Kyle Cisco: liked, as far as 221 00:29:21.290 --> 00:29:35.270 Kyle Cisco: talking about a brave new world, and that is Utopias appear much more real realizable than we formally believe them to be. And now we find ourselves faced with a question which is painful in quite a new way. 222 00:29:35.350 --> 00:29:39.069 Kyle Cisco: How can we avoid their complete realization? 223 00:29:39.230 --> 00:29:45.867 Kyle Cisco: This is a quote about brave New World by Aldous Huxley. And even though 224 00:29:46.340 --> 00:29:53.360 Kyle Cisco: That book is generally accepted as a dystopia, the hedonistic values that it portrays. To give 225 00:29:53.740 --> 00:29:57.200 Kyle Cisco: the control over people is 226 00:29:57.840 --> 00:30:04.640 Kyle Cisco: at the time is what appealed to people to kind of release them from everyday life. The 227 00:30:05.060 --> 00:30:08.790 Kyle Cisco: the focus on Utopia and dystopia is 228 00:30:08.810 --> 00:30:18.799 Kyle Cisco: the focus on a social, a sociopolitical issue ramped up to its highest intensity, making either a tyrannical state or a paradise on earth. 229 00:30:19.170 --> 00:30:31.809 Kyle Cisco: These are generally set in the future, but this can also be coupled well with alternate history depending on what pivotal event you've changed within your alternate history and how it affects 230 00:30:32.050 --> 00:30:34.140 Kyle Cisco: the society going forward. 231 00:30:35.100 --> 00:30:37.849 Kyle Cisco: The 2 main elements of 232 00:30:37.970 --> 00:30:40.210 Kyle Cisco: the Utopia dystopia 233 00:30:40.840 --> 00:30:45.269 Kyle Cisco: subgenre is social is the main one, and this is 234 00:30:46.310 --> 00:30:53.519 Kyle Cisco: usually following a collapse of social order, either an apocalyptic event, or, in the case of alternate history. 235 00:30:54.100 --> 00:30:55.480 Kyle Cisco: this can also, 236 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:59.360 Kyle Cisco: be an assassination of a major figure, or 237 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:13.560 Kyle Cisco: in the terms of it, can't happen here by Sinclair Lewis. I think it was the election of a different President, and the same with the Joe Steele novel that pushes them towards a different ideological 238 00:31:13.600 --> 00:31:14.620 Kyle Cisco: kind of 239 00:31:15.110 --> 00:31:17.169 Kyle Cisco: area that they're not used to 240 00:31:17.420 --> 00:31:18.480 Kyle Cisco: the 241 00:31:20.350 --> 00:31:21.350 Kyle Cisco: this 242 00:31:22.218 --> 00:31:24.961 Kyle Cisco: new regime. New new regime 243 00:31:26.180 --> 00:31:29.430 Kyle Cisco: making it, making the rules either 244 00:31:29.500 --> 00:31:31.420 Kyle Cisco: into an ideal place 245 00:31:31.860 --> 00:31:37.139 Kyle Cisco: to live or transformed into the ultimate police state to control their people. 246 00:31:37.260 --> 00:31:40.989 Kyle Cisco: We've also seen this in novels like 1984 247 00:31:41.080 --> 00:31:48.790 Kyle Cisco: and brave New World, but they do it a little bit differently there setting plays a major part in the dystopia. 248 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:55.569 Kyle Cisco: and that is the more detailed the world building, the more immersed the reader will become in 249 00:31:55.590 --> 00:31:58.749 Kyle Cisco: the Utopia Slash dystopia that you're writing. 250 00:31:59.380 --> 00:32:05.150 Kyle Cisco: Technology is generally used in a supporting element to this 251 00:32:05.510 --> 00:32:17.109 Kyle Cisco: there could. There are several that use technology as a main element, as far as we by Yevgeny Zim Yatin 252 00:32:17.983 --> 00:32:22.200 Kyle Cisco: his technology of the All seeing or the all hearing ear. 253 00:32:22.911 --> 00:32:35.130 Kyle Cisco: Basically is a way to spy on the citizens. And there's also other ones that the technology really kind of affects the dystopia. But, generally speaking, the technology is added to expand 254 00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:42.910 Kyle Cisco: and go into more detail of how the people are controlled in this Utopia dystopia that you're reading. Of. 255 00:32:43.330 --> 00:32:44.350 Kyle Cisco: The 256 00:32:45.340 --> 00:33:02.050 Kyle Cisco: other example that I have up here is Island by Aldous Huxley. This was the last book that he wrote before he died, and it was really in contrast to the brave New World. It was about a Utopia that was slowly decaying into a dystopia. 257 00:33:02.830 --> 00:33:03.840 Kyle Cisco: and 258 00:33:04.250 --> 00:33:05.290 Kyle Cisco: the 259 00:33:05.490 --> 00:33:21.099 Kyle Cisco: the contrast between brave New world and island is just one that when you read them back to back, you really kind of get a great look at how a Utopia, how a Utopia could work! And then 260 00:33:21.140 --> 00:33:26.970 Kyle Cisco: also you get a look at how a Utopia can quickly turn into a dystopia. 261 00:33:28.190 --> 00:33:29.190 Kyle Cisco: So 262 00:33:30.230 --> 00:33:42.509 Kyle Cisco: these are those 4 subgenres that I really wanted to to talk about. And if you have further questions about those, we'll go into the QA part. Now. 263 00:33:43.590 --> 00:33:53.869 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great all right. We've got a number of questions that will just work from the top and then go down and again, if you have any more questions, please drop them into the QA. And we will go from there. 264 00:33:54.531 --> 00:34:04.189 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): So our 1st question is, what's what are the differences between hard or soft sci-fi, and is it possible to write a hybrid between these 2. 265 00:34:05.100 --> 00:34:07.669 Kyle Cisco: Yes, that is definitely possible. The 266 00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:18.830 Kyle Cisco: the biggest difference between hard and soft Sf, is going to be the level of technology and science that you put into the manuscript describing how 267 00:34:19.330 --> 00:34:21.276 Kyle Cisco: technology works 268 00:34:22.389 --> 00:34:30.959 Kyle Cisco: and also in softer in the soft Science fiction, it generally relies more on the social aspect. So the more that you meld 269 00:34:31.010 --> 00:34:42.199 Kyle Cisco: the social aspect with technology, you're going to hit the middle point of hard and soft. Sf, so it's definitely possible to write a hybrid. It's just you. 270 00:34:42.250 --> 00:34:48.589 Kyle Cisco: You explain science enough so that it's understandable. But without going into the 271 00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:50.810 Kyle Cisco: all consuming kind of 272 00:34:51.260 --> 00:34:54.590 Kyle Cisco: workings of how it's done. 273 00:34:54.690 --> 00:34:59.920 Kyle Cisco: while also having a social element that softens out 274 00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:10.919 Kyle Cisco: the science. And so, the difference being that one of them is very scientific, as in like a technologically scientific method, and then the other one. 275 00:35:11.300 --> 00:35:19.499 Kyle Cisco: The soft Science Fiction generally uses political science or social sciences to soften out that. 276 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:29.019 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great. Thank you. The next question is, which genre? Does Steampunk fall under. 277 00:35:31.160 --> 00:35:35.540 Kyle Cisco: So that is a good question. The steampunk falls under. 278 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:42.659 Kyle Cisco: It is its own category. In that it is 279 00:35:43.930 --> 00:35:53.490 Kyle Cisco: about steam operated technology. The the common element is the the punk side of that, and that's resistance towards 280 00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:55.130 Kyle Cisco: authority 281 00:35:55.240 --> 00:35:57.199 Kyle Cisco: in and of itself. So 282 00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:00.099 Kyle Cisco: generally in those stories, it is 283 00:36:00.690 --> 00:36:04.390 Kyle Cisco: more dystopic than 284 00:36:05.430 --> 00:36:15.860 Kyle Cisco: than Utopia. So it's a group of people fighting against the industrial revolution, and it is usually that early steam powered industrial 285 00:36:15.890 --> 00:36:22.189 Kyle Cisco: aspect of steampunk that is being fought against, and the the resistance to change 286 00:36:23.230 --> 00:36:24.400 Kyle Cisco: it is 287 00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:27.410 Kyle Cisco: generally steampunk falls under 288 00:36:27.750 --> 00:36:29.320 Kyle Cisco: fantasy 289 00:36:29.770 --> 00:36:31.540 Kyle Cisco: most of the time. 290 00:36:31.670 --> 00:36:35.830 Kyle Cisco: There are instances of alternate history that you can 291 00:36:37.648 --> 00:36:44.940 Kyle Cisco: turn into Steampunk, where, instead of coming up with the combustion engine, they lean more heavily into 292 00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:47.239 Kyle Cisco: steam driven technology. 293 00:36:47.410 --> 00:36:49.650 Kyle Cisco: I've seen that done before, and 294 00:36:49.850 --> 00:36:52.370 Kyle Cisco: the novel Pavain 295 00:36:52.510 --> 00:36:56.289 Kyle Cisco: by Keith Roberts. This relies 296 00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:58.570 Kyle Cisco: heavily on 297 00:36:58.720 --> 00:37:05.419 Kyle Cisco: steam driven technology. Because the world has been basically taken over by the 298 00:37:05.910 --> 00:37:12.590 Kyle Cisco: Roman Catholic Church. And it really just plays up that fact of keeping technology low. 299 00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:21.540 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great. Okay, Philip asks, how would you categorize the shadow? And Doc Savage. 300 00:37:25.210 --> 00:37:31.347 Kyle Cisco: So for the Shadow and Doc Savage, those are mostly action stories told. 301 00:37:32.180 --> 00:37:34.390 Kyle Cisco: within a 302 00:37:35.120 --> 00:37:38.209 Kyle Cisco: a thin veneer of Science Fiction. 303 00:37:40.290 --> 00:37:47.900 Kyle Cisco: they generally are more about the plot, and having less to do with the elements of Science Fiction themselves. 304 00:37:50.940 --> 00:37:58.070 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great. Okay. Brandi asks, what are the expectations of dark Science fiction, fantasy or dark science fantasy? Sorry. 305 00:37:59.120 --> 00:38:07.209 Kyle Cisco: So the expectations for for dark science fantasy is definitely going to rely on that grim. 306 00:38:07.640 --> 00:38:10.489 Kyle Cisco: very grim outlook on the world. 307 00:38:10.710 --> 00:38:11.810 Kyle Cisco: The 308 00:38:12.190 --> 00:38:15.749 Kyle Cisco: fantasy is going to play into a part as 309 00:38:15.770 --> 00:38:22.930 Kyle Cisco: contrary to the technology that you're using. So Gen. Generally in dark science fantasies, you get 310 00:38:23.050 --> 00:38:32.810 Kyle Cisco: a conflict between the magic system and the technology level that's being expressed within the story. And that's going to be the root of 311 00:38:33.730 --> 00:38:52.599 Kyle Cisco: the overall conflict in in the story, that is to say, that, depending on what type of story you're trying to tell, whether it be action, thriller crime that will also influence that background of the conflict between magic and science. 312 00:38:52.790 --> 00:39:00.329 Kyle Cisco: But that's going to be the main focus of anything that's science fantasy. And then when you add dark into it, that's 313 00:39:00.560 --> 00:39:03.220 Kyle Cisco: basically bringing out the really 314 00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:05.770 Kyle Cisco: newar kind of gritty 315 00:39:06.180 --> 00:39:12.834 Kyle Cisco: world that you you're building. Most of those worlds are not pleasant places to to live. 316 00:39:13.460 --> 00:39:29.179 Kyle Cisco: to give you a straight, fantasy. Example of that would be the Malizam book of the Fallen like that is a just, awful place that nobody would ever really want to live there, and that plays into why, it is such a dark 317 00:39:30.310 --> 00:39:32.200 Kyle Cisco: story most of the time. 318 00:39:35.675 --> 00:39:41.530 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Kl asks, can you talk about Science Fiction romance? There are many sub genres within that. 319 00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:50.500 Kyle Cisco: So Science Fiction romance is actually one of the ones that I've I see most often 320 00:39:50.610 --> 00:39:51.750 Kyle Cisco: as 321 00:39:52.050 --> 00:39:59.029 Kyle Cisco: the main genre. And then the sub genre kind of feeds into that. The there there are so many 322 00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:01.030 Kyle Cisco: interesting. 323 00:40:01.693 --> 00:40:08.720 Kyle Cisco: to say the least, romantic genres that you can pick from the the main 3 are obsession. 324 00:40:09.325 --> 00:40:11.950 Kyle Cisco: Love to hate and hate to love. 325 00:40:12.550 --> 00:40:21.860 Kyle Cisco: And those are basically the 3 types of love story that you can tell. Now there are definitely more so nowadays than 326 00:40:22.010 --> 00:40:23.439 Kyle Cisco: how it was 327 00:40:23.510 --> 00:40:29.899 Kyle Cisco: a little bit ago is more of that alien human romance, and getting into the very 328 00:40:32.210 --> 00:40:36.446 Kyle Cisco: far out kind of concepts of how that's worked into the story. 329 00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:45.440 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great anonymous asks, can a story be cyberpunk without the neon lights? 330 00:40:47.830 --> 00:41:05.080 Kyle Cisco: Yes, absolutely so the neon lights are is definitely one of those things that is like a staple of cyberpunk, and that is just for the visual aesthetics. It's usually when they turn a cyberpunk 331 00:41:05.180 --> 00:41:11.749 Kyle Cisco: book into a movie where you get the overarching. You know, neon lights in your face. 332 00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:19.199 Kyle Cisco: The main aspect that you want to focus on with your cyberpunk is the emergence of the new technology. 333 00:41:19.670 --> 00:41:22.799 Kyle Cisco: The that emergence of a new technology 334 00:41:23.090 --> 00:41:27.309 Kyle Cisco: is going to be what drives that world in and of itself 335 00:41:27.560 --> 00:41:31.349 Kyle Cisco: into the social aspect of how they use that technology 336 00:41:31.510 --> 00:41:32.600 Kyle Cisco: and 337 00:41:34.040 --> 00:41:44.965 Kyle Cisco: the aesthetics are definitely a part of that, but it doesn't have to be neon lights and all kinds of like times. Square Las Vegas type settings 338 00:41:45.410 --> 00:41:51.629 Kyle Cisco: in a lot of cyberpunk. It's very gritty and more new war style 339 00:41:51.870 --> 00:41:54.230 Kyle Cisco: than the visual 340 00:41:54.430 --> 00:41:57.089 Kyle Cisco: representation of cyberpunk. So 341 00:41:57.120 --> 00:42:04.360 Kyle Cisco: the thing is is you. You can disconnect from the visual side of cyberpunk like the games and the movies. 342 00:42:05.050 --> 00:42:07.299 Kyle Cisco: They all have their own kind of 343 00:42:07.470 --> 00:42:11.570 Kyle Cisco: aesthetics that they bring cyberpunk literature. 344 00:42:12.180 --> 00:42:22.329 Kyle Cisco: They tell of that in a way, but really the the real focus is on the technology and the social aspect of how this technology is 345 00:42:22.650 --> 00:42:24.440 Kyle Cisco: affecting society. 346 00:42:26.460 --> 00:42:28.320 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great. So someone asks. 347 00:42:28.330 --> 00:42:38.730 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): is there a market for adult Utopia right now, I ask, because when I go into a bookstore, most sci-fi books on the shelves. Shelves seem to be ya dystopias. 348 00:42:40.610 --> 00:42:43.069 Kyle Cisco: That is a great question. The 349 00:42:43.720 --> 00:42:45.730 Kyle Cisco: Utopias are 350 00:42:48.830 --> 00:42:50.949 Kyle Cisco: generally harder to write. 351 00:42:51.230 --> 00:42:52.210 Kyle Cisco: The 352 00:42:53.410 --> 00:43:02.210 Kyle Cisco: the interesting thing about dystopia slash Utopia. Both of them is that one person can read a dystopia 353 00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:07.010 Kyle Cisco: and find it to be their Utopian experience. 354 00:43:07.100 --> 00:43:09.370 Kyle Cisco: and vice versa. So 355 00:43:09.650 --> 00:43:17.564 Kyle Cisco: when somebody reads brave New World, if they are all about, you know, hedonism, and you know, 356 00:43:18.370 --> 00:43:25.200 Kyle Cisco: fairly frequent drug use and the like. That could be their ideal experience 357 00:43:25.320 --> 00:43:26.390 Kyle Cisco: where 358 00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:42.500 Kyle Cisco: other people might read that and be absolutely horrified by that kind of world. The the island by Aldous Huxley. When I read that I found that that island that he was talking about was a complete and utter dystopia to me 359 00:43:42.640 --> 00:43:45.330 Kyle Cisco: like I would never want to live in that island. 360 00:43:45.610 --> 00:43:59.870 Kyle Cisco: but it was written as a Utopia. So when it changed into a dystopia for me that never really happened. It was one dystopia just changing regimes into another dystopia. So really, it's 361 00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:15.760 Kyle Cisco: when you write a Utopia. Just be prepared that people will take it as a dystopia, and some people will take it as a Utopia they are generally the harder of the 2 to write, because it's hard to find a way 362 00:44:16.040 --> 00:44:19.120 Kyle Cisco: in which a Utopia plausibly works 363 00:44:19.870 --> 00:44:22.918 Kyle Cisco: and that takes into effect like the economic 364 00:44:23.490 --> 00:44:26.219 Kyle Cisco: ways, because people look into 365 00:44:26.430 --> 00:44:33.679 Kyle Cisco: Utopia harder than they do a dystopia, because it's easier to believe that a place is a complete hellhole 366 00:44:33.700 --> 00:44:45.940 Kyle Cisco: than it is to believe that, you know it's paradise on Earth. So they're going to look into the economic system and just the the policies in general of a Utopia more 367 00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:55.919 Kyle Cisco: in depth than they would a dystopia. So just keep that in mind. And if you do have a great Utopian idea, I mean write it anyway, because 368 00:44:56.210 --> 00:44:58.869 Kyle Cisco: the world needs more Utopian books 369 00:44:58.890 --> 00:45:00.969 Kyle Cisco: in general. So 370 00:45:01.600 --> 00:45:07.659 Kyle Cisco: just make sure that you do the research into it to make sure it's plausible enough to pass the smell test. 371 00:45:09.610 --> 00:45:15.769 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Alright. John asks, what are the differences in foreign sci-fi, such as 3 body problem. 372 00:45:17.850 --> 00:45:21.929 Kyle Cisco: So the the fundamental difference in 373 00:45:22.472 --> 00:45:26.059 Kyle Cisco: foreign sci-fi is not so much in 374 00:45:26.070 --> 00:45:27.120 Kyle Cisco: the 375 00:45:27.270 --> 00:45:33.030 Kyle Cisco: the way sci-fi is approached. It's more about a difference in how 376 00:45:33.460 --> 00:45:36.810 Kyle Cisco: other traditions tell story. 377 00:45:37.530 --> 00:45:40.380 Kyle Cisco: So Sci-fi definitely falls into 378 00:45:40.770 --> 00:45:50.339 Kyle Cisco: the the Eastern storytelling, where it's not a 3 act structure. It's more like a 6 act structure, and it's a very 379 00:45:50.560 --> 00:46:04.210 Kyle Cisco: different journey that's undertaken throughout the book, where it has several instances of climax and several instances of resolution. But then the story starts again. It's 380 00:46:04.210 --> 00:46:21.679 Kyle Cisco: it's a more rounded way of telling a story rather than a an arc. As traditional Western style story is structured. So it's more a question of structure rather than the the elements and tropes of science. Fi Science Fiction. 381 00:46:23.360 --> 00:46:38.689 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Great all right. Let's see, we've got time for a few more. Nicole says. Thank you for explaining this, the sub genre so well do you have any advice on how to transition between a Utopian and a dystopian genre within a book series. 382 00:46:39.400 --> 00:46:40.125 Kyle Cisco: Yes, 383 00:46:41.130 --> 00:46:49.959 Kyle Cisco: So the main thing that leads either a dystopia to Utopia, or vice versa, is going to be the 384 00:46:50.190 --> 00:46:56.900 Kyle Cisco: either building up in the case of going from dystopia to Utopia, of the social order. 385 00:46:57.470 --> 00:47:03.759 Kyle Cisco: and then from a Utopia to a dystopia. It's going to be about the collapsing social order. 386 00:47:03.800 --> 00:47:05.010 Kyle Cisco: And then. 387 00:47:05.110 --> 00:47:10.419 Kyle Cisco: when you have a collapsing social order, it's usually the opportunistic kind of 388 00:47:11.026 --> 00:47:26.429 Kyle Cisco: organizations that take the reins leading it to be more tyrannical, where, going conversely, from a dystopia to a Utopia, it's going to be about the form, the reforming of the social order 389 00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:28.660 Kyle Cisco: in a way that benefits 390 00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:29.980 Kyle Cisco: more 391 00:47:31.530 --> 00:47:34.600 Kyle Cisco: a larger swath of the population. 392 00:47:37.597 --> 00:47:47.120 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Diana asks, is there a story framework that you recommend for the different sub genres? I imagine there might be different story frameworks depending on the sub genre. But yeah. 393 00:47:48.190 --> 00:47:49.280 Kyle Cisco: So 394 00:47:49.800 --> 00:47:51.550 Kyle Cisco: the story framework 395 00:47:51.930 --> 00:47:52.850 Kyle Cisco: that 396 00:47:53.990 --> 00:48:06.480 Kyle Cisco: generally works for each of them. From what I found is when you're dealing with alternate history, a lot of those books either have a crime, action, or thriller plot. 397 00:48:07.974 --> 00:48:18.585 Kyle Cisco: Now, those also have their own reader expectations, and if you wanted to learn more about those I recommend visiting story grid.com or 398 00:48:19.410 --> 00:48:21.760 Kyle Cisco: reaching out to me, and we can go over that 399 00:48:23.560 --> 00:48:27.189 Kyle Cisco: as far as cyberpunk. Those stories generally. 400 00:48:27.882 --> 00:48:31.749 Kyle Cisco: Heist! Stories work really well with cyberpunk 401 00:48:32.502 --> 00:48:41.359 Kyle Cisco: action stories work well with cyberpunk and also performance stories. Now, performance story is kind of misleading, but it's about 402 00:48:41.730 --> 00:48:50.090 Kyle Cisco: a competition of some sort, either to design a new technology that outlasts an old technology and 403 00:48:50.370 --> 00:48:59.030 Kyle Cisco: goes into that kind of vein for military sci-fi. It's definitely thriller action and horror that work best. 404 00:49:00.570 --> 00:49:03.050 Kyle Cisco: And then for dystopia, it's 405 00:49:03.950 --> 00:49:07.189 Kyle Cisco: heavily skewed towards the more internal 406 00:49:07.450 --> 00:49:09.990 Kyle Cisco: genres which 407 00:49:10.780 --> 00:49:14.709 Kyle Cisco: those are like worldview morality and 408 00:49:15.180 --> 00:49:24.570 Kyle Cisco: the society stories work best with Utopia dystopia. The external genres that work really well are going to be action. 409 00:49:25.885 --> 00:49:26.650 Kyle Cisco: War 410 00:49:27.070 --> 00:49:28.760 Kyle Cisco: and thriller 411 00:49:28.900 --> 00:49:39.849 Kyle Cisco: crime as well. It depends, because in dystopia you have the the option which is becoming fairly popular, of an insider 412 00:49:39.970 --> 00:49:48.020 Kyle Cisco: telling the story from within the government structure. That is the dystopia, and them kind of awakening to the fact that they 413 00:49:48.830 --> 00:49:52.639 Kyle Cisco: are working for a system that is like innately evil 414 00:49:53.130 --> 00:49:56.549 Kyle Cisco: and from within try to take it down. 415 00:49:56.850 --> 00:49:57.840 Kyle Cisco: So 416 00:49:58.200 --> 00:50:12.840 Kyle Cisco: there are several story structures that work better for each genre. But I mean honestly the like, I said in the beginning the great part about Science Fiction is that really you can tell any of the story types that you want 417 00:50:13.250 --> 00:50:22.250 Kyle Cisco: in a science fiction as long as it follows the elements of Science Fiction, and you're satisfying the plot, reader. Expectations. 418 00:50:23.028 --> 00:50:25.220 Kyle Cisco: You shouldn't have an issue 419 00:50:25.350 --> 00:50:26.810 Kyle Cisco: with readability. 420 00:50:28.200 --> 00:50:34.969 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Amazing. Andres asks, is it possible to mix 2 different Science Fiction subgenres to make a story. 421 00:50:35.460 --> 00:50:39.599 Kyle Cisco: Oh, absolutely. And this is one of my. 422 00:50:40.370 --> 00:50:44.729 Kyle Cisco: Another reason why I love science fiction so much is that you can. 423 00:50:44.980 --> 00:50:46.380 Kyle Cisco: You can have 424 00:50:46.720 --> 00:51:07.009 Kyle Cisco: the coupling of science fiction subgenres. And really what you're doing with that. So instead of it being 2 of the main 2 main elements, and then one supportive element. When you add a sub genre, the ones that work best are the ones that have your supporting element for the main story. 425 00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:21.189 Kyle Cisco: and when you add that in it then makes all 3 of those elements equal partners in the story. So the best couplings or at least the most that I've seen between the 4 that we've talked about 426 00:51:21.420 --> 00:51:22.085 Kyle Cisco: and 427 00:51:22.820 --> 00:51:25.720 Kyle Cisco: is dystopia and cyberpunk 428 00:51:26.590 --> 00:51:30.610 Kyle Cisco: or dystopia Utopia slash cyberpunk. 429 00:51:30.730 --> 00:51:31.640 Kyle Cisco: And 430 00:51:31.880 --> 00:51:34.970 Kyle Cisco: that's because usually the technology 431 00:51:35.570 --> 00:51:38.560 Kyle Cisco: is either used for the betterment of somebody's life 432 00:51:38.620 --> 00:51:42.360 Kyle Cisco: where it's used to control them. So, though those 2 are 433 00:51:42.730 --> 00:51:53.500 Kyle Cisco: generally pretty close, the other one is military science fiction and space opera, because there's always a journey through space to get to the other planet that 434 00:51:53.790 --> 00:52:00.299 Kyle Cisco: that you need to get to. So those work really well together, and those can be like really sprawling epics 435 00:52:00.550 --> 00:52:01.380 Kyle Cisco: of 436 00:52:01.630 --> 00:52:02.750 Kyle Cisco: like a 437 00:52:03.210 --> 00:52:05.240 Kyle Cisco: a grand strategy. 438 00:52:05.390 --> 00:52:13.370 Kyle Cisco: also added to the warfare. Instead of just the frontline troops. You can do a higher level of command, and then. 439 00:52:13.770 --> 00:52:25.339 Kyle Cisco: with the Space opera like, have a fleet commander and a ground soldier, be the Povs, and it gives you a different feeling of how I mean one warfare will work in the future. 440 00:52:25.390 --> 00:52:37.030 Kyle Cisco: and just more of the exploration of space to get to the war. But even like all alternative history and dystopia can definitely 441 00:52:37.220 --> 00:52:44.129 Kyle Cisco: be coupled together. 1st contact and military scia sci-fi can be coupled together. 442 00:52:44.450 --> 00:52:46.330 Kyle Cisco: It there, really, it's 443 00:52:46.350 --> 00:52:54.830 Kyle Cisco: it doesn't limit you. My personal suggestion, just to keep it manageable would be don't 444 00:52:54.890 --> 00:52:57.090 Kyle Cisco: combined more than 2 445 00:52:57.200 --> 00:53:04.079 Kyle Cisco: in a single story. Now, over a series, you can definitely change up the combination for each book. 446 00:53:04.300 --> 00:53:08.120 Kyle Cisco: but in one book try not to meld 447 00:53:08.380 --> 00:53:13.889 Kyle Cisco: more than 2 together, because then that does become more complicated of a story. 448 00:53:15.500 --> 00:53:23.219 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Amazing. Rob asks, is there a horror, sci-fi, author or authors, that you would recommend to understand that subgenre. 449 00:53:25.420 --> 00:53:29.589 Kyle Cisco: Yes, definitely. The the one that comes to mind 450 00:53:29.800 --> 00:53:32.220 Kyle Cisco: 1st is Mira Grant. 451 00:53:33.960 --> 00:53:36.750 Kyle Cisco: Her book is called 452 00:53:45.100 --> 00:53:51.010 Kyle Cisco: into the drowning Deep. That was definitely a mix of 453 00:53:51.080 --> 00:53:53.800 Kyle Cisco: horror and sci-fi. Now 454 00:53:54.160 --> 00:53:55.730 Kyle Cisco: it does happen 455 00:53:55.910 --> 00:53:58.240 Kyle Cisco: mainly on Earth. 456 00:53:58.330 --> 00:54:00.720 Kyle Cisco: but it's delving into I 457 00:54:00.750 --> 00:54:01.770 Kyle Cisco: the 458 00:54:01.900 --> 00:54:12.009 Kyle Cisco: the depths of the ocean and finding sentient life. It is in a similar vein to Ray Naylor's Under the Mountain in the Sea. 459 00:54:12.940 --> 00:54:14.710 Kyle Cisco: which is also a 460 00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:21.419 Kyle Cisco: fairly good representation. There are several horror elements in that when dealing with the 461 00:54:22.760 --> 00:54:26.692 Kyle Cisco: the central antagonist. I don't want to spoil it for anybody. 462 00:54:27.550 --> 00:54:32.859 Kyle Cisco: but that book as well. And then there's plenty of space 463 00:54:34.390 --> 00:54:38.280 Kyle Cisco: opera that delves into horror 464 00:54:38.330 --> 00:54:40.520 Kyle Cisco: as far as 465 00:54:40.900 --> 00:54:43.569 Kyle Cisco: I don't have specific examples of that. 466 00:54:43.640 --> 00:54:47.515 Kyle Cisco: that one per se. But there, there's definitely 467 00:54:48.340 --> 00:54:51.149 Kyle Cisco: space opera horror out there. 468 00:54:52.400 --> 00:55:01.809 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Anything. Okay, we've got a time for maybe 2 more. So Erin asks, is lit. Rpg, part of Science Fiction. And what would you describe it as? If so. 469 00:55:02.940 --> 00:55:07.429 Kyle Cisco: So that is something new that I have seen 470 00:55:07.700 --> 00:55:08.770 Kyle Cisco: on 471 00:55:09.337 --> 00:55:15.410 Kyle Cisco: kindle a little bit. I haven't done a whole bunch delved into it a whole bunch yet. 472 00:55:15.520 --> 00:55:16.500 Kyle Cisco: But 473 00:55:17.430 --> 00:55:23.979 Kyle Cisco: honestly, I don't think it would conflict with any of the sub genres cause, that is, and 474 00:55:24.410 --> 00:55:27.980 Kyle Cisco: from my understanding of the lit Rpg. 475 00:55:28.280 --> 00:55:30.699 Kyle Cisco: Is that it's 476 00:55:30.760 --> 00:55:34.079 Kyle Cisco: adaptable to almost every genre. 477 00:55:34.760 --> 00:55:44.239 Kyle Cisco: and you can always write it in a way where it conforms to the sub genre, or make the sub genre conform to it. So 478 00:55:44.350 --> 00:55:51.280 Kyle Cisco: I mean, it's definitely something that I have to do more research into, because I've just only recently seen the emergence of that. 479 00:55:53.770 --> 00:55:56.539 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Awesome. Okay, let me see. 480 00:56:01.113 --> 00:56:08.210 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Brian asks, how important is it to have an audio book for sci-fi, particularly space opera or mill sci-fi. 481 00:56:08.220 --> 00:56:12.429 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Do you have an idea of kind of what percentage of sales audio books would provide. 482 00:56:13.870 --> 00:56:14.380 Kyle Cisco: So 483 00:56:14.920 --> 00:56:18.969 Kyle Cisco: as far as the sales I do not, but it's always 484 00:56:19.510 --> 00:56:26.380 Kyle Cisco: best to have as many versions of your book out there as possible. So the 485 00:56:27.180 --> 00:56:33.760 Kyle Cisco: the act of diversifying from a kindle and a print book into audio book has never really 486 00:56:35.380 --> 00:56:41.990 Kyle Cisco: hurt anybody. It's only it only diversifies your income that much more so that 487 00:56:42.440 --> 00:56:43.880 Kyle Cisco: you are hitting 488 00:56:44.310 --> 00:56:55.289 Kyle Cisco: each available set of media that you have, because if you do only have a print and a kindle book that's primarily where people are going to stay. But there are exclusive 489 00:56:56.150 --> 00:56:59.450 Kyle Cisco: readers out there that only listen 490 00:56:59.590 --> 00:57:05.140 Kyle Cisco: to books. So by not making an audio book. You're losing out 491 00:57:05.180 --> 00:57:16.390 Kyle Cisco: more than you would lose if you made it, and it doesn't do well, because your interaction with a whole group of audience is not going to be on the table if you don't have an audio book. 492 00:57:18.560 --> 00:57:43.240 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): Amazing. Well, Kyle, thank you so much. This has been so interesting. I also I just I feel like every book that you've said, every book someone's mentioned. You've either read it, or have, like a great kind of corollary, or a recommendation which I'm just so impressed by. It's clear how much you you love the genre. So thank you. Thank you so much. I've put into the chat, and Kyle has up here ways that you can get in contact with him particularly chatting 493 00:57:43.240 --> 00:58:07.760 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): that 30 min consultation call Link. If you would like to schedule some time to talk with Kyle, I believe it's free. Is that right, Kyle? The consultation call? Yeah. The consultation call is free. So please it looks like brandy's already made an appointment. So please feel free to jump on there, make some call make some appointments with Kyle or then just check out his services elsewhere. This has been so fascinating and so so so useful. Thank you so much for joining us, Kyle. 494 00:58:07.980 --> 00:58:17.040 Kyle Cisco: Oh, thank you for having me, and it's been wonderful to answer your questions and talk about sci-fi. I love nerding out on writing in general, and sci-fi is just 495 00:58:17.390 --> 00:58:19.360 Kyle Cisco: close to my heart, so. 496 00:58:20.620 --> 00:58:30.080 Hayley @ ProWritingAid (she/her): All right. Well, thank you all so much. We've got another session in about an hour, so I hope everyone grabs some dinner or a snack, and we'll see you back here shortly. Thanks, everyone. Bye.