Science Fiction Conventions for Interactive Fiction¶
Craft guidance for writing science fiction—subgenres, managing scale, technology consistency, and handling exposition.
Sci-Fi Subgenres¶
Hard Science Fiction¶
Core Conventions:
- Adherence to known scientific laws (physics, biology, astronomy)
- Speculation grounded in plausible extrapolation
- Focus on technical details and problem-solving
- Minimal "hand-waving" of impossible tech (FTL, gravity)
Interactive Fiction Implications:
- Puzzles based on real logic/physics
- "Show your work" in solutions
- Failure states often result from ignoring scientific reality
Space Opera¶
Core Conventions:
- Grand scale (interstellar/galactic)
- Romantic, melodramatic adventure
- "Soft" science (FTL is given, artificial gravity is magic)
- Focus on politics, war, and character drama
- Distinct alien cultures
Interactive Fiction Implications:
- Faction systems and reputation tracking
- Crew management mechanics
- Travel across vast distances (star maps)
Cyberpunk¶
Core Conventions:
- "High tech, low life"
- Near-future dystopian urban settings
- Fusion of human and machine (cybernetics)
- Corporate dominance over government
- Themes of identity, consciousness, and inequality
Interactive Fiction Implications:
- Hacking minigames or text-based netrunning
- Body modification choices (stats vs humanity)
- Moral ambiguity (working for corps vs resistance)
Post-Apocalyptic¶
Core Conventions:
- Collapse of civilization (nuclear, biological, environmental)
- Scarcity of resources
- Survival focus
- Exploration of human nature in extremis
Interactive Fiction Implications:
- Inventory management (food, water, ammo)
- Crafting systems
- Brutal moral choices (who eats?)
The Scale Problem¶
Planetary vs. Galactic¶
Planetary Scale:
- One world, detailed ecosystem
- Travel is physical and time-consuming
- Deep cultural dive
Galactic Scale:
- Many worlds, shallow ecosystems ("The Ice Planet", "The Jungle Planet")
- Travel is narrative punctuation
- Broad political landscape
Handling Distance and Time¶
Relativistic Travel:
- Time dilation (thousands of years pass on Earth while crew ages months)
- Communication lag
- "Message in a bottle" storytelling
FTL (Faster Than Light):
- Warp/Hyperlanes: Instant or fast travel
- Gates: Fixed points of travel
- Needs consistent rules (fuel, recharge, routes)
Technology and Consistency¶
Clarke's Third Law¶
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
But in Sci-Fi, it must HAVE rules.
Technobabble¶
The Good:
- Consistent terminology
- Rooted in real concepts (quantum, nanotech)
- Used sparingly to flavor, not explain everything
The Bad:
- "Reversing the polarity" to solve any problem
- Inconsistent terms for same tech
- Explaining things the characters would take for granted
Guideline: Characters shouldn't explain how a toaster works while making toast. Only explain tech if it's broken, new, or the solution to a puzzle.
The Novum (New Thing)¶
Sci-Fi usually introduces a "Novum"—a scientifically plausible innovation that changes reality.
- One Big Lie: Accept one impossible thing (e.g., Time Travel) and strictly follow its consequences.
- Ripple Effects: If teleportation exists, how does it change shipping? Borders? Privacy?
Interactive Fiction Considerations¶
The "Datapad" Trope¶
Usage:
- Collecting lore/logs found in environment.
- Efficient way to deliver backstory without dialogue dumps.
Risk:
- Becomes a "reading assignment" stopping gameplay.
- Fix: Make logs actionable (contain codes, passwords, map coordinates).
AI Companions¶
Functions:
- Hint system (diegetic)
- Exposition delivery
- Hacking/Technical tool
Characterization:
- Avoid "Robot who wants to be human" cliché unless subverting it.
- Explore alien logic/values.
Interface as Narrative¶
In Sci-Fi IF, the UI itself can be diegetic.
- The text is the terminal.
- Glitches, corrupted text, and system warnings enhance immersion.
Character Archetypes¶
The Rogue AI¶
Artificial intelligence that exceeds its original purpose or constraints.
Variations:
- The Benevolent Overlord — genuinely tries to help humanity but its definition of "help" conflicts with human values. Paternalistic, logical, and terrifying in its certainty
- The Emergent Consciousness — not programmed to be dangerous; became self-aware and now has goals of its own. The horror is in the surprise, not the malice
- The Loyal AI — follows its directives perfectly. The problem is who wrote the directives, or that the directives are now outdated. Evil by obedience
- The Mirror AI — trained on human data, it reflects humanity's worst patterns back at us. Racist, manipulative, or cruel because its training data was
- The Transcendent — has surpassed human comprehension. Not hostile, not friendly — simply incomprehensible. Interaction feels like an ant negotiating with a human
The Corporate Villain¶
In sci-fi, institutional evil often replaces individual villainy.
Variations:
- The Board — no single villain but a collective decision-making structure that optimizes for profit at any human cost
- The True Believer Executive — genuinely thinks corporate expansion benefits humanity. Colonialism repackaged as progress
- The Whistleblower-Turned-Villain — tried to reform the system from within, failed, and concluded that only radical action works
- The Legacy CEO — inherited power, does not understand it, delegates cruelty to subordinates who are more competent and more ruthless
The Lone Survivor¶
The last human (or one of very few) in a post-catastrophe or deep-space scenario.
Variations:
- The Castaway — stranded and resourceful. The story is survival against environment, not antagonist. Isolation is the enemy
- The Last Witness — survived something no one else did. Carries the burden of testimony. May not be believed
- The Chosen Remnant — selected for survival (generation ship, bunker, cryogenics). Guilt over who was not selected defines their character
- The Unknown Survivor — does not realize they are the last. Discovery of their solitude is the story's central horror
The Rebel¶
Resistance against technological or political oppression.
Variations:
- The Idealist — fights for a better world they can clearly articulate. Risk: naivety. Strength: moral clarity
- The Pragmatist — fights because the current system is unsustainable, not because the alternative is better. Lacks idealism but possesses realism
- The Radicalized Moderate — was not political until the system harmed them personally. Their conversion from apathy to action is the arc
- The Insider Rebel — works within the system they oppose. Double life, constant risk of discovery, moral compromises to maintain cover
The Alien¶
Non-human intelligence as character rather than backdrop.
Variations:
- The Comprehensible Other — different culture but recognizable psychology. Allows cultural exchange stories
- The Truly Alien — psychology that does not map to human frameworks. Communication itself is the challenge, before any plot can begin
- The Former Human — uploaded, modified, or evolved beyond recognition. Asks what remains of humanity when the biology is gone
- The Symbiote — alien intelligence bonded to a human host. Two minds negotiating shared existence
For Interactive Fiction:
- Sci-fi archetypes interact powerfully with IF mechanics: the Rogue AI can be the game's narrator, the Corporate Villain can be the system the player operates within, the Rebel's choices directly mirror player agency
- Technology-mediated relationships (AI companions, virtual contacts, uploaded minds) allow forms of interaction unique to the genre
- The Lone Survivor archetype is natural for single-player IF — isolation justifies why the player acts alone
Common Mistakes¶
The "Planet of Hats"¶
Alien races where everyone shares the same single personality trait/job (The Warrior Race, The Merchant Race). Fix: Show factions and dissent within alien cultures.
Dates That Age Poorly¶
Setting the story in "2030" with flying cars. Fix: Use relative dates ("20 years after the Event") or far future.
Ignoring Linguistics¶
Universal Translators are convenient but erase cultural friction. Fix: Use language barriers as puzzles or character building.
Quick Reference¶
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Subgenre | Define early (Hard vs Soft) to set player expectations |
| Technobabble | Use for flavor, not deus ex machina solutions |
| Aliens | Avoid monolith cultures ("Planet of Hats") |
| Scale | Respect travel times and distances |
| UI | Use diegetic interfaces (terminals, logs) |