Who here writes Science Fiction?

So, which of you guys write Sci Fi? Why do you like the genre?

Do you find it easy, or really hard world building, creating cultures etc for Sci Fi? I find it difficult, but maybe it's because I have not had much to do with Science Fiction until very recent years, so I know little about it.

I haven't ever really been drawn to writing science fiction, but I have enjoyed reading it recently.

I've attempted it once or twice. However, it's not something that really captures me like fantasy.

Fantasy does seem to be the more popular choice for writers. Maybe it's the lack of science that appeals to them.

Perhaps that's true. It's the writing that's fun for me, not the science. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] It seems that fantasy is more of "you can create whatever you want", rather than sci-fi's "you need to specifically explain this, this, and this in a scientific manner".

Ah, but therein lies the great misconception about sci-fi! While sci-fi generally has advanced science in it, by no means is it required that the science be explained. Much of sci-fi isn't even plausible and is just as fanciful as fantasy. (Star Wars is a good example.) You just have unrealistic gadgetry instead of magic and cobha. Sci-fi doesn't have to be about science and knowledge; it can be about playing with technology and making up things you wish existed, even if they aren't remotely plausible. (Light sabers, anyone?)

As such, the science and technology in sci-fi does not need to be explained. You do not need to know how stuff works to write sci-fi. Some subgenres of sci-fi are geared towards people that like details; for example "hard" sci-fi usually involves technological explanations. But "soft" sci-fi does not.

All of that to say--don't be afraid to write sci-fi just because you aren't technologically adept! You can write sci-fi without understanding the technology. Think of it this way. You live in a world with a lot of technology. Do you understand how all of it works? No, but you have no trouble surviving. Your MC can be the same way. Just because you live in a world with a lot of technology does not mean you need to be able to explain it all.

As for me, I've been divided between fantasy/alternate history and sci-fi since I started writing. With sci-fi, I've always been especially fond of the settings--space, space stations, futuristic societies, etc. I love the concrete, the metal, the starts, and the futuristic governments. (As such, I'm particularly fond of the subgenre of dystopia.) I like some technology, but I'm not too focused on it. (Anyone who has read my sci-fi book Red Rain knows that there's some technology, but nothing excessively creative and only a few overly simplistic explanations of how things work.) I do like androids and computers with advanced AI, though. For some reason I think it's fun to have an intelligent character that's electronic.