The Speculative Fiction Thread formerly Fantasy Thread

[Torco]

I'm posting this here because I'm not sure where else to post it. It's a writing question, about something I'm trying to write (although I didn't manage it to write anything for the last few weeks). I'm putting it behind a cut because it contains spoilers for something I may or may not publish somewhere in the future, if I ever finish it.

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I'm trying to write a science fiction story that would, among other things, deal with a first contact between human beings and intelligent space aliens. Now, I have absolutely no plans of making the space aliens in any way hostile towards human beings. They're supposed to be friendly or, at worst, neutral towards us. But I do have some points in the plot where human characters worry that the space aliens might be hostile.

Problem is, in the context of the whole story, these worries might end up looking like a red herring, or a violation of Chekhov's famous dictum about guns on the stage. But I think they're necessary for basic plausibility reasons. I can imagine human beings meeting space aliens who are friendly or neutral towards us. But I can't really imagine human beings meeting intelligent space aliens without at least some human beings worrying that the aliens might be hostile.

So what do you think? What's more important, keeping things plausible or avoiding red herrings?

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i don't think there's anything wrong about red herrings inherently. one of the things that tend to annoy me about the most commercial media (american TV shows, genre literature, etc) is that everything is so predictable because of the strict adherence to no-herrings: they show a gun? okay, someone's going to use it, or at least point it at someone else. is there a chess board in the protagonist's apartment? oh, okay, he's a smart type and is going to solve some problem in a very methodical and strategic manner. i think the best way to approach this dilemma is to make the reader wonder: "is this going to be a bad aliens story, or a good aliens story?". a good way to do this may be to have a scene where it looks like the aliens are bad, another where it looks like the aliens are nice, and so on and so on.

[WeepingElf]

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Two points:

1. I consider benevolent aliens more likely than malevolent ones - if they survived long enough to develop means of interstellar travel, they will probably have learned their lessons in civilized behaviour and respect towards other life forms. Also, whichever resources they may want are more easily found elsewhere, so they will avoid "native trouble" with us. They will thus not kill or plunder us, but they will study us - civilizations are probably rare enough to render us an interesting object of study (provided they are as curious as we are - but if they are not curious, they won't have science, and if they don't have science, they won't be able to reach us). Yet, of course, that they don't mean to harm us doesn't mean that they don't do any harm.

2. No matter how often first contact scenarios have been rehearsed in science fiction and UFO folklore, I doubt that we are really equipped for it and will keep calm and carry on when it actually happens. It will be a major cultural shock, and people will go crazy about it in every imaginable way. There will be trouble, but the troublemakers probably won't be the aliens.

To summarize: they will most likely come in peace, but nevertheless will provide for major drama.

[Vilike]

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The worried reactions of those humans are what will be interesting. The ensuing drama could be its own pay-off. Maybe a character will be set in a negative view of aliens no matter what, and butt heads with their conspecifics; maybe the initial wariness will lead to overtly cautious steps that will have negative consequences way down the line.

[Raholeun]

I'm posting this here because I'm not sure where else to post it. It's a writing question, about something I'm trying to write (although I didn't manage it to write anything for the last few weeks). I'm putting it behind a cut because it contains spoilers for something I may or may not publish somewhere in the future, if I ever finish it.

Perhaps you are missing the point with Chekhovs rifle. It is the other way around, i.e. that if the gun goes off, it has to be foreshadowed. Showing the gun, does not imply it being shot at all. You can have people worry all they want, without this leading to E.T. genocide.

[Ares Land]

I'm posting this here because I'm not sure where else to post it. It's a writing question, about something I'm trying to write (although I didn't manage it to write anything for the last few weeks). I'm putting it behind a cut because it contains spoilers for something I may or may not publish somewhere in the future, if I ever finish it.

More: show

I'm trying to write a science fiction story that would, among other things, deal with a first contact between human beings and intelligent space aliens. Now, I have absolutely no plans of making the space aliens in any way hostile towards human beings. They're supposed to be friendly or, at worst, neutral towards us. But I do have some points in the plot where human characters worry that the space aliens might be hostile.

Problem is, in the context of the whole story, these worries might end up looking like a red herring, or a violation of Chekhov's famous dictum about guns on the stage. But I think they're necessary for basic plausibility reasons. I can imagine human beings meeting space aliens who are friendly or neutral towards us. But I can't really imagine human beings meeting intelligent space aliens without at least some human beings worrying that the aliens might be hostile.

So what do you think? What's more important, keeping things plausible or avoiding red herrings?

More: show

You're right about the plausibility. Of course some people would worry they'd be hostile. It all depends on how you write this of course, but I don't really think it'd be perceived as a red herring -- on the other hand, nobody worrying would break suspension of disbelief.

[Raphael]

Thank you, everyone, all good points!

[Torco]

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It is the other way around, i.e. that if the gun goes off, it has to be foreshadowed.

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