What is Fiction: Definition and 151 Discussions

Fiction is any creative work (chiefly, any narrative work) consisting of people, events, or places that are imaginary—in other words, not based strictly on history or fact. In its most narrow usage, fiction refers to written narratives in prose and often specifically novels, though also novellas and short stories. More broadly, fiction has come to encompass imaginary narratives expressed in any medium, including not just writings but also live theatrical performances, films, television programs, radio dramas, comics, role-playing games, and video games.

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  1. D

    Hypothetical question from a science fiction writer.

    Hi there, I have a hypothetical question which is prima fascia more than a little ridiculous, but it relates to a science fiction book I'm working on writing. I'm hoping that one or more of the general smart folks here can weigh in on it and give me some realistic answers about a very...
  2. E

    A problem from science fiction - intersecting curves

    1. Homework Statement [/b] A spaceship is traveling on a curved path, f(t) = (t, t2) (We'll assume that the path isn't affected by gravity, this is a math problem, not physics :-) ) It has to release a pod to intersect a space station that has an orbit described by the following: g(t) =...
  3. Ryan_m_b

    Science Fiction and Fantasy Forum Rules

    This forum is ONLY for the discussion of existing science fiction and fantasy stories in movies, books, tv, comics. It is NOT for discussing personal ideas, those would go in the Science fiction WRITING forum if they adhere to the rules for that forum. This forum is not for new ideas or...
  4. T

    Exploring Unknown Elements: Fact or Fiction?

    I've heard chatter about possible new elements on other planets and even hidden on our own, Could this be possible?
  5. lpetrich

    Dimensions of Science Fiction - Hard to Soft, Optimism to Pessimism

    How hard is that SF? – Pharyngula mentions a survey that someone once did, asking people to rate various science-fiction movies on two dimensions. Hard: a work "takes great care in accurately presenting then-known scientific facts". Soft: a work "often and casually violates our understanding...
  6. lpetrich

    Asimov on Science Fiction: the Reaction, not the Action

    In "Future? Tense!" in his essay collection From Earth to Heaven (1965), Isaac Asimov wrote about the nature of science fiction. He noted that science-fictioneers are stereotyped either as indulgers in weird fantasies or as farsighted predictors of the future. After discussing some SFers'...
  7. Aaronvan

    Is Breaking Bad science fiction?

    It contains a lot of science references and is clearly fiction. How should we pidgeonhole it?
  8. S

    Science fiction inventor with another science fiction question

    I am trying to come up with an idea of something tougher than steel for a starship hull and thought there might be a possibility of using a form of rock over an exoskeletal steel frame. I really am ignorant of temperature tolerences of any form of rock but am slightly aware of ceramics heat...
  9. L

    Science fiction: what is the green goo in Half-Life?

    This being a physics forum, I'm sure many of you have heard of the 1998 computer game Half-Life. If you don't know, the game is set within a top secret research laboratory deep within the deserts and mesas of Arizona. All hell breaks loose after a massive screwed-up experiment. The...
  10. T

    Exploring Physics & Fiction: Is Consciousness Possible?

    First off, apologies. I'm not as advanced as most on this forum and hope that my (less than ideal) pairing of physics with science-fiction will not sound completely stupid. Nevertheless, I came here to find a community who actually knows about the physical sciences so I can correct any...
  11. S

    How Much Impact Can a -200 Degrees Centigrade Ice Shield Withstand?

    Hello, all! Thanks for all the help I have received on other threads. My latest science fiction invention is an battle ice cruiser. I have done the math for how to use energy weapons to compromise the ice shield around my ice ship but have no clue as to how to calculate how much impact ice at...
  12. Integral

    Great TV series: Prophets of Science Fiction

    Runs on the Science channel. Did you know that HG Wells wrote a novel about our modern atomic bomb in 1914. He inspired Szilard to investigate the possibilities. HG Wells has to be seen as the grandfather of the atomic bomb. The World Set Free
  13. S

    Spaceships and Science fiction

    Moderation note: This thread has been split from another so as not to derail the former thread I have a hard time enjoying Star Wars anymore because of how those spaceships fly around :(
  14. G

    I have a question regarding a science fiction story I am writing.

    I don't know how often you get questions like this here, if ever, but I was hoping you could help me solve a problem I have come across in writing a story. It is not exactly Hard Sci Fi, but it is definitely not soft science fiction, and I want to get the physics at least mostly right. Here it...
  15. QuarkCharmer

    What are the top sci-fi shows for space adventure lovers?

    This seems like the appropriate forum to ask and get a decent reply. I have watches every star trek except for the original and enterprise (I gave the original a shot but the first two episodes were horrible). I really liked TNG, the action parts of DS9, and the borg parts of Voyager. I saw...
  16. S

    Science fiction writer needs help on sci-fi weapon

    i'm not a physics major so i have to ask a question and i may not know what I'm talking about but here goes. if i had a giant circular accelerator accelerating a metal slug from zero velocity to high velocity with say 10^12 watts per electromagnet in a circle of 10 electromagnets is it possible...
  17. W

    Monorail problem with coefficient of fiction and front and rear wheel drive

    Hi, this problem’s been bugging me for ages. I’m sure it’s just a simple misunderstanding somewhere on my behalf but I just can’t seem to get my head round it. Homework Statement A monorail car with front wheel drive and mass of 5 tonnes is suspended from two wheels 10m apart as shown. Its...
  18. D

    PF Fan Fiction: Mathematicians in Love

    Hi guys! This is the third (and in my opinion, the most whimsical) chapter in a series of short stories I wrote about mathematics and physics; I hope you guys like it. Helpful comments or suggestions are welcome. Thanks...
  19. Y

    Is Nemesis a Real Companion Star to Our Sun?

    I was reading about the hypothectical companion star "Nemesis" and I came across an article in which Spanish astronomers claimed to have found it. Then I seen another article that said what they were looking at was a known young supernova. I believe the name of the star/nova was G1.9 Does...
  20. S

    Challenging the Big Bang Theory: Examining Evidence and Alternative Theories

    I've read a fair few articles recently about the big bang being utter fiction and that there is ALOT more evidence to disprove it than to prove it. Obviously it could never be entirely proved but to my mind the evidence against it should be enough to disprove it. Do we just stick to the big bang...
  21. F

    What is the concept of 'entering into another dimension' in science fiction?

    Yeah, you know science fictions often have people going in and out into other dimensions? What does that even mean. In Linear Algebra, the "dimension" with the dimension in science fiction are completely different. For instance, how can someone enter R2??
  22. R

    Are Black Holes Truly Fiction? Examining the Evidence

    I was talking to a very interesting person that made the case for Black Holes being the work of Fiction. Can anybody else support this position?
  23. M

    Calabi-Yau Writing Fiction Question

    Hi, this is my first post, so if it's in the wrong place please let me know. I'm writing a bit of fiction, more fantasy than science fiction, but I don't want to immediately offend the sensibilities of everybody who knows something about science. I really like the idea of a six dimensional...
  24. D

    Sci-Fi Story Idea: Avatar Autonomy & Black Hole Singularity

    I was thinking of idea for a sci-fi story and not being a physicist wanted to know if there are any fundamental weaknesses in the support conjectures. First I allow for some givens, which of course are far from "givens" within the scientific community. The first given is that consciousness...
  25. H

    How to Create and Contain a Black Hole in Fiction

    Hey guys... I don't know much about Physics. I'm working on a Fictional story that revolves around an accidental black hole creation... I would love to get a few pointers so that the fiction is is somewhat plausible. 1. Is there any theoretically plausible way for a small black hole to...
  26. D

    Get Expert Help with Quantum Physics Concepts for Your Fiction Book

    Hi, I'm writing a book of fiction and I need some help with concepts of quantum physics. Does anybody feel like helping me?
  27. V

    Energy weapons: reality and fiction

    Hi all. Sorry if I am posting in a wrong section as I am new there and di not figure it out where my post belongs to. I would like to ask about energy weapons in fiction and reality. We have movies, video games, novels where lots of weapons (of different designs) are used. As far as I...
  28. C

    Acura's Ferromagnetic Oil: Fact or Fiction?

    I searched around the forum and found no mention of this so I figured I'd bring it up. Acura has been airing these commercials ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnZ4EyKrLAI" ) that claim to use a ferromagnetic liquid instead of oil and then claim that it improves handling. Is any of this true...
  29. Ivan Seeking

    UFO Sighting Over Chinese Airport: Fact or Fiction?

    This story is spreading quickly. I believe that the actual video is far more mundane that many online sources suggest. The first video is I think the authentic one. It looks like a missile/rocket launch. http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/07/15/ufo-over-chinese-airport-video/ Next is an...
  30. A

    If you like science fiction would you be a good engineer?

    Well i love science fiction and love science , especially math and physics. Based on this would you go for engineering? let's say mechanical engineering?
  31. Ivan Seeking

    Science Fiction Trivia Contest

    I don't know if this will work, but I thought we might try something a little different. As with other contests, get the answer, ask the next question, but the difficult part is to give a clue or clues that would not be easily searchable. So, only one or a few keys words should be used that in...
  32. H

    Calculating the Minimum Orbit Radius for a 'Chainworld' System

    Trying to compute a 'Chainworld' with simplest possible Newtonian physics but still lost with my lousy math. By 'Cainworld' I mean series of man-made, worlds inspired by classic novel "Ringworld", which orbit around a common center of mass in one, common, perfectly circular orbit. They are...
  33. B

    Science approaching science fiction

    I hate it how science is fast approaching the realms of science fiction, it seems as if it diminishes the quality of the real subject. Trying to explain principles of general relativity and quantum to my father, and it sounds like some script from startrek. How can it be taken seriously by any...
  34. C

    Big Bang Theory: Fact or Fiction?

    I know the topic is incredibly original, but I was just curious as to how many people genuinely accept this as a feasible explanation for the creation of the universe. Personally.. I think (at least for a long time) that there is no way of knowing. I don't like how mainstream this theory has...
  35. N

    Exploring the Physics of Space: A Science Fiction Book

    Hi all, I'm writing myself a science fiction book. I'm also trying to keep the science and the fiction as separate as I can, space is just the setting, I'm focusing on the fiction but would like the science to be possible. So I've been reading a lot of stuff on wikipedia and all over the...
  36. LarryS

    Gaussian Wave Packets - Fiction?

    Forgetting about spin and polarity for the moment, do individual identical particles of the same type (electrons, photons, etc.) really have their own individual wave functions (Gaussian packets)? The mathematical definition of probability (relative frequency, etc.) has meaning only at the...
  37. Artlav

    EMP Effects on Electronics: Exploring the Reality Behind Fiction

    In a recently released computer game there is a scene where a nuclear bomb goes off in space over the active war zone on the east USA coast (too high for anything but EMP). Moments later, it starts raining helicopters and everything that uses electricity, from lights to laser sights goes out...
  38. M

    Writing a science fiction novel

    Hey to be honest I am new and don't know very much about science. I don't know if this is even the right place to post this. I am writing a science fiction novel, and basically I want to know, if it is possible for a special element (go with me here) to destroy all types of metal without...
  39. M

    Laser fusion and science fiction

    I'm a science fiction writer, currently I write a novel related to laser fusion. As I know in chemistry, catalysis is the process in which the rate of a chemical reaction is either increased or decreased by means of a chemical substance known as a catalyst. Are there catalysts in the nuclear...
  40. M

    Tesseract: 4D Shape Constructed? Fact or Fiction?

    iam sorry if this is crackpottery,but is it true that a 4 dimensional figure*called the tesseract has been constructed,i came across this over the net.*kindly rebuke me if iam not abiding with the rules of pf.
  41. M

    Lightning in Space: Fact or Fiction?

    does a phenomena such as lightning happen in the vacuum of space? it's often talks about in sci fi, but i wonder if it actually occurs (theoretically or actually) i tried a google search which turned up nothing.
  42. G

    Maxwell's theory of Tm fact or science fiction

    [b]1. Is there anyone who can justify Maxwell's Theory of Terrestial magnetik's bieng taught in schools in 2009. [b]2. Does Schumman's resonance theory or Balser and Wagner's practical work proving the theory have no importance. Does Tm come from lightning or the hot metal core of the...
  43. F

    Formulas needed for science fiction book

    I am writing a science fiction book with the following premise: A starship drive (and weapon) has been discovered that acts as a laser that turns ordinary matter into gamma rays at 100% efficiency; matter goes in one end of a tube and the light comes out the other end, driving the spaceship...
  44. A

    Science Fiction Movie and sound waves

    Homework Statement In a science fiction movie, when a spaceship explodes, the vibrations from the sound nearly destroy a nearby spaceship. If you were the science consultant for the movie, what would your advice be for the producer? Homework Equations I don't think there are any...
  45. C

    Negative Mass: Fact or Fiction?

    someone told me about this and it doesn't make sense to me how it could even be possible. Because if you had something with negative mass it technically wouldn't even be matter now would it? so what i am trying to ask is this just a ridiculous phenomena such as perpetual motion is.
  46. C

    Can Heroes Use a Lunar Rock's Angular Momentum to Safely Land a Spacecraft?

    I hope this is an appropriate forum for this question. I'm writing a science fiction story set on the moon. In the story, my heroes, inside a rover type vehicle are blasted into a ballistic arc by a comet impact. The rover has limited "jump" rockets but they and the fuel supply are...
  47. C

    Is freedom a fragile fiction or a search for self-determination?

    Freedom: Fragile Fiction I am shackled hand and foot spread eagle on the floor of my cell. I ask my jailer everyday to set me free. Finally he compassionately sets me free. For days I am exhilarated with the ability to freely pace about my cell. After a few weeks I begin to beg my jailer...
  48. I

    Truth is a complete fiction( So is reality).

    I think we can do without the whole notion of truth and reality.The traditional notion of truth is that a statement is true iff there some "correspondences" between the statement in question and reality. An attack on this conception of truth is a either/and attack on: 1) The notion of...
  49. A

    Help a fiction writer with EMF field removal

    Hello! I am a writer currently working on a children's science fiction novel. I need help with a problem of plot that hinges on my main character emitting an EMF field similar to an appliance like a hair dryer. This character is surrounded by this field and needs to get rid of it in a simple...
  50. S

    Need Help Creating Moons for Fiction Story

    I'm not a big astronomy whiz or anything, nor am I great at math, but I need help. For some reason or other, I can't seem to figure this out. I have 2 moons for a planet I'm writing about, and I need to accurately figure out their sidereal months. The planet has 722 days a year. Moon...
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