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. M

    Fiction Writer Looking for Some Astronomy Help

    Hi There, I'm a novelist working on a science fiction adventure, and I could use a little help on the astronomy side. I'm not looking to get down to the inner workings of quantum formulas, but I do want to make sure that I'm at least being reasonably on point given the fact that I can fudge...
  2. M

    Fiction Writer Looking for More Astronomy Help

    Hey Physics Gang, I'm onto my next writing phase and would appreciate any help you can give me on this round of questions. Here we go (Many of these questions will relate to Space Shuttle launches): As is, the Space Shuttle essentially hitches a ride on a rocket, which handles the launch...
  3. M

    Fiction Writer Looking for Astronomy Help

    Hi There, I am working on my second novel, a kind of Buck Rogers-type adventure, and I want to make sure that I'm being at least reasonbly accurate in regard to what an "outer space" journey might be like. It's going to be light in tone and I'm not looking to get into lots of particle talk...
  4. Mk

    Zeitgeist movie/documentary mixing facts with fiction

    Ok, so there's this movie, called Zeitgeist. It's an online documentary that mixes facts with made-up things, and proclaims some pretty crazy stuff. It makes the average person sick, angry, and feel goosebumps. As far as I have inquired, I've seen no, big, debunking website against Zeitgeist...
  5. Schrodinger's Dog

    News Global warming truth or fiction?

    http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article2739751.ece Interesting article on global warming from the liberal rags, most interesting is the figures in the UK, many people still it seems aren't on board with the global warming thing, and many think there actually isn't...
  6. P

    Fact or fiction: frequent masturbation causes lethargy?

    over like, i don't know, since the 9th grade (4 years ago), I've been combatting constant lethargy. I eventually got used to it though. I recently heard from a friend that frequent masturbation causes lethargy. Now, this sounded like a myth, but now I am thinking maybe it's true. In...
  7. M

    Best Science Fiction Movie ever

    Hey PF.. What do you think is the best Science Fiction movie(s) ever? Thanks :)
  8. Pythagorean

    Global Dimming: Fact or Fiction?

    Global Dimming! a larvae alarm fad or serious business? (from a fellow physics major:) heresy: "When the planes stopped flying after 9/11, the sky was brighter" heresy: "the sun is giving off less light over time" Has this been the mention of any credible scientific publications?
  9. N

    Calculating Word Lengths in Fiction & Non-Fiction Books

    Take two books, of different authors, one fiction, one non-fiction. Choose a reasonable sample size of words from each (say 100 000 words for the fiction one and 80 000 words for the non-fiction one) and find the mean, median, modal word-length in each and standard deviation.
  10. wolram

    Half-Gallon Coffee Claims: Fact or Fiction?

    This guy was telling me that fast food places serve 1/2 gallon cups of coffee in the US, i am sure he is pulling my leg as anyone would bust their bladder drinking that much.
  11. U

    Schools Grad School Language Requirements: Fact or Fiction?

    Hi, I over heard my friends say that grad schools prefer at least 2 years language studies when looking to accept grad students. is this true? should I worry about taking language courses?
  12. B

    The 21 Gram Myth: Fact or Fiction?

    It's sayd that when one dies, the body loses 21 grams of it's weight. Has this been proved? i think it's just a false myth, very easy to verify.
  13. S

    Exploring Science Fiction Concepts: Space Combat, Plasma Mirrors, and More

    In case the name didn't give it away, I like science fiction. A while ago (more than a year ago) I decided to look into space combat from a scientific standpoint. After spending huge amounts of time procrastinating from real work by looking up laser efficiencies, theoretical maximums for...
  14. R

    Wave collapse. Fact or fiction?

    Does the collapse of the wave function really happen when someone observes it or is collpase a fluke of measurement? Thanks for your input and time. RAD4921
  15. D

    Ageing in Space: Fact or Fiction?

    space & "older" hi i heard once if you go out into space you get older faster than if you were on earth... any truth in this? if so...why? thanks
  16. T

    Are White Holes Real or Just a Theoretical Concept?

    What's all this I hear about White holes...some kind of opposite of a black hole that emitts matter and light instead of sucking it in? Is this an actual theory or just conjecture?
  17. N

    My Grandpa's Computer Programming Tales: Fact or Fiction?

    Every since me and my sister and all of my cousins were little kids my granpa has told us that he was a computer programmer for American Airlines. He always told us of stories about how he looked in the newspaper in the sixties and saw an ad posted by AA saying that they were hiring computer...
  18. Evo

    History Is History Just a Collection of Myths and Legends?

    Here is another gem I found at [PLAIN]www.talk-history.com[/URL] History: Fiction or Science? Anatoly Fomenko "This is a most unusual book, one that undermines the very foundations of History. According to the author and his team of researchers, History as it has been taught in Europe...
  19. N

    Was Edgar Cayce a Genuine Psychic or a Crackpot?

    Could somebody give me information on whether or not Edgar Cayce was, for example, a complete fake? Thanks
  20. S

    How do I find the acceleration of a double plane system with friction?

    In this problem I'm asked to find the acceleration in the positive x direction. How do you solve problems like this? I solved one earlier just like this except sans friction and I used (and it worked) a = (m1g sin(alpha) - m2g sin (beta))/(m1+m2) so for this one I tried a = ((m1g...
  21. zoobyshoe

    What Should The Next Science Fiction Monster Be?

    This is a big problem because I think they ran out of good ideas a long time ago. The last one that struck me as any good was the graboid in Tremors, but that film is pretty old now. The film Alien really turned the whole genre around and most stuff that's come afterward seems to have it's...
  22. R

    SCALAR ELECTRO-MAGNETIC WEAPONS-Fact or Fiction?

    SCALAR ELECTRO-MAGNETIC WEAPONS? Are there such things? I have searched for data but have never gotten much of an answer. Some people claim knowledge of Russian research and development of such weapons. Does anyone know what the truth is? (Some persons even claim the latest hurricane that...
  23. N

    QED: science meets science fiction

    IF QED (quantum electrodynamics) is not a hoax, then matter truly does not exist and all we have is logic-math. The electron according to QED is an infinite set of interacting virtual particles described and understood only in terms of their feynman diagrams which are nothing more than integrals...
  24. S

    Exploring Atoms: Fact or Fiction?

    I'm doing an assignment for grade 8 science in which I have to prove whether or not atoms are fact or fiction. I was just wondering if anyone would be able to give me a few tips to help me out with this. :smile:
  25. loseyourname

    What Qualities Do You Find Common To Great Science Fiction?

    Perhaps the hallmark of the great sci-fi novels is that they always tell stories in service to a fantastic idea, an idea that often comes to fruition in the future. For instance, in 2001 the idea is that an extremely powerful alien intelligence is responsible for the evolution of apes into men...
  26. Pengwuino

    Can We Trust Our Basic Physics Knowledge in the Age of the Internet?

    Since a lot of information is passed left and right and the internet exists, how is one with only basic physics knowledge suppose to know what is true and what isn't? Obviously some 'crackpots' make it obvious they are wrong when they get even the most basic ideas wrong (like someone saying you...
  27. S

    Splitting Polynomials Over Finite Fields: Fact or Fiction?

    Does anyone know if this is true and if so where they know it from? Given a polynomial over the integers there exists a finite field K of prime order p, such that p does not divide the first or last coefficient, and the polynomial splits over K. I realize this could be considered an...
  28. M

    Encryption Fiction: Measuring Security & Substitution Algorithms

    I need to know how to measure the security of an encryption algorithm. I have no idea how code breakers do their job so I cannot rate an innovative algorithm. Also, does a substitution algorithm like the enigma used to work exist?
  29. T

    US Shortage of STEM Professionals: Fact or Fiction?

    I've read several articles in newspapers and on several sites ( such as cnn.com) concerning US and its serious lack of professionals with scientific, mathematical and engineering skills. Is it really true? Thanks.
  30. H

    Best science fiction- your suggestions

    science fiction books that you think are worthwhile for a reading list? What of these books are based on a firm/possible "scientific" basis (kind of visionary science if you would like)
  31. E

    What kind of fiction do you like?

    What kind of fiction do you people like?
  32. G

    Is the story of Noah's flood fact or fiction?

    It's my homework assignment to get two different opinions on Noah's flood: A Christian version and A non-Christian version Does anyone have an opinion? And please state which one. :smile:
  33. R

    Scalar Weapons? Fact or Fiction?

    I hear/read about "Scalar Weapons" from a certain website : www.cheniere.org and it's main man : retired Col. Tom Bearden. I have one of his books and he has lots to say and most seems too weird to believe. The following is part of a long paper on weapons of great power ? : Scalar...
  34. G

    Adopt Stone Age Habits to Stay Healthy: Fact or Fiction?

    Human genes evolved for the stone age. Therefore we must adopt stone age habbits if we want to stay healthy, how true is this statement?
  35. K

    Need a setup for a fiction problem

    Need a setup for a friction problem I know the concept of this problem but i don't know how to set it up... 'A large cube (mass= 25 kg) being accelerated across a horizontal frictionless surface by a horizontal force P. A small cube (mass= 4.0 kg) is in contact with the front surface of the...
  36. D

    Exploring the Mystery of the Exorcist: Fact or Fiction?

    The new movie that is about to be released, Exorcist The Beginning (or something like that), got me thinking. The Exorcist is suppose to be based on a true story that happened in 1948, right? And through many tests done by Doctors and Psychiatrists, there was no medical explanation. Is...
  37. K

    Is Cold Fusion Possible with Palladium and Heavy Water?

    how about cold fusion? I know it's got avid supporters as well as those who say it's total B.S. last I heard, it had something to do with the way Palladium acts in hard water... I'm going to go look some of that up. I want input! anyway, i hear it's possible. edit: thanks...didn't even notice...
  38. R

    HOMEbuilt H-Bombs? Fact or Fiction?

    There are a few magazines who seem to try and increase sales with super-sensational covers that are more exciting than the story inside. The August issue of "Popular Mechanics" is one I am familar with and the cover shouts:"America's Worst Nightmare...HOMEBUILT H-BOMBS! Cold fusion...
  39. Whitestar

    Aspiring science fiction writer

    I'm an aspiring science fiction writer and the type of science I would like to write is "hard sci-fi". That is, I want to create fantastic technologies that obey the laws of physics. I'm just trying to decide if teleportation is one of those things. Let's examine the two possibilities: quantum...
  40. I

    Crop Circles: Fact or Fiction?

    Does anyone here take some crop cirlces seriously? http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa021802a.htm
  41. Janus

    The ultimate Science Fiction quiz.

    Okay all you SF fans out there, just how much of a fan are you? The following is a triva quiz I've cooked up. How many can you get right? A couple of ground rules first: 1.No googling for the answers. (I can't really stop you, but since this quiz is only for fun, you'd be just...
  42. B

    Do Black Holes Really Exist?

    From the Einstein gravitational equations comes the Schwarzschild solution, which predicts the existence of black holes. What if the Schwarzschild solution is just an approximate expression, meaning that the Einstein equations are also approximate? Then black holes no longer exist...
  43. Antonio Lao

    The Science of Time Travel: Uncovering Ancient Knowledge and Modern Discoveries

    To Everyone Who loves Time Travel, The English science fiction writer H.G. Wells wrote the book 'Time Machine' in 1895. As far as I know, this is the only book about time travel written before Einstein's special theory of relativity of 1905. H. G. Wells could have influence Einstein but...
  44. wolram

    Are Tachyons Just a Science Fiction Dream?

    http://www.physics.gmu.edu/~e-physics/bob/n.htm Ask most physicists about tachyons, however, and you'll be told that they belong strictly in the realm of science fiction. That skepticism is understandable, since nearly all experiments searching for tachyons have so far turned up negative...
  45. A

    News The Jessica Lynch Story: Fact vs Fiction

    Remember Jessica Lynch? First she was a brave soldier, cut down like a jawbone-swinging hero on the front lines. Then she was rescued by a daring special forces raid, from a hell-hole in which the nasty Iraqis were torturing her. Then it turned out to be a bunch of crap, a propaganda puff...
  46. T

    What are some must-read science fiction books and series?

    Well? I'll tell you mine a bit later...
  47. Pyrite

    Constructive criticism on fiction

    Since I've been gone, I've written a sizable amount of fiction. today, i figured i could bring it to Physicsforums and see what people have to say about it. its at http://mildcompetence.myrmid.com/stories.html btw ignore the ones under the "Dead Men" header, as those arn't all that good.
  48. D

    The Weight of Rechargeable Batteries: Fact or Fiction?

    E=MC squared? Assuming this is correct which I assume it is, a rechargeable battery should weigh more when charged, compared to un charged, has anybody actually put this to the test?
  49. marcus

    Fact or Fiction? Cosmology Statements

    Put a dot by the true statements. Let's see what PF people think about these statements. 1. there is a rest frame in cosmology defined by the expansion 2. this gives us a notion of simultaneity. In principle, observers at rest all over the universe could agree on what is meant by the...
  50. D

    Exploring the Middle Ages: Fantasy Fiction and Beyond

    We all know the Middle Ages did exist, from the 5th century to the 11th century. What i do want to know is how come other fantasy characters like elves, dwarves and dragons appeared alongside that period in so much fiction. It seems to me that the universe unlocked by that so called writer who...
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