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Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness/One Big Lie: Difference between revisions
Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness/One Big Lie (view source)
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== Examples ==
* In the universe of the [[1632]] series, the plot device behind the transposition of the West Virginia town to the middle of the [[Thirty Years' War]] is only ever mentioned in the preface to the original novel. Everything else in the story is based on fact or speculation.
* Many Hal Clement novels, such as ''[[Mission Of Gravity]]'', ''Close to Critical'', are set in a universe featuring FTL, but only as a background element explaining the presence of humans in other star system. The planets themselves are designed by straightforward extrapolation of known physics to situations vastly unlike those of Earth.
* ''[[Freefall]]'': Tends to limit itself to 'theoretically possible but difficult' technologies, such as [[Petting Zoo People|genetically enhanced sapient animals]], [[Terraform|terraforming]], AI and [[Human Popsicle|cryogenics]]. Even artificial gravity is absent (as the name suggests), and though the Dangerous and Very Expensive ([[Fun with Acronyms|D.A.V.E.]]) Drive enables interstellar voyages measured in ''days'', it is explicitly ''not'' [[Casual Interstellar Travel|Casual]] -- Planet Jean was colonized by slower-than-light ships carrying [[Human Popsicle|Human Popsicles]].
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** Other films [[Fanon Discontinuity|diverge from the first two]] in various ways, and become somewhat less hard as a result. Things like the chestbursters taking on features of their host, super-rapid growth into adult aliens, stealth warships, etc etc require disbelief to be suspended somewhat higher. Novels and comics set in the Aliens/Predator extended universe inevitably follow the [[Rule of Cool]] and the authors [[Did Not Do the Research|do not always understand the consequences of their ideas]].
** Arguably, the [[Artificial Gravity]] on board the ''Nostromo'' bumps the count to '''two''' small fibs. Although one could argue that maybe the spacecraft is under constant engine thrust every time they show somebody walking around in it.
*** When they're taking off from the planetoid, Carter says "engaging artificial gravity" as they exit the planet's gravity well.
* [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s ''[[The Songs of Distant Earth]]'' is an interstellar saga without faster-than-light travel. The only piece of fictional science Clarke uses in the story is Zero-Point Energy, and that only to get around the need to carry a civilization's worth of rocket fuel for interstellar travel otherwise.
* [[C. J. Cherryh|CJ Cherryh]]'s ''[[Alliance Union]]'' universe (which includes the [[Chanur Novels]]) has a faster-than-light drive (which also allows for instantaneous changes in velocity).
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