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Hellooo everybody! Today it's time for more tropes, except instead of bitching, we're
here to fangirl! Per your request, I'm breaking down my ten favorite sci-fi tropes. You guys
already know that sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, and of course it is! What's not to love?
Before we get started, I am insanely excited to announce that today's topic is sponsored by my
all-time favorite world building platform, World Anvil! If you're a writer, or reader, or creator
of any kind, then you've probably heard of World Anvil. And if you haven't, I have questions and
judgments. World Anvil is a browser-based world building platform designed for any and all world
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if you're a writer, World Anvil has you covered! I've tried a few world building platforms, and to
be completely honest, nothing has even come close to World Anvil. Their platform is so sleek, so
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you to choose from, ranging in a bunch of genres, including sci-fi. You can allow people to view
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love about World Anvil is the organization. I've been brainstorming the different realms
that my characters are going to be visiting in the third novel of The Savior’s Series, and I can use
World Anvil to collate all of my information and history without being overwhelmed by data
and figures. You can try the free version of World Anvil in order to check out their major features.
However, a Guild Membership gives you a bunch of additional features including co-author features,
privacy settings, and so on. Of course, you know I'm not gonna leave you guys empty-handed. If
you're interested in checking out World Anvil, you can get 20% off using code JENNAMORECI.
This gives you 20% off Master and Grandmaster memberships. I highly recommend it! But first,
let's talk about sci-fi worlds. Specifically, the stuff authors get right. I'm breaking down my ten
favorite sci-fi tropes in three, two, one, go! Number One (1): Robot companion. Robot, cyborg,
android, AI, Borg, whatever. I want ‘em! Call me a trash goblin, but I love a mechanical cyborg who
lacks a full understanding of human behavior. It's funny, okay? The robot companion is a really good
way to explore human culture without appropriating or offending. Plus, you get the laughs in! It's a
great way to examine some of the nonsensical and counterintuitive parts of society. You can shine
a light on the bullshit while still entertaining the masses. I love it! Number Two (2): The big,
badass warrior. In almost every sci-fi story, there is one character who is hulking and fierce
and intimidating as fuck. They come from THE warrior race, and you better watch out or they'll
rock your shit! In Star Trek, we had Klingons. In Guardians of the Galaxy, we had Drax. In Stargate,
we had Ronon. I love these guys! Every good found family within sci-fi needs a badass warrior,
and these guys get the job done. Bringing muscle to a laser fight is my goddamn kink. It's even better
when they happen to be a fluffy marshmallow on the inside. A softy who can kill a bitch
is my kind of character! Number Three (3): Culture shock. One of my favorite aspects of
sci-fi is the examination of culture. It gives you an opportunity to introduce completely new
species that are not only foreign to a specific human culture, they’re foreign to this entire
planet. This is fun both as a reader and writer for a variety of reasons. First off, it opens the
story up to tons of hilarious situations, because let's be real: culture shock makes people act like
idiots. Second, it gives you the opportunity to see your society through a different lens,
which as I already mentioned, can bring to light some of the more harmful aspects that you hadn't
considered before. Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres because it gives its audience a deeper look
into its own world. Number Four (4): The future looks...normal? One thing I hate about sci-fi is
when everything is so goddamn shiny. Everyone wear silver! Shoes are now moon boots! Pants are
now body suits! Underwear is made of titanium! Bet the chafing hurts like a bitch! Here's the deal:
fashion is cyclical. We've been recycling trends for decades. Innovation is also functional. We
invent and progress based on what we want and need as a society.
I’ve got your little tail! I got your little tail! Boop, boop, boop!
So if you got tons of wacky doodads
that don't do shit outside of being flashy, it's not believable. A sense of normalcy is what
makes science fiction relatable. Number Five (5): Slang. It's really hard for me to get invested in
stories that take place in the future when they're still using our modern-day slang. Call me crazy,
but I really don't think people are still gonna be saying “on fleek” and “swag” a thousand years
from now. Slang constantly changes. We don't say “groovy,” or “Dame,” or “cruisin’ for a bruisin’”
anymore. In the 18th century, you might feel the urge to bagpipe someone, but today we just call it
a blowjob. It's only natural that the future would create even more crazy slang. “Shiny.”
“Dynamic.” “Cetus-lupeedus.” I live for this shit! I look forward to seeing what the creators
come up with! Gimme some culturally relevant terms for intercourse and anuses, and I'm a happy
camper! Number Six (6): The audience is smart. This definitely isn't true of all sci-fi, but I
really appreciate it when the author assumes the audience has at least half a brain. As a reader,
it's really frustrating to slog through pages and pages explaining the entire history of a planet,
or the science behind its atmosphere, or all the materials used to build a spacecraft.” I don't
give a shit! I love it when sci-fi authors just tell the reader what they need to know in order
to understand the journey, because that's how it should be. If people are walking inside of
a spaceship, it's easy to assume that they have some kind of gravitational system in
place. We don't need to hear the exact science behind it. To the authors who genuinely believe
that their readers are capable of rubbing their two brain cells together, I salute you! Number
Seven (7): Adventure. I once read a sci-fi story that literally followed the futuristic equivalent
of an administrative assistant. You're in outer space! You've got aliens and unknown galaxies,
and you're writing about a filing system? When I read sci-fi, I'm expecting adventure. I want the
cast to be in danger! I want them to shoot stuff and die! I'm not sorry about it! I read sci-fi
for excitement and shenanigans and pew-pew-pew! If I wanted shit to be safe and boring, I'd read
contemporary. Not sorry about that, either... Number Eight (8): The Twilight Zone. Sci-fi brings the
weird, and I'm here for it! If you're not familiar with The Twilight Zone, first of all, how dare
you? Second, it's kind of a sci-fi psychological thriller that dissects morality or commonly
accepted practices in society. It basically takes something we consider normal and then dissects
how screwed up it actually is in the weirdest way possible, and as we've already covered,
I'm here for this. I wanna get mindfucked, okay? That's one of the things I love about sci-fi,
it’s creepy and disturbing. It makes you think. It's introspective. All I want is for you to make
me question everything I was taught to believe. Is that too much to ask? Number Nine (9): Pop
culture. One of my favorite elements of sci-fi is seeing how popular culture evolves over time.
Sci-fi where everyone wears uniforms and cargo pants is boring. I want to see fashion trends.
I want to hear what kind of music people are listening to. A very obvious example of this done
right is The Fifth Element, and while there are definitely aspects of this movie that rub me
the wrong way–Born Sexy Yesterday, I'm looking at you!–their style and celebrity culture was so much
fun. So many sci-fi creators completely ignore this facet of society, which is such a shame.
But I absolutely love it when writers take this element and run with it. And Number Ten (10): The
human race. I'm gonna get sappy for a minute, and you're gonna like it! In a lot of sci-fi, there
are so many different kinds of aliens that people as a whole stop being so divisive. It's not about
white people, or black people, or gay people, or straight people. People as a whole are just the
human race. Call me crazy, but I think it's nice! It's a look into a positive, more united future,
and I like it. I just want us to all get along, damn it! Is that so wrong? So that's all I got
for you today! Don't forget you can get 20% off your Master and Grandmaster membership over at
World Anvil using code JENNAMORECI. If you're a sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, or paranormal writer,
if you're a gamer, a game developer, if you're into RPGs, whatever, World Anvil has you covered!
The link is listed below! Get yourself that discount and build your badass world! I know
you want to! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays,
and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell! It's right here! Ring it! Ring a
ding ding dong! Do it now! The Savior's Champion is available in eBook, paperback, hardback,
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(Male Voice) Hey! This is Nick. The voice of Tobias and the narrator for The Savior's Champion,
written by our Jenna! If you enjoy her writing advice, or if you want to find out about her
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