Hi all! This is going to be a short one because…you’ll see.
Someone raised the question this week (forgive me, I don’t remember if it was on QSF or out in the FB-galaxy or how exactly the question was worded) about the best websites for science fiction writers. As so often happens when faced with such a broad question, my forehead kinda crinkled and I said to the screen:
It depends.
Scott hates when I say that. But it really does. When we write science fiction, we should be, in one respect or another, concerned about the science. That could mean a lot of things. A writer might need help with worldbuilding – that’s one set of questions. A writer might need help with biochemistry – that’s a completely different set of questions. They might need help with genetics – which needs to be drilled down farther to much more specific questions before anyone can answer.
None of us can know all the things. No matter how much we’d like to think we do. So we need help. I’ve been removed from the fields of biology and medical science too long – my knowledge is outdated. Much of it obsolete.
I invite all of you to share your favorite sites on specific subjects this week and I have a specific offering of my own. Did you know that MIT has open courseware on all of its classes? They do. Really want to learn about a subject – this would be a great place to start. :)