In September I led a workshop at my local public library on developing story worlds for science fiction. I chose to examine world building through three lenses:
- Society - what's at stake for the characters and what orders their world
- Science - what's possible and what are the limitations, both mechanically and biologically
- Sensory Perception - the way the character senses the world; go beyond visuals, get visceral
The fictional society is built up and revealed through many of these details of the character's experience.
As book enthusiasts we usually describe the fictional society first. As in, The Hunger Games is a story where the main character competes in an annual reality game show for which every district sends a teen champion to fight to the death. But remember, the reader's or movie goer's experience of learning the rules of the game and the role Kat plays in it is quite different.
To explore what successful world building might look like, I started the workshop by reading the first 2-1/2 pages of Ender's Game, the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card.
I love how Card give us the immersive story world of Ender's Game. And I love all the creative energy in our Saturday workshop at the Monroe County Public Library, writers of all ages imagining humankind thriving in exciting and authentic future story worlds.
My next library workshop is April 7, 11:30-1:30. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, here are some key passages of the opening pages of Ender's Game and my notes, in story order:
Sensory Perception[The monitor lady said it would come out today.] "The monitor gone. Ender tried to imagine the little device missing from the back of his neck. I'll roll over on my back in bed and it won't be pressing there. I won't feel it tingling and taking up the heat when I shower."
Science"This won't take long," said the doctor. "It's designed to be removed. Without infection, without damage."The implication from the full text is that the tiny monitor in the back of Ender's neck picks up what he sees and hears and transmits that information to the, as yet unnamed, authorities so they can see and hear, and evaluate Ender's behavior. Before we know why he's been monitored -
Sensory Perception, this time raising the stakes"Suddenly a pain stabbed through him like a needle from his neck to his groin. Ender felt his back spasm, and his body arched violently backwards; his head struck the bed. He could feel his legs thrashing ..."After the doctor and nurse are able to bring Ender's seizure under control -
Society"The doctor was trembling; His voice shook as he spoke, "They leave these things in the kids for three years, what do they expect? We could have switched him off, do you realize that? We could have unplugged his brain for all time."Even though we don't yet know who "they" are, we can easily infer that the authorities in this society regularly place brain monitors, potentially life-threatening devices in children. From the opening passage we know Ender has been selected and "they" plan to "surround him with enemies all the time." The central question of Ender's Game is laid out within the first three pages: Will Ender survive what these authorities have planned for him?
