"It's to point out that if you're going to write a science fiction story, you need to either intentionally ignore these facts (in which case you're probably writing Space Opera) or come up with some way to get there a lot faster than we currently can. A LOT lot faster. Or both.
"
I would add that you can also use it as a springboard for hard sci fi. It's not that you *have* to ignore it.
I would actually change it to something like:
"These vast distances to even seemingly nearby objects are an essential part of rocketry in real life, but also Sci Fi. It's not surprising then that FTL is such an ingrained concept in fiction that its presence isn't even questioned, but also why seemingly insane concepts like generational ships even exist. "
Meaning, the emphasis is more on what distance means to both real life and fiction than on the idea that this distance is really just a bother to writers. The Expanse at least makes effective use of distances, where lightspeed delays essentially fulfill the "no signal" trope, and the slow speeds fulfill the "couldn't reach there in time" trope.
I would also briefly discuss the rocket equation, which is fundamental to rocketry.
Lastly, i would add the discussion about human spaceflight for the end. Essentially, lay out the basic principles first and then talk about what this means for both space flight in real life, but also sci fi. Ion Engines are useless for manned flight, but they are great for unmanned high-efficiency flights. It's not something a writer should just discard, since everything in rockety hinges on energy budgets and engine choices.
"It's to point out that if you're going to write a science fiction story, you need to either intentionally ignore these facts (in which case you're probably writing Space Opera) or come up with some way to get there a lot faster than we currently can. A LOT lot faster. Or both. "
I would add that you can also use it as a springboard for hard sci fi. It's not that you *have* to ignore it.
I would actually change it to something like:
"These vast distances to even seemingly nearby objects are an essential part of rocketry in real life, but also Sci Fi. It's not surprising then that FTL is such an ingrained concept in fiction that its presence isn't even questioned, but also why seemingly insane concepts like generational ships even exist. "
Meaning, the emphasis is more on what distance means to both real life and fiction than on the idea that this distance is really just a bother to writers. The Expanse at least makes effective use of distances, where lightspeed delays essentially fulfill the "no signal" trope, and the slow speeds fulfill the "couldn't reach there in time" trope.
I would also briefly discuss the rocket equation, which is fundamental to rocketry.
Lastly, i would add the discussion about human spaceflight for the end. Essentially, lay out the basic principles first and then talk about what this means for both space flight in real life, but also sci fi. Ion Engines are useless for manned flight, but they are great for unmanned high-efficiency flights. It's not something a writer should just discard, since everything in rockety hinges on energy budgets and engine choices.
Edited by devak