Hi everyone, I have just finished a short story about how Heptapods (The Arrival) might perceive humans and nature on planet Earth. Please feel free to leave any criticisms as they help me develop my writing skills. [Story below]

They seem so strange, the way their eyes constantly move, how they cannot stay still, always moving, always watching. It would appear that they are awestruck, eyes bulging when they talk to us. Yet it is entirely different when they look at each other, the way they judge at first sight, how they think the other is thinking about them, criticising them. Such a selfish construct. Although there are some things to be admired.

Their communication seems infallible. They need not even open their mouth to do so. They appear to understand each other through their body language and emotions. Social creatures, they are rarely seen alone. So, it is understandable how they evolved such intricate ways of communicating. It also appears that they use their limbs to communicate with the use of tools. To have one species with many different languages is interesting. But it’s no wonder, this place they inhabit, is after all, so vast and majestic.

This planet they call home is filled with colours and life. A beacon of hope in the vastness of space. From the smallest organism to the largest mammal, all beings in this world are connected through an intrinsic web of life and coexistence. Many of these living creatures play a vital role in shaping this world they inhabit, from the dawn until the dusk and the dusk until the dawn. It becomes clear to see, that a construct of time weaves through here, a creation of the beings that dominate this place.

As merely an observer I cannot criticise the life these beings live, as bizarre as it appears. All I can do is continue to watch the way this planet changes and evolves. Although the future of this planet is uncertain, the abundance of its diversities and interrelations will remain as something I will never forget. The impact of this world and its inhabitants will echo throughout the cosmos for eons, placing an indent on the universe itself.

Context, this is the 1987 RoboCop vs the Master Chief from the games. For Robo, he has his Auto 9, Cobra Assault Cannon, Jetpack, Gun Arm with Flamethrower, Riot Shield (The one he had in MK11) And Chief can have his shields, Battle Rifle, Assault Rifle, Energy Sword, Carbine, and any of the other many weapons he has.

Any recommendations for science fiction books similar to Blindsight or Echopraxia?

Only unread ones are the last two foundation books, Leviathan Wakes, and Trust. Don’t hate on my Fourth Wing, it was a gift from someone who would notice if it disappeared…

What are some books about an intergalactic conflict inspired by WW2 or Vietnam war or some other war irl?

With the talk about 3 body problem and the Fermi Paradox showing up in conversation again, I'm thrown by people still considering it to be any sort of paradox.

Several decades ago someone explained it to me and I explained why there is no paradox.

We have been pumping out signal for ~ a century, a very small window in terms of species evolution. We pump out less signal as our broadcasts moved to cable and now satellite and streaming. We are now headed towards our/our planet's doom due to overpopulation. We are not special. Life behaves like life. The natural extinction path would mean there are not a lot of species that get far into space.

So for us to detect any other life we would have to have signal that is strong enough to detect and identify and would have to have our ~40-100 year window of trying to detect such things (SETI. etc) sync with another species that is within a range, where their signal would not get lost due to attenuation and where their window matches up with ours. Those are lousy odds even if every habitable world has life on it and I imagine most of the aged wet planets do. Bad odds not paying out is not a paradox, it is an expectation.

If you lived somewhere where no holidays were celebrated with fireworks but fireworks were still sold, what are your odds of hearing a firecracker? If you did manage to hear one would you be sure it was not a gunshot or car back firing? I live in a major city where fireworks are used for celebration and I'm in the middle of a community that loves fireworks, if I'm not at home for the 4th I do not hear many firecrackers. I do get gun shots however.

First time reading something from Frank Herbert other than Dune. Anyone familiar with the book?

What do you think about the fourth realm trilogy Form John Twelve Hawks? I think the first one is the best. Are there similar novels like this?

To what extent can we believe that themes like time travel, other dimensions, and beings from other worlds could become a reality for us? Would this theme be too limiting? I don't think so. I perceive that the need for interaction with another intelligent cosmic race is a growing necessity in humanity, and that books addressing the theme of science fiction still have much to probe, script possibilities, to innovate the types of stories and not be constantly the good guy against the bad guy. We can use the theme of science fiction to update our expectations of possible prosperous futures.

https://reddit.com/link/1c1cor3/video/ay40tqeb5utc1/player

I know that happy stories in general are, well, rather boring. No conflict and it's hard to have much of a plot. Still, it would be nice to read some sci-fi that doesn't have such heavy implications of apocalypse and horror that some of the bigger franchises do like Dune or the 3 Body Problem. Is there any sci-fi out there where the future is optimistic?

I have access to all the books courtesy of my Dad shoutout to undiagnosed autistic dads. Are they worth reading before seeing the movies?

EDIT: Understandably, it seems like a dumb question I know. But it was more of a “do the movies properly represent the books”, I’ve already seen the 2021 movie, liked it cinematically speaking, and I saw the 1984 film as a kid and have no reference for it, also a factor before reading the books. Also I did ask my Dad his opinion on it, he’s late diagnosed (we didn’t know my whole childhood) and he has difficulty getting thoughts across. Rather than make him uncomfortable, I took my question here 😎

Curious because I was thinking about various huge ships in fiction and how they get around while I was at the airport, it seems like an important innovation to me.

What do y’all think?

Currently I'm writing a story about a woman grieving her teenage daughter who died. It's dystopian sci-fi mixed with Greek mythology elements and references since Greek mythology deals with a lot of grief. I'm looking for books and movies that deal with parental grief when losing a child that is done good. I just want to make sure I get flashbacks, dialogue, small details, and approaches to the subject done right.

Extra points if it's in fact a mother losing a daughter. But I'll take anything that leans in the direction of a parent losing a kid if it's done good.

I m a huge Fan of certain Authors and i would love to decorate my devices and walls with some nice artworks. Does anybody know where I could download some amazing pictures and/or buy some prints?

My absolute favorite stories are by Ian m Banks, Isaac Asimov and Lem

I’m new to sci-fi and from what I’ve seen these 6 series are well regarded, and I was curious to see how you would rank them?

Pictures listed:

Dune

The Culture

Foundation

Hyperion

The Expanse

Red Rising

I’m interested to see how’d you rank them.

Recommended this series the other day with a trilogy in 5 parts reference. Found this in the library today and grabbed it. I love Douglas Adams- does this do as well as Adam Lambert did with Queen? I hope so.

Perhaps the best science fiction has been written by great scientists- Michael Crichton/Arthur C. Clarke/Isaac Asimov to name a few whose visions become more and more prophetic. But other great authors such as HG Wells, more a brilliant intellectual than a scientist in my view, were driven towards expansive plots and character development, leaving the science more fantastical than believable (we’re likely to experience a real Jurassic Park before an Island of Doctor Moreau).

I’m a non-scientist writing fiction based on quantum physics enabling people to attain superposition and recreate realities. I’ll never understand this stuff anywhere near a physicist, but I use it to drive plots and characters founded in my deeper understanding of music and mythology. The question is do I lose credibility and diminish my draw if the science is less compelling even if the plots and characters are strong? Should I focus more on Heisenberg and Hawking and less on Mozart and Hercules?