Megalist of Sci-Fi Tropes That Scribblehub LOVES or HATES

[Menilik]

Last week I asked about sci-fi tropes. Specifically which do you LOVE or HATE.

There was a massive number of responses so I compiled the list and used it for a bit of research on my own writing. I also figured people on here might find it useful/interesting for their own work so wanted to share it here.

If you want to add more to this list, comment below. And I can add them to the master spreadsheet.

If you want to copy the list and see which tropes your story has or not. Here's a link to the Google Doc.
(if you're like to read my story "A New Eden", click here)

 

[Kenjona]

No sexual orientation of the MC on the list? Or even the sex of the MC? I bet that those are big ones.

 

[ARedFox]

You went through all this work and didn’t link your story either in this tread or the other one I saw. Link please.

I also wonder how people feel about the lack of unmanned and fully autonomous spacecraft. Feels like a lot of stories just have the AI be limited or say they had a rebellion and then got limited. (Haven’t seen yours yet obviously) And in the end, they never have them as anything beyond essentially being an assistant on a ship. Always felt it was a little weird.

Same with lack of unmanned explorer robots. Many stories just have the captain ask for measurements of the atmosphere, a few pics, and then sends down some people and kinda just hope it works. We already have machines that explore and observe without an AI or man onboard with todays tech and we’re in the process of self driving vehicles. Surely in the future with FTL and other stuff it would have improved? Or am I just being stupid again?

Maybe I just haven’t read the right sci-fi stories or not enough.

 

[Zirrboy]

You went through all this work and didn’t link your story either in this tread or the other one I saw. Link please.

I also wonder how people feel about the lack of unmanned and fully autonomous spacecraft. Feels like a lot of stories just have the AI be limited or say they had a rebellion and then got limited. (Haven’t seen yours yet obviously) And in the end, they never have them as anything beyond essentially being an assistant on a ship. Always felt it was a little weird.

Same with lack of unmanned explorer robots. Many stories just have the captain ask for measurements of the atmosphere, a few pics, and then sends down some people and kinda just hope it works. We already have machines that explore and observe without an AI or man onboard with todays tech and we’re in the process of self driving vehicles. Surely in the future with FTL and other stuff it would have improved? Or am I just being stupid again?

Maybe I just haven’t read the right sci-fi stories or not enough.

Narrative.
The former, unless as an adversary (which then leaves the author to explain why no one else uses this tech) limits the effective cast to one person.
Tech tanking the risks takes away meaningful things for thinking, feeling agents to experience at little gain of writing material.
There probably are stories, potential and written(Laumer's Bolos for the former, Asimov's robot stories for the latter, for lack of better examples), that profit from these ideas, but I'm not surprised the majority abstains.

The link is in their signature, I've been told that tilting your phone can help.
Otherwise here:

A New Eden [Sci-fi, AI, Aliens, Space, Mystery, Thriller, Adventure]

A sci-fi space adventure involving mysteries, aliens, and explorers terraforming planets. Trillion wasn’t expecting to have her mind uploaded into a spaceship today. But it happened and now there’s no turning back for her and three others. The four of them now travel through space, looking for...

www.scribblehub.com

 

[Menilik]

You went through all this work and didn’t link your story either in this tread or the other one I saw. Link please.

Here's link to my story. I also added it to the original post :) https://www.scribblehub.com/read/59...ce-mystery-thriller-adventure/chapter/594287/

No sexual orientation of the MC on the list? Or even the sex of the MC? I bet that those are big ones.

I had a few people talk about love when I asked it on Royal Road. But then it turned into a hard core hating on “soulmates” and how much people hate that trope lol.

I also wonder how people feel about the lack of unmanned and fully autonomous spacecraft. Feels like a lot of stories just have the AI be limited or say they had a rebellion and then got limited. (Haven’t seen yours yet obviously) And in the end, they never have them as anything beyond essentially being an assistant on a ship. Always felt it was a little weird.

Same with lack of unmanned explorer robots. Many stories just have the captain ask for measurements of the atmosphere, a few pics, and then sends down some people and kinda just hope it works. We already have machines that explore and observe without an AI or man onboard with todays tech and we’re in the process of self driving vehicles. Surely in the future with FTL and other stuff it would have improved? Or am I just being stupid again?

I think what you’re talking about is constantly with the world. A world with automatic cleaning robots should also have automatic probs.
I agree with you though, I’m pulled out of a story when they send humans to do things that couldn’t be done automatically. I love stories that embrace what you can do in a world with true AI.

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

Last week I asked about sci-fi tropes. Specifically which do you LOVE or HATE.

There was a massive number of responses so I compiled the list and used it for a bit of research on my own writing. I also figured people on here might find it useful/interesting for their own work so wanted to share it here.

If you want to add more to this list, comment below. And I can add them to the master spreadsheet.

If you want to copy the list and see which tropes your story has or not. Here's a link to the Google Doc.
(if you're like to read my story, click here)

View attachment 15827

how do you make google sheets. tutorial plz

 

[Menilik]

how do you make google sheets. tutorial plz

Click this link and then click duplicate. Would love to see how much of your story has these tropes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/113b9JkGEoowbFt_svcKr7Q0Gjxd7x9ZaeFMaUYlUxGc/edit?usp=sharing

 

[ARedFox]

Narrative.
The former, unless as an adversary (which then leaves the author to explain why no one else uses this tech) limits the effective cast to one person.
Tech tanking the risks takes away meaningful things for thinking, feeling agents to experience at little gain of writing material.
There probably are stories, potential and written(Laumer's Bolos for the former, Asimov's robot stories for the latter, for lack of better examples), that profit from these ideas, but I'm not surprised the majority abstains.

The link is in their signature, I've been told that tilting your phone can help.
Otherwise here:

A New Eden [Sci-fi, AI, Aliens, Space, Mystery, Thriller, Adventure]

A sci-fi space adventure involving mysteries, aliens, and explorers terraforming planets. Trillion wasn’t expecting to have her mind uploaded into a spaceship today. But it happened and now there’s no turning back for her and three others. The four of them now travel through space, looking for...

www.scribblehub.com

Somehow didn’t know about the tilting phones showing that.

Makes sense, but it still bugs me. I also do think there is some potential. Something that avoids or becomes invisible to the basic scouting drones and then starts hunting when the landing crew feel they are safe. Or having spacecraft mysteriously disappear in a certain area and then having to use humans or whatever cause they run low of autonomous vehicles or it’s just failed enough to need a new approach.

Maybe a weapon is crashing small ships at high speeds into enemy’s with or without explosives. That one could be done without anything beyond basic auto pilot. I think there was something similar in a battle between Britain and Spain where the British set ships ablaze and sent them into the densely packed armada.

And anyone brought up mecha yet?

 

[Menilik]

And anyone brought up mecha yet?

Not yet, but is it a trope or a theme? like Thriller?

 

[ARedFox]

Not yet, but is it a trope or a theme? like Thriller?

It really depends on the execution.

Some stories have it as people go in mecha and then fight each other in space. Others have them as just tools for something like mining or moving. It’s just interesting to me because at times they can feel just as bad as using melee when lasers exist and having every combat scene feature boarding an enemy ship. Other times they have a more natural fit; like having an AI in a spaceship. It can just feels right for certain story’s.

I’m not too opinionated about their existence in a story but rather about how it’s executed. Just surprised me because it’s something I somewhat associate with Sci-fi in space and thought someone else would as well.

 

[Zirrboy]

Somehow didn’t know about the tilting phones showing that.

Makes sense, but it still bugs me. I also do think there is some potential. Something that avoids or becomes invisible to the basic scouting drones and then starts hunting when the landing crew feel they are safe. Or having spacecraft mysteriously disappear in a certain area and then having to use humans or whatever cause they run low of autonomous vehicles or it’s just failed enough to need a new approach.

Maybe a weapon is crashing small ships at high speeds into enemy’s with or without explosives. That one could be done without anything beyond basic auto pilot. I think there was something similar in a battle between Britain and Spain where the British set ships ablaze and sent them into the densely packed armada.

And anyone brought up mecha yet?

Please forgive me if I misunderstand your intent, but isn't that effectively the same as just not having them, with a more long winded explanation?

 

[ARedFox]

Please forgive me if I misunderstand your intent, but isn't that effectively the same as just not having them, with a more long winded explanation?

Since you thought that was long winded let me give you a present ;)

Spoiler: Saving space

If you are referring to the suicide ships yes. However upon further thought, a predictive algorithm run by something that can learn might go a long way if the target is capable of evasive maneuvers or shooting at the incoming ships. And isolating it onto the ships being sent seems better in case there is something that can cut communication between the suicide ships and where they were sent from.

If you are referring to the rest, then no. There’s is a very clear difference in terms of precaution and avoiding risking humans when a robot could do it. Now if something goes wrong (and it will for plot), then at least they can say they tried with the autonomous stuff first before sending in humans. And to avoid having the autonomous stuff sound useless, the writer would probably need to mention how rarely it fails or demonstrate their usefulness to the reader. Something along those lines anyways.

At least that’s how I would justify it if I were to write it.

 

[Zirrboy]

Since you thought that was long winded let me give you a present ;)

Spoiler: Saving space

If you are referring to the suicide ships yes. However upon further thought, a predictive algorithm run by something that can learn might go a long way if the target is capable of evasive maneuvers or shooting at the incoming ships. And isolating it onto the ships being sent seems better in case there is something that can cut communication between the suicide ships and where they were sent from.

If you are referring to the rest, then no. There’s is a very clear difference in terms of precaution and avoiding risking humans when a robot could do it. Now if something goes wrong (and it will for plot), then at least they can say they tried with the autonomous stuff first before sending in humans. And to avoid having the autonomous stuff sound useless, the writer would probably need to mention how rarely it fails or demonstrate their usefulness to the reader. Something along those lines anyways.

At least that’s how I would justify it if I were to write it.

Spoiler

I am referring to the rest. As far as AI goes, the current computation models seem unable to replicate a worm whose neuron structure is known entirely. Maybe some hidden factor is discovered tomorrow, maybe AI will thrive outside of replication of biology, but I find it equally reasonable that the field stagnates at the purpose specific, dependent AIs that exist now, even if their performance improves. Meanwhile, the "halfhearted" scanning attempts used instead of drone probes might for all we know be as good or better than them in data gathering.

Having humans jump in as last resort in turn raises the question for me why they'd have the equipment and trained personnel when robots that need none of the expensive and complicated life support are the ones that do the respective tasks usually.

Your setup sounds fitting for a space horror story, with an anxious crew who last landed in an unsecured zone in mandatory emergency exercises nobody expected to ever have to apply, given the much more resilient and adaptable robots, that now failed without being even able to signal the cause of their demise. In general, I don't think it necessarily has less oddities though.

 

[ARedFox]

Spoiler

I am referring to the rest. As far as AI goes, the current computation models seem unable to replicate a worm whose neuron structure is known entirely. Maybe some hidden factor is discovered tomorrow, maybe AI will thrive outside of replication of biology, but I find it equally reasonable that the field stagnates at the purpose specific, dependent AIs that exist now, even if their performance improves. Meanwhile, the "halfhearted" scanning attempts used instead of drone probes might for all we know be as good or better than them in data gathering.

Having humans jump in as last resort in turn raises the question for me why they'd have the equipment and trained personnel when robots that need none of the expensive and complicated life support are the ones that do the respective tasks usually.

Your setup sounds fitting for a space horror story, with an anxious crew who last landed in an unsecured zone in mandatory emergency exercises nobody expected to ever have to apply, given the much more resilient and adaptable robots, that now failed without being even able to signal the cause of their demise. In general, I don't think it necessarily has less oddities though.

Though I am seriously considering I just might not have read the right novels leading to my current opinion.

I’m referring to a small subset of all sci-fi novels with this. And I think most novels where the main character is an AI do acknowledge stuff like limitations in a perfectly fine manner because its almost an integral part of the plot.

Spoiler: MORE LONG WINDED YOU SAY!!!

I do like space horror, but there’s always more.

I ultimately don’t care if it isn’t in a story. I care that the author acknowledges there’s a reason they don’t do something with AI, sending drones down first, or whatever. A line about how the scans are powerful enough to cover everything a drone or robot could would suffice. Or saying there’s nothing nearby that might need taking out before personnel land. But those lines frequently aren’t there. And while AI are far more difficult because the current reasoning behind limitation is frequently so vague; that doesn’t mean specific senecios or rules can’t bebrought up.

Spoiler: A few possibilities on what to bring up to expand vague AI law

During battle the AI are have some limiters removed by captains orders.

Certain things using AI, like AI controlled suicidal ships are only usable as a last resort.

AI are only allowed to send scouting ships ahead under certain circumstances

AI can take over if the captain, first mate, etc are incapacitated or unable to respond.

AI should use idle time (time not being ordered by the captain or off screen time) to do stuff beyond existing (like plan and calculate escape routes, perform deep system analysis, etc)

Reuploading an AI from something when the old one starts acting up. Or maybe not

Openly critiquing a captains plans

Limiting the capabilities of AI on certain ships

AIs use outside of ships (I refuse to believe that if they have limited ones in a ship they don’t have the same outside)

How people illegally use AI

Ability to act on things like internal without captains direct approval

To me, it’s not too different from the few lines of dialog that can explain why a ship makes a detour around a certain location or goes to one port versus another. Really doesn’t need to be complex or revisited once acknowledged.

Spoiler: More thoughts on justification and thoughts for execution - Feel free to skip

But why is perfectly replicating the exact processes of a certain creatures brain that important? To me, getting the growth, learning, prediction, and interpretation aspects are what truly matter. And assuming computers continually get faster, even if it’s not perfect, it can, to some extent, be brute forced. No? Certain chess bots/programs are decent examples.

As for having humans go after to investigate, it could be justified in a variety of ways. It could be what makes them feel like they are more in control or are more important. Perhaps it’s because government never caught up so there’s still rules from an earlier time when AI might have been worse or were more feared. Maybe it’s to keep jobs for humans. Humans might have gained some 6th sense AI don’t have in that future. Lots of possibilities. And I don’t think it has to be fully perfect outside looking in. Just reasonable enough.

Although at some point I wonder if people would just accept relaxing all their lives while AI essentially run everything.

Feel like I missed something. 4 in the morning will do that to you.

 

[Zirrboy]

I ultimately don’t care if it isn’t in a story. I care that the author acknowledges there’s a reason they don’t do something with AI, sending drones down first, or whatever. A line about how the scans are powerful enough to cover everything a drone or robot could would suffice. Or saying there’s nothing nearby that might need taking out before personnel land. But those lines frequently aren’t there.

Spoiler

I (think I) am with you personally. Why leave the apparent gaps when a line or two would have done the trick to close them? What's the point of imagining all the tech if you're barely going to use it?

But while fictitious future science might seem more graspable than an entirely made up system of magic, looking at how people of the past predicted the present I've also come to doubt that. And I, a narrating character of a sci fi story written 10-30 years ago, don't think about the reasons why the car I'm entering neither flies nor navigates by itself.

To me, it’s not too different from the few lines of dialog that can explain why a ship makes a detour around a certain location or goes to one port versus another. Really doesn’t need to be complex or revisited once acknowledged.

If you find reason for them to talk about things few characters in the setting wouldn't at least have a vague understanding of.
At least in my experience this threatens to turn into awkward Q&A, or statements directed at no one in the scene.

But why is perfectly replicating the exact processes of a certain creatures brain that important? To me, getting the growth, learning, prediction, and interpretation aspects are what truly matter. And assuming computers continually get faster, even if it’s not perfect, it can, to some extent, be brute forced. No? Certain chess bots/programs are decent examples.

Spoiler

Note that my understanding of the subject is that of an interested amateur.
The way biological lifeforms have tackled the issue of intelligent (situationally appropriate for set directives) decision making probably isn't the one true path. Unless this understanding is the root of the current situation, neurons, in an abstract sense, calculate functions, which computer models should be equally capable of.
AIs, as you mention, outperform average and even highly skilled chess or go players, analyze more data in a few minutes than a human could read in months, but the less specific the application, the more unknowns and chaos they have to deal with, the slower they advance.

Nature has a good few years of head start, but the example of the worm is meant to illustrate the fact that AI isn't even able to directly copy the results.

The conclusion of this being the fault of one or potentially more fundamental errors in the current approach the research has yet to reveal is my own (at least to my knowledge) and should therefor be taken with caution, but even if that's wrong, I don't think the development towards autonomous ship or even general purpose assistant with similar capabilities is inevitable to the point of having to necessarily explain their absence.

Although at some point I wonder if people would just accept relaxing all their lives while AI essentially run everything.

Voluntary recreational task would be an option.

 

[beast_regards]

Since when is the site where 80-90% of the content is Isekai hate MC waking up in the new world?