Consistently Consistent - 4/12/2014

So one of the interesting parts about writing science fiction is coming up with things that are internally self-consistent. This is a fancy term for 'believable'. We aren't looking for things that necessarily match the uppermost echelons of scientific rigor and accuracy, but if it doesn't hang together, the assumption and all its attendent consequences, then it fails the suspension of disbelief test.

There are plenty of essays on this concept, and I won't rehash it. What I do want to look at is “where could a non-human species resonably diverge from a human species without violating basic reason and logic?”

On some levels, this is easy. Any believable non-human would have to obey the laws of thermodynamics or have a specified method by which they break them. If they can fly, please explain to me how they can accomplish this. At least a handwave to indicate that the question has actually been posed.

On other levels, it can be extremely difficult. Engineering is one example. There are only a few ways in which a measured volume of liquid can be moved from place to place within a gravity field. Those basically boil down to bucket, bladder, sponge. If an alien species uses one of these three relatively simple concepts to move liquids around, then that works just fine.

But what about a creature whose detailed sensory apparatus is auditory instead of visual? Assume they can see, but not with the kind of detail necessary for complex written communication. Instead, they construct some means by which either a passive piece of writing or an active piece of equipment can produce a complex waveform that transmits information.

What would the bridge of a starship look like for such creatures? Could these active/passive displays be made in such a way that controls could be labeled, or would they have to use some other sensory input (touch, for example)? How would this affect their languages, and their expectations of how other species might commuicate?

There are about twelve thousand more questions to ask just about how such creatures would build things. Never mind just how are they built, how does this affect their psychology, their culture, their ability to interact with their environment. The ship has to be self-consistent. The aliens have to be self-consistent, and the consequences of these self-consistencies have to be examined and remain consistent with all other descriptions of these non-human creatures.

To say the least, it can take a bit of work to figure out.

417