Astrotropes

A trope is a recurring theme in any narrative which conveys information to the audience. These are snippets of information which have somehow ended up in our collective subconscious as ways in which storytellers have gotten their points across. Overused tropes end up as clichés.

I love sci fi. I really do. And I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s been inspired and enthused by reading and watching it as a kid. But why should sci fi be any less exciting if we could bump up the science in it?

Astrotropes is a series of articles written to explore concepts frequently used in science fiction. The parts which make sense scientifically and why they could be true. As well as the parts which don’t, and how those things might actually work in the real world. Picking up the pieces from that weird intersection where TV Tropes and real life astronomy collide.

Think of it a little bit like Mythbusters meets Death from the Skies. Except with less facial hair. And with less emphasis on debunking Hollywood science and more on telling sci fi writers how to make things more realistic.

Tropes waiting to be investigated:

• Starfish Language
• Frickin’ Lasers
• Planar Shockwaves
• Ocean Planets
• Space Whales