Science Fiction, The Struggling genre

@RedShiftJ29

I really don't see how scifi is a struggling genre on here.

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@Parogar Try posting on the Share Your Story Forum; it's easy to tell how the other genre's are beating this one back. The decency of some SciFi's are lowering too.

It's also difficult to gain people's interest on Wattpad without begging if you're writing something of that nature, unless it has something to do with the regular cliches (I don't think I need to explain that)

If you read much of the posts in this topic you'd understand why it's a dying genre.

Simply said, SciFi is getting buried under piles of regurgitated cliches on this website.

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@RedShiftJ29

Alright, I actually just took a look at your first chapter and prologue of The Interloper, I see why you're not getting any reads.

The problem isn't that it's scifi, or that scifi is a struggling genre. Actually, there is no problem with the story AT ALL.

This is EXTREMELY well written, and honestly... you must've worked really hard on this. It's not often I see writing this good on wattpad.

So, why aren't you getting reads? Because it's too adult. This website is dominated primarily by girls (and some boys) between the ages of 13-17.

Your story is something that I would personally buy in a book store, and that's the biggest fault in it (Ironic, I know)

It's just not youthful. And no, that's not a bad thing. It's intelligent, the concept of Rifts sound very interesting, and really sets up the mystery... but most people here won't want to read it.

So, it's not that scifi is the struggling genre, but rather scifi that isn't young adult. If I wanted I could easily make a space opera here that would succeed, but I'd need to make it VERY light-hearted, and the protagonists would have to be kids.

So yeah, your story isn't bad AT ALL. It's really, really, good, but the demograph on wattpad is a bit off for it.

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@RedShiftJ29

By the way, I noticed one minor error.

The Rift. He thought, just as...

should be

The Rift, he thought, just as...

Other than that it was perfect.

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@RedShiftJ29

Oh, and one last thing. I personally disagree with the commenter who said it's not easy to understand. I think he/she must not read a lot of space opera. The first chapter at least, was very easy to follow, but I've read my share of scifi space operas := )

I can see how someone who hasn't would be confused at the technology bits... you're supposed to learn to filter those out when you read, and just appreciate them as credible description. So I think it's less a weakness in your writing, and more that commenters unfamiliarity with space opera.

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@Parogar Your reply made me remember something. About a year ago I saw a post here that was complaining about how SciFi is becoming a more mature genre, connecting it with its apparent popularity decline.

Personally, no one wants to read something unpredictable or "mysterious" as you said. People want to read things where they already know how it's going to end. They want the same things over and over again. People WANT to know the ending before it even begins.

I remember when I was younger, all my friends would be watching and reading movies/books like Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Dr. Who and all the great Scifi Fantasies of the past. But now, it's more of a nerdy sub culture that everyone looks down upon.

Yes, I firmly believe SciFi WAS a genre for kids and young adults, but with the coming of the new "crap" (and yes crap) it's becoming more of a thing people REFUSE to read because it's too nerdy! Or it's too complicated!

And thanks, by the way; my stories are actually aimed for a more mature demographic. But I'd rather focus on the topic at hand, and not my own stories, though the insight is eye opening. I never really thought of it that way, in that SciFi is less of a young adult but a mature genre.

While I agree, I wish there were more mainstream sites with a more mature audience. I'd gladly post there if I ever found one.

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@Parogar That is true, the crowd around here is younger, and therefore stories with younger characters are likely to get more reads. I'll have to check out your story, though, @RedShiftJ29 It sounds great, so why not?

I'd like to chime in with a GEM I found - http://www.wattpad.com/story/903872-out-of-time Out Of Time is a great story. The author could stand to tune it up a bit, but it's still a great read. I thought of it because the main character is a middle aged balding man, therefore the story really isn't aimed at the younger crowd of Wattpad.

And I think Young Adult Sci-fi is doing very well for itself. Take the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness (those books are awesome, by the way). But my point is that I agree with @RedShiftJ29 The stuff written for an older crowd (and most good sci-fi stories are, though not all) gets put on the back burner. And there should be a site for older readers and writers to meet up.

A Wattpad Senior lol

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@RedShiftJ29 strongly worded but highly accurate, thanks for your input =)

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Okay, I am a teenage girl and currently writing both Sci-Fi and Action novels. I can completely agree with you on the fact that the vampire/werewolf genres are completely taking over all aspects of reading. 99% of them are all the same typical piece of crap you would expect from girls that are just writing down their fantasies that someday a vampire will fall in love with them. Its not the amount of girls taking over this site, because some are not into that stuff, like me, and write decent work. Its the quality of girls and how they think they are brilliant with creating a cliche story.

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Check out: Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/08/growing-up-for-real-alexei-panshins-rite-of-passage http://www.sffworld.com/book/1748.html

Vampires and werewolves are mostly not science fiction.

Madness Season by C.S. Friedman http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/2011/04/madness-season-cs-friedman.html

Is the only exception I know of.

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@nihcelpud Sigh I think that's why these new niches or majorities have their own genre on this site now it's ridiculous to say the least right? Who would think that such a nonexistent fantasy would sweep the hearts and minds of so many people.

It's across the board not just young it's old as well as male too. It's annoying honestly to consider that this is the best that is available on many sites is it really the best or is it just someone playing an elaborate trick on us all? Who knows but I do know that I found my way to enter this fascinating thread now and I hope that sci-fi doesn't keep getting labeled as something confusing or too over our heads and all this utter bull.

I mean sci-fi does explanations and considering the trend is realism and explanation then sci-fi seems to work properly with this. I think the more people complain about it the more it'll sale just we need to stop focusing solely on the younger generation since they'll never be interested in anything outside of action, romance, and teen issues.

That's the hard cold truth honestly try and go in any further with the majority and they're lost, which is why I say this firmly to them all *Wait I can't cuss so take this instead* I have a strong disdain for such actions so open your eyes and your mind to the wondrous tales around you if you dare.

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@clowen, I see what you're saying but I have to disagree with your opinion that we can't reach young audiences. Just look at what The Hunger Games accomplished and most of their readers were teenagers. We just have to make the books relatable to young adults' lives and opinions. All the great modern Sci-Fi has been popular because of their great plot and theor ability to connect with teens.

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If there was another site for a mature audience, I'd gladly post my stories there.

But for now, complaining about this won't do. The best we can do, here at least, is to make stories that appeals to the majority.

Adapt or die. (Not literally.)

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@nihcelpud >.>...That goes to someone's earlier point about characters I honestly think teens and young adults will only if relate to the story if the character(s) are of their own age range. I personally know I enjoy reading about people my own age, but outside of that I like seeing older characters too. I think that's the problem trying to relate too much may sometimes hinder the story direction.

And I give props to The Hunger Games for what it did, but honestly it still isn't my cup of tea. I admit it is sci-fi and it is very serious topic also could be a fine piece of literature, but it's just not for me.

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A writer out in the blogosphere has suggested that it's time to start writing in the style of Hunger Games and the rest of the YA genre ... namely, short sentences, rapid pace, very little character and setting depth, short chapters ... in order to keep the reader's attention in this electronic age.

I can see his point to a degree, but Romance is a hot seller and I won't be going down that path either.

Some adult bestsellers are written like YA, some aren't.

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@JohnKarr Short, varying syntax has been popular in horrors and thrillers for a long time already.

I don't see why it's suddenly just being introduced into mainstream literature, despite that fact that authors like me are already using it.

If unvarying syntax isn't modern, than 75% of all the writers on this website aren't modern either.

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@RedShiftJ29 We all vary syntax. I think the blogger's point was to shorten everything, all the time.

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@JohnKarr That sounds dangerously kiddied down did this blogger expect for writers to gain readers that are illiterate or under the age of 10?

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Honestly I don't like the idea of mimicking the writing style of others.

@clowen That's what I was thinking.

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@RedShiftJ29 It's insane to try and limit a writer to write just that sort of way, if you're doing a children's book then it is fine but otherwise do the story the way you intended to. Though there will always be someone deep in your buns trying to critique every single part if it their words are changing the way the story flows then do what I do ignore it.

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Just removed it sorry!

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@TWriter Before the others do I'll say it what the frank! I thought this was a discussion about science fiction and not a hock your works share your story section. Sigh...

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@clowen I edited it sorry!

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@TWriter Sorry I'll unfrill my pandarific hair back into it's normal pandatastic mane while I head back to my normal panda schedule which is watching the pandarilliant NCIS via my DVR.

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@clowen haha love it <3

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