Adressing humans of planet earth, on a work of SF.

[HourglassMemory]

I've been writing a science-fiction/"Fantasy" story where a lot of things are like our own world. the characters are humans and clothing and such, but it's all happening on another planet, which could be said, has no connection with us whatsoever. they do not know of us. And in a way, neither does the narrator.
I wanted the story and the narration to feel 'apart' from our own world.

I made a promise to myself that I would never address our human readers in manners such as "But it was not like us humans. Instead they worked this problem out by doing this and that." I feel that if I compare the things they do with our world, people would assume they had connections with us, which they don't at all. It's just similar in many ways.

I wanted to throw the readers into the world from the start, to make it feel that it's been there before they read it.

BUT, here's what's making all more difficult.

I feel, though, that if I addressed things a little bit more lightly (and I feel that it would come much faster to me while writing), it would be easier to convey my ideas in the readers' minds, but it would lose that feeling of "it's happening somewhere else, as we speak".

If I don't say that these are things happening on another planet, and that their History is different, the way the characters react to something pivotal in the story becomes laughable, and incomprehensible. A few people have replied, after reading it "I get it that they're all shocked. I would react to that with a "Oh...alright". ' Which is totally understandable!!!! It's a revelation, that to us wouldn't be that shocking, AT ALL.

The only way to convey the feelings is if I compare it with things we have in our own history. Or if I write in a such a way that they'll grasp it and become emotionally attached to this civilization from the start, right away, which is a daunting task for a book introducing the world without addressing humans of planet earth!

I know that readers fill in the blanks 75% of the times....but would they grasp the issues these characters have with this something? It's something that we do not have any emotional attachments to here on Planet Earth, but their history has been such that they do become attached to it. And it's nothing religious.

And I do explain why they have issues with the number, but even so, nothing like what is happening in the story would happen in our own world. To a normal person reading it, which would be any reader, it would look like they were over reacting and being gigantic drama queens. but without this I have no story. and many times I feel that the whole story is dependant of an ill conceived idea that only stands if people dismiss a few logical questions....

I feel that this could cut the reader's connection with the characters and the story by the root.
I guess it really depends on how I present it to the reader.
A few people have read it and they ask a very honest and not surprising question. "Why do they react in such a way to that?"

What should I do?

I don't want to address us, humans of planet earth. but at the same time, to do it would explain and expose the things to the reader in a way that flows much better.
:Shrug:

Thank you for your time.

[Mel]

You say that it's a lot like our world, which is saying there are some things that are not. What are the differences? Could a few of those be brought forward to set the reader down onto another planet?

[HeronW]

If you make the characters care about the X, and explain their logic, then the reader will understand. The reader doesn't have to agree, or like, but they need to accept this is how the char. feel about X.

X could be anything: dietary law, staying out of a sacred space, saying 'bless you' when someone sneezes.

Actions come of necessity and or habit, they evolve to lose meaning or gain the wrong meaning over time.

Your chars could be doing so without knowing the origins of their custom, or for totally (to us) idiotic reasons. You don't need to jump out of the novel and state: The planet's sentient bipeds did such and so, not like humans do.

[Shweta]

The trick is probably to find telling details to drop right at the beginning.

Things that imply that it's Not Our World, that they take for granted. If you cut that presupposition off from page 1, you'll have an easier time.

Couple suggestions for worlds that are like-ours-but-not, that might be good research (these are all fantasy novels, most of the SF I know has at least a token earthling present to be confused by everything):

- Stephen Hunt, The Court of the Air (not yet out in the US)
- Tamora Pierce, pretty much anything (these are kids'/YA
-[blanking]

[HourglassMemory]

You say that it's a lot like our world, which is saying there are some things that are not. What are the differences? Could a few of those be brought forward to set the reader down onto another planet?
Sure, there are differences, but the difference that matters, which is their History, is adressed as soon as I can.
Then as HeronW's reply says, the reader will accept it.

[Birol]

Here's the thing: You have to address us, the humans of planet earth. We're your readers. We're the ones the story has to make sense to.

[Polenth]

Here's the thing: You have to address us, the humans of planet earth. We're you're readers. We're the ones the story has to make sense to.

...but I wouldn't take a story seriously that did it with lines like "Now dear humans, realise that these people are nothing like you" or "This is just like the French Revolution, only with green aliens". That's what I take the original poster to mean by addressing the audience.

I prefer stories that explain things like that without comparisons to Earth. I can understand wars, odd traditions and mortal fears of numbers, as long as it's explained. But start to compare it to Earth and it'll feel awkward.

[Birol]

You mean like Edgar Rice Burroughs did with his martian chronicles? I actually really liked those books, but that's not what I mean.

If it's something that's not going to make sense to readers in the context of their own, personal experiences, as the writer, you have to provide the information they need to have it make sense. There's many different ways to do that. How it's done is not important, as long as it works for the story being told. What's important is that the necessary information is communicated.

[Selcaby]

Your problem is not unusual. Lots of writers out there are setting stories in invented worlds.

Look for good excuses for your characters to explain the things you need to tell. Where possible, have a character who doesn't know and needs to find out. It needn't necessarily be someone who is new to the setting. A device used in all seven Harry Potter books is that Harry is never interested in learning anything until he actually needs to know. When he does, Hermione can tell him because she has the opposite personality and wants to know everything up front, or Ron can tell him because he's been brought up in the wizarding world and it's second nature to him. Or, since he's at school, he could learn it from a teacher very naturally.

It's also okay just to explain things in narrative. The trick is to not do too much of it at once, and make it look natural. Addressing your readers directly and talking about planet Earth is best avoided because it draws attention to what you're doing. Stay inside your characters' minds and illustrate with personal details that develop character at the same time. For instance, "As a child he had nearly killed his little brother by pushing him down a hole in the ice on Lake Hadros. As he grew older the guilt had crept up on him, and now he couldn't even look at an iced drink without shuddering. Fortunately he would be an old man by the time winter returned and the lake froze over again." That's better than, "A year on Ildar was seventy-two times as long as on Earth. The children who played in the snow one winter would be old men and women the next."

[johnzakour]

Here's the thing: You have to address us, the humans of planet earth. We're your readers. We're the ones the story has to make sense to.

I was going to say the same thing. Glad I read the read the thread before posting. :)

[Soccer Mom]

Greetings from planet earth. I hope you come in peace. Yes, I agree with those who say let us know up front with telling details that this is not life as we know it.

Now I'll take you you our leader. Her name is Mac.

[ChaosTitan]

The first thing the OP's post reminded me of is Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica. Human technology has evolved in ways that are parallel to our Earth, but they have their own unique history, traditions, and ways of doing things. "Earth" is known to them, but it's considered a myth, rather than a real place.

It's not a book, but the first miniseries may be worth looking into. For research. :)

[Birol]

The first thing the OP's post reminded me of is Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica.

I thought of the first Battlestar Galactica series, too! They had different words for time, different types of pets, that were normal to them, but not to the audience.

[HourglassMemory]

So If I just introduced the things that made it different, people would 'get the point', right?

I guess I had a sort of lack of trust in the reader's capabilities to 'get it'.

But I have to say that my case, my situation, is a bit more complicated than other stories like Harry Potter, because I don't have "ignorant human characters thrown in to a new world and exist as a sort of vessel to give information about this new world to the reader."
I think the reader alone has to do that.
And that takes a little bit more thinking than usual from the reader. It takes a bit more adapting.
That is what, I guess, makes me shudder and think "What if I don't get it right and they miss the whole thing????".

[Birol]

Don't underestimate or denigrate your readers. You, the writer, must have faith in them. If you don't trust them, why should they trust you?

[Shweta]

And I'd add, trust yourself and your story. If you don't get it right, your beta readers will tell you, right? And it's just words, you can change them on edits.

It is hard to figure out how to specify this-isn't-normal without contrasting it with normal. I sympathize heartily. I have a story in which everyone is brown-skinned - it's set in an equatorial rainforest, go figure. But without a pale person to contrast with, that's hard to get across elegantly.

Here's another book you might look at for ideas. Just thought of it. The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford. The way he introduces the different elements into his alternate-history is just beautiful. And it might give you ideas as to how to introduce yours, if you're worried :)

[Selcaby]

But I have to say that my case, my situation, is a bit more complicated than other stories like Harry Potter, because I don't have "ignorant human characters thrown in to a new world and exist as a sort of vessel to give information about this new world to the reader."

My point about Harry Potter was that although he's thrown into a new world at the start of the series, by the end he is not new any more, yet is still fairly ignorant because he hasn't been particularly interested in learning. Hermione is just as new to the wizarding world as he is, yet she's streets ahead of him in knowledge even in book one.

In childhood we're all ignorant of the world we're born into. And some of us stay, or are kept, in some little corner or ghetto where we don't pick up so much of what goes on outside. There can be any number of reasons for this. Political censorship. Lack of opportunities due to discrimination or poverty. A restrictive family background. Language difficulties. Blindness, deafness, autism, etc. Or just simple "I don't need to know this" arrogance. I used to know a clever 18-year-old who didn't know where to find her own country on a map of the world. I was astonished when I found out, but probably this sort of thing is not too unusual.

[Dawnstorm]

Hi,

Introdcuing the differences early on is a good idea.

On the other hand, I remember a short story or novella I read once, by Eleanor Arnason, "The Lovers". The idea was that the story was one written by aliens and translated for the benefit of the readers. There were (very few, but well chosen) translator footnotes, the first of which right at the title. It told us that the more literal translation for the title would have been "The Breeders", but that translating the title like that would have woken false expectations. Quite interesting, I thought.

[Nyna]

As some people have pointed out, your problem is not really unique. You can look at practically any fantasy author since Tolkein for examples of how other people have dealt with it, and quite a lot of science fiction, too. I would personally suggest you read some of the Discworld novels, by Terry Pratchett. The best advice I can really give you is to check out how other people have done it, and what mistakes they made, and what mistake they didn't. We've come a long way, stylistically, since Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Also, Battlestar Galactica is awesome. Recommended.

[Selcaby]

Well, Terry Pratchett does narrate to the Earthling reader and use analogies from our world (at least, in Equal Rites, which I've just been reading) so he's perhaps not the best example for you to follow. He makes it work, though. Perhaps it suits his style because he's writing comedy.

[ishtar'sgate]

I don't think your problem is much different than it is for those of us who write historical fiction. We have to plunge the reader at once into an unfamiliar time with unfamiliar customs etc. In order to orient the reader you should probably open with something unique to your 'world', even if it's simply by having your MC appreciate the evening sky with its three moons or something like that. It immediately grounds your story as otherworldly and the reader is ready to appreciate it as such.
Linnea

[dirtsider]

People have already given some really good ideas. The example of Harry Potter is a good one - someone "new" to the situation needs the ettiquete/customs of that situation. Say your MC arrives at a new school or enters a religious order - show your MC settling into things. Use that to show the differences.

The original Battlestar Galactica from the 1970's used a voiceover during opening credits to set the situation up.

In my WIP, the story will be based on Earth but involves a subculture that one of the MC's isn't familiar with. I'll be using a combo of her reacting to things and/or have the other MC explain things.

[HourglassMemory]

The thing is that my MC is part of that world that I want to introduce to the readers.
How do I do it without adressing directly or indirectly, my readers?
Because the story is supposed to be narrated by a conciouness, a narrator, that only knows that planet.
And it's not like a very alien thing. It doesn't have squids and extremely deep and diferentiated cultures and such meeting in markets and what not.
It has pretty much a 19th century feel to it.

Another one of my issues with this is how do I make the readers aware that, even though it has a lot of similarities, it is not the 19th century people are used to? How do I convey that it is not Earth that these character walk on.

[Birol]

How do you want to do it?

[Shweta]

Another one of my issues with this is how do I make the readers aware that, even though it has a lot of similarities, it is not the 19th century people are used to? How do I convey that it is not Earth that these character walk on.

Hm. You might want to read Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton. Or Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Or Jonathon Strange And Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Or at least the first pages thereof. See how they do it.

[DWSTXS]

why not have the narration say it, explicitly, then never bring it up again. As in:

- Xemar had no way of knowing that what he was doing was exactly the opposite of the way beings on another planet 300 light years away would do this, so it never occured to him to question it.

maybe something along those lines? Bring it up one time. One sentence, then the reader knows.

[HourglassMemory]

That's what I would consider to be indirectly addressing human beings.
It would be a narrator who would have knowledge of us, humans on planet Earth.

My narrator does not. He cannot.
I just don't like the feel of it.

I would feel tremendously more free in having that sort of narration.
I even feel that I would write much easily.

But I do not want that feel to this story, because it does not deal with a human culture that is familiar to us, even though it looks a lot like us.

I guess that just by showing things, people then get the picture.
there really is no need to TELL.

[NicoleMD]

The narrator can still compare his local city/state/what-have-you to other lesser known areas of his world. Throw in a couple oceans/contenents with different names and people will pick up pretty quickly that this isn't earth they're reading about. Readers are pretty smart creatures. You can trust them to figure out things like this without being too heavy-handed.

Nicole

[Sonneillon]

My characters have a lot of time on their hands and don't know each other very well, so they do a lot of talking. Through their talking, I tend to exposit information that's significant to them, such as the status of Kite's tribe in the empire and Vaeyinn's lack of religiosity. I assume the events you're trying to exposit have touched the characters in some way, whether emotionally or by actually involving them in the occurrence. Would it be possible for your characters to sit down and discuss it with each other? Maybe sharing their memories of it?

[WistfulWriter7]

I have no experience with this, but my advice is to describe the world in universal terms. Use the things your new would and Earth have in COMMON, to show the DIFFERENCES. For example say you have someone get a splinter in their finger...on earth, not really a big deal, but in this other world...trees can poison your mind (i am pulling this out of my you know what right now so please excuse it). You don't have to say "unlike earth this splinter meant so much more...blah blah" You could say instead you have them freak out etc... then describe how the splinter messes up your character...I promise the reader will get it. I dunno... I hope that helps

[HourglassMemory]

Would it be possible for your characters to sit down and discuss it with each other? Maybe sharing their memories of it?
Lol yes, yes. I have many, and I mena many, situations where they sit down and all they can do is talk or breath in more air because they've been runing.
Lots of times like that. I'm actually afraid I might run out of things to talk about with the characters. I'm afraid I'll bore the reader with the characters' life stories.

[Bufty]

Add sufficient information so the question is not asked because the answer is already known.

Whether that missing information is added via prior dialogue or narrative is your decision. I must be honest and say I don't really 'get' your problem.

The narrator doesn't need to address me as an earthling at all. I simply need to be able to steadily build up a picture -as I read - of where I am, what is happening and in whose POV I am supposed to be. Getting all necessary information across to me is the craft.

You can let me have the information by telling or showing or a mix of the two - but I don't need to be 'addressed' as such at all.

If you are afraid I shall be bored if I am drowned in characters' life stories, I probably shall be, but the question is -do I need to know all their life stories in huge chunks? You willneed to know them in order to write your epic, but do I need to know them in such detail?


A few people have read it and they ask a very honest and not surprising question. "Why do they react in such a way to that?"

What should I do?

I don't want to address us, humans of planet earth. but at the same time, to do it would explain and expose the things to the reader in a way that flows much better.
:Shrug:

Thank you for your time.

[Sophia]

Hi HourglassMemory,

I hope I haven't misunderstood your post. I think that what you are describing as your main problem does not really exist. You are writing SF. The readers you give your novel to, in order, will be:

1) Beta readers.
2) An agent or editor.

To the first, you say, "Here is my SF novel..." To the second, you would say, "Here is my completed SF novel..." When the book is published, it will be described on-line and in the magazines as SF, and it will be placed in the SF section of the bookstore. There is pretty much no situation where the person reading your book will not know that it is an SF novel before they open it -- and SF readers know (and expect!) that the world of your story will be different in some large or small way, from our Earth. They will go into it prepared to read about something different from the norm.

Your job as the writer is to illustrate those differences from the real Earth that are relevant to the story you are telling. You need to practice it. From your post, I get the impression that you have maybe not read any SF set on other worlds. I think it will help you a lot to grab several such novels, and study the approaches others have taken. I also recommend looking at writing books that are specifically about writing SF: Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" is one I have and like.

A few people have read it and they ask a very honest and not surprising question. "Why do they react in such a way to that?"

This is different from your other concern. If readers aren't picking up on why your characters are reacting the way they are, it is because you haven't shown in your story why the consequences of the events that are happening are important to your characters. You need to look at whether you have shown what the characters care about, and why they care about it. You also have to show why the reader should care about your characters, because then the readers have some stake in the outcome of your story, too. They want your characters to get what they are struggling for.

I hope this helps a bit, and that I haven't missed the point of your question.

Regards,

Sophia

[Zoombie]

"This is just like the French Revolution, only with green aliens".



This is going to be the first line of my new WIP, thanks =D

Also, ElaraSophia is right...the "problem" is sorta a non-issue if you're marketing this as SF/F

[Nateskate]

This is pretty simple. As soon as you mention the second or fourth moon people will know it's not earth. But it's these kinds of foreshadowing tools that alert the reader that this is somewhere else.

[IceCreamEmpress]

This is pretty simple. As soon as you mention the second or fourth moon people will know it's not earth. But it's these kinds of foreshadowing tools that alert the reader that this is somewhere else.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

The narrator would definitely mention that, for example, "It was late in the evening, and two of the four moons had set." Easy. Simple. You're obviously not on Earth. And yet, it's something someone who lived on a four-mooned planet would naturally say to someone else from the same planet (as opposed to something like "My planet has four moons").