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Q&A When writing down a huge amounts of detail is inevitable

In hard-SF the writer has to adapt to the world and its limitation. Under normal circumstances, this shouldn't a problem, as you can always make something great, even with the limitations. Howeve...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Mephistopheles‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T07:22:22Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/31530
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Mephistopheles‭ · 2019-12-08T07:22:22Z (over 4 years ago)
In hard-SF the writer has to adapt to the world and its limitation. Under normal circumstances, this shouldn't a problem, as you can always make something great, even with the limitations.

However, sometimes detailing and establishing a plot/normal device tends to yield huge infodumps:

**Note: my comments will be in _italics_**

> "Okay, here's the plan: Those Warbots are the result of some megalomaniac idiot's attempt at creating walkers. Needless to say, their power source and extra weaponry means that their armor had to be reduced significantly, and they are still slow as heck. This weapon right here is the pinnacle of what can be achieved with a reasonable DEW _(Directed-Energy Weapon)_. It fires a coherent beam of Hard X-rays, capable of easily penetrating armor and wiping information from sensitive electronic devices when not frying them."... _( **Explanation:** Warbots operate via through dummy plugs, which serve as an artificial brain, and in many respects, is similar to an SSD. They were originally created to prevent haxxor attacks on important machines and enable offline operation.)_
> 
> ..."Not so fast! Sadly, Hard X-rays are kinda good at getting through things and not even the weapon can reliably stop some of the extra radiation, and in this merry little club of epic-fail GMOs _(Genetically Modified Organisms)_, I'm the only one who happens to be [radiotrophic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiosynthesis_(metabolism)), in other words, I handle it and you'll provide the overwatch."

See, I hadn't even mentioned the technical details of the weapon, and it's still a huge dialog.

Ad there are many, more: Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation, the function of delta-v (change in the velocity of an object) in space travel, the Dyson-fleets, and so on and so forth.

**So, is there any way to deliver the info without making the reader fall asleep?**

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-11-19T20:51:49Z (over 6 years ago)
Original score: 10