Naturalistic science fiction

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In Theory...

Naturalistic science fiction (NSF) is a realistic take on the SF genre, avoiding typical SF cliches, utilizing visual and artistic elements from such dramas as "The Sopranos", "24" and "The West Wing". Naturalistic SF blends the best elements of "soft" science fiction (where characterization is of prime importance) and "hard" science fiction (where plausible technical accuracy is preferred).

In Practice...

Characters

For the new "Battlestar Galactica" series naturalistic SF means that characters are viewed as normal, every-day people, complete with flaws, neuroses, and even addictions. There will be no stereotypical SF characters such as the "smoking chauvinist", "loyal soldier", "heroic lead", "spiritual commander", "whiz-kid genius", or "sexy doctor".

Technology

Technology is far enough advanced for star travel to be possible (see: FTL travel) and plausible, yet every other aspect of Colonial technology is humbly realistic. Instead of using technology such as "Star Trek's" transporters, people need to be physically shuttled between ships on smaller craft like Raptors.

Colonial ships are not powered by inexhaustible "dylithium crystals" housed inside "warp cores" , but from tylium, a powerful solid substance with interesting properties that's mined from planets and asteroids and refined.

Fantasy energy weapons such as "Star Trek's" phasers and photon torpedoes are replaced with ordinary projectile weapons and Earthly mass-destruction ordinance: guns, bullets and nuclear bombs. Other unrealistic SF "deus ex machina" are avoided entirely, or replaced with technology more in-line with what's seen in modern life. If the Fleet runs out of water, Galactica can't "invent" some futuristic device to reclaim the water molecules from space-borne hydrogen molecules--they search for a planetary body that has water (Water). Technology looks familar to the viewer, from the phones, computer screens, and even the bathrooms. However, this begs the question: if the Colonials have the ability to create immense starships that can travel the galaxy, compact starfighters and other such hardware, how come they are still stuck with comparatively primitive hardware?

Much like Aaron Doral noted in the opening of the Miniseries, form follows function when it comes to the ship designs. Galactica is designed as a battle cruiser / aircraft carrier in space; the hull is lined with armor plating, strengthened by structural ribbing and insulated from external explosions by internal structures such as water tanks (Water). The command center of the ship, the CIC, is buried deep within the ship and protected from any attacks, unlike Star Trek's starships, whose bridges are openly exposed at the top-center of the ship.

Many Colonial civilian ships are spaceborne variations of ships you may see in the air or at sea in the real-world Earth. Colonial One is designed to be a jetliner in space and is set up similar to a real world passenger airliner with rows of seats separated into various classes down the fuselage, cramped airplane bathrooms, cargo bays in the ship's underbelly and private cabins for VIPs (they may even have those dry complementary peanut snacks).

No "Deus Ex Machina" Concepts

Characters like Colonel Tigh are annoyed by endless technobabble. Complex procedures needed to further the plot are often explained in context to the episode in simple and down-to-earth terms, if they're ever explained at all.

When technology is mentioned, it's typically analogous to something found on the real-world Earth. Dialogue such as "stims", "morpha", "DRADIS" and "wireless" will seem familiar enough when used in context to most casual viewers.

Galactica and its Fleet has to be creative with the very limited resources in the Fleet. They cannot barter with other civilizations (there aren't any), or "replicate" parts from some fanciful reproducing device. They have a limited supply of everything : fighters, ammunition, food, water, and people. Specialized crewmembers, such as pilots and doctors, are in even shorter supply. In "Battlestar Galactica's" world, they don't have a "starbase" or "Federation" : What they are and what they have is literally visible in every episode--and everything is wearing or running out, adding to the drama of the characters. This is exemplified by the deteriorating conditions of Galactica's Vipers, which began the Mini-Series in pristine condition, but through extended use all now have significant battle damage, burns, scars, scrapes and dents and several have been damaged beyond repair ("Flight of the Phoenix").

Space Remains Big...and Lonely

There are no "planet-of-the-week" episodes. The universe remains so big as to appear almost empty, with the odds of meeting other intelligent beings (excluding, perhaps, remnants of the Thirteenth Tribe) practically nil. A majority of Battlestar Galactica's episodes primarily focus on internal Fleet survival issues ("Water", "Bastille Day", and "The Hand of God").

Humanoid or quasi-humanoid intelligent life (save that of the Fleet's nemesis, the human-created Cylons) does not exist, as almost all of the encountered planets will be mostly uninhabitable and lifeless (based on the sound, scientific reasoning about the qualifications for life to exist anywhere).

The characters do speak of animals from the now Cylon-occupied Colonies, and they share most of the names we use in the real-world Earth: chickens, dogs, cattle, and cats existed on their worlds. This naming is done mostly to make it easier for the viewers to identify with the characters and to prevent writers from having to invent a new animal.

Curiously similar animals have been observed, after a fashion, on other worlds besides the Twelve Colonies. Socinus notes while on Kobol that he is able to listen to the birds in the trees for the first time since the Cylon attack. ("Scattered")

Storytelling and Music

"Battlestar Galactica" avoids the thematic elements found in "Star Wars". The series story is told chronolgically in episodic storytelling, using a documentary-style, cinema verite visual feel, and tribal music that gives the series a more multi-cultural sound texture than the overly-used flags-and-banners overtures used in "Star Trek" and "Star Wars".

Related Articles

• Galactica2003.net's Reprint of RDM's Take on Naturalistic SF

• Wikipedia article on Hard Science Fiction

• The physics seen in the Re-imagined Series