Research for Science Fiction

After solidifying the main idea and plot elements, I had to conduct research. At first, this may sound incongruous for a science fiction novel. However, even fiction must be believable. My story takes place in the near future so human science had to be rooted in our current capabilities. I read several technical articles on how we could mount a potential defense against near earth objects. I incorporated these scientific ideas into parts of my story.

For the aliens, I tried to think of ways a society could become spacefaring. I came to the conclusion that it would take a united effort, of an entire species from a given planet, for a species to become interstellar travelers. The aliens would have to have developed to a point where they no longer had violent conflicts among themselves, and the means to resolve disputes without resorting to violence among their own kind. In my story, I wanted to compare and contrast relatively peaceful aliens to a group of expansionist aliens.

Another aspect of conflict I wanted to explore, is the myth of a united front against potential aliens. Of course, there are stories where humans work for the aliens. However, I wanted to explore the idea of humans who would continue to push their own agendas and use any chaos to further their own objectives even to the detriment of most humans.