Like many, to start a new year I am working on a new project. I’m not sure if it will be a short story, a long short story, or a novella. Probably not a novel because it’s the story of a friendship between a planet and a spaceship.

 

That sounds like a story for kids.

 

It does, 9, but I’m pretty sure it will end up being a story for somewhat silly adults.

 

Regardless of story length or the intended audience, my starting point is the same: Research.

 

Science is hardly my favorite topic.

 

I remember having that feeling for much of my life, Lily, definitely when I was fourteen, like you. Like you, I’m mostly a fan of historical research, but astronomy caught my interest freshman year of college. You haven’t visited a planetarium yet, but when you do I know for sure you will be awed.

 

That’s when I first realized science might not be so bad. Not that I ever wanted to revisit the experience of dissecting frogs from our required biology class, sophomore year of high school.

 

I do not look forward to it!

 

The good news is you survive the experience.

 

Much later, in my 30s, I had an idea for a novel that required a return to astronomy. I watched all 13 episodes of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and read a ton of books about stars, planets, planetary systems, space exploration, and the possibility of life on other planets. Plus, I visited an amateur astronomer friend who, in addition to answering my preliminary questions and reading sections of the manuscript that dealt with astronomy, hosted me on a stargazing trip to Joshua Tree National Park!

 

You almost make science sound fun.

 

It was, and I learned so much from all that research! But that was thirty-plus years ago. So. . .

 

Back to the research drawing board.

 

Common wisdom for writing research: If you are a beginner with the topic you mean to write about, you start with the very simplest explanations. In short, kids’ books:

 

 

 

Those look like they’re for really little kids!

 

They are, 9, and all three cover the same information. I took notes about spaceship facts. Simultaneously, my mind started percolating the story I want to write. I came up with a bunch of questions, like:

 

In our “real” world, every spacecraft and satellite sent into space has been carried there by a rocket. Is this still true? Are there any self-launching/self-boosting spacecrafts on the horizon?

 

 

Well, are there?

 

 

From a bit of additional online research (thanks, Wikipedia) there don’t seem to be any now, but it’s possible there could be in the future. Nuclear Pulse Propulsion is one example- –

 

That sounds highly toxic!

 

Definitely a concern, Lily! And that made me think outside the box of known and anticipated science. The spaceship in my story is a sentient being, capable of forming a friendship with a planet who is also a sentient being. And why not? Everything in our Universe is made up of the same star stuff, the same molecules. Why couldn’t they be sentient, like us?

 

Since the beings in my story are so different than spaceships and planets in our “real” world, maybe the science is different, too. For example, maybe the spaceship is fueled by peanut butter?

 

As a means of propulsion?

 

Wow, Lily, you are already talking like a scientist! I’m not overly concerned about the technology underlying this idea, but supply is a concern. The spaceship travels through space and now and again lands on a hospitable looking planet. But- -is that planet capable of growing peanuts? It’s a big issue. It would be simplicity itself to install a roasting and grinding device in the spaceship to do the necessary processing. . .

 

 

Which leads me to another concern: Is the spaceship not entirely mechanical, but a cyborg?

 

What’s that?

 

A combination of animal and machine. AI Overview more or less says this: A cyborg is composed of biological components and artificial ones. From further digging and my own interpretation, though the biological component seems to be predominantly human, it wouldn’t necessarily have to be so. . .

 

A bit of a head-scratcher, but in the world of fiction few things are impossible.

 

It might even be possible to offset the cruelty, greed and heartlessness that those in power are inflicting on our own world with a story about kindness and friendship, for somewhat silly adults.