Writers Lunch - Tech and Magic Part 1: The Empirical

Creativity knows no bounds when it comes to science and magic in fiction. Science fiction and fantasy authors use magic and technology to build unbelievable worlds and superhuman characters, or even to make a point about society or human nature. Whether use as a set dressing or plot device, “hard” or soft”, the empirical and the arcane are generally considered to be separate and distinct. Science is not magic, and vice versa. But the growing sci-fantasy genre wields an amalgam of science and magic to great effect, its authors stretching their creativity further than ever before. After all, according to Arthur C. Clarke’s third law: “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Join science fiction and fantasy author A.P. Hawkins for the first in a three-part Writers Lunch series dedicated to celebrating the magic and technology of science fiction and fantasy. This month, we're focusing on The Empirical - invented technology/biology and the various ways you can use it to serve your story.

About our Speaker
Anna (she/her) is our world-building goddess. Her degrees in both biology and marine biology have given her an extensive understanding of niches, habitats, and circles of life. Her background in biology has given her unparalleled skill at helping writers get the details of their complex, immersive alien worlds onto the page, without excessive info dumping. Check out her blog post on “incluing” for some tips and tricks!
Anna has nearly a decade of editing experience transforming complex information into concise and engaging text for writers in multiple fields. This has allowed her to hone her line-editing skills for many types of readers. She has a keen eye for details in story elements like character arcs and pacing as well as on the line level for grammatical and spelling errors.
When she’s not editing, Anna writes stories that deal with disillusionment with institutions and characters who sometimes become the same kind of monster they rebelled against. You can find her work in Analog Science Fiction and Fact and several small press anthologies.
If your setting is just as integral to the story as your characters, Anna is uniquely qualified to assist you.