[AtomicClucker]

As with anyone in a creative media, research and resources go a long way. However, finding good Sci-Fi resources short of trawling the interwebs can be a pain the in the rear.

I've been trying to find a much more comprehensive guide to sci-fi world building (writing, art, concepts, etc), but the hard and fast rule I've discovered about the entire endeavour takes a long time, and information is located in many places, for example, TVtropes is pretty awesome for characters, common tropes, and learning how Riker manned up with some beardliness, but it lacks a lot of pretty pictures, something that is better suited to visiting great sites like the battlestar wiki and physical modeling sites.

What are some of your favorite resources?

[General Battuta]

TVTropes is a big no. If you want to learn about stories read books and books and books and books (also, watch the very best of TV, stuff like The Wire). Hugo and Nebula winners are sometimes but not always good picks. Read non-genre literature; it has lessons which are just as applicable to genre.

Atomic Rocket is a good website for some basic grounding in space combat physics.

[NGTM-1R]

TVTropes is a big no.

Do you speak from experience or your kneejerk reaction to it? You've generally admitted it defines well, but has messy attributions.

[General Battuta]

TVTropes is a big no.

Do you speak from experience or your kneejerk reaction to it? You've generally admitted it defines well, but has messy attributions.

Oh I have lots of experience with it, and it's a hilarious and genuine source of entertainment while also being a terrible place to learn to tell a story. It's like trying to learn surgery from a specimen jar. The fact that most people on TVTropes are dumb and witless and think they're smart and witty doesn't help, but this is true of almost any creative outlet.

[General Battuta]

See: that other SCP Foundation

[General Battuta]

Actually I have been really struck by how much TVTropes has dropped in quality over the past (couple?) years. I wonder what happened.

[AtomicClucker]

Actually I have been really struck by how much TVTropes has dropped in quality over the past (couple?) years. I wonder what happened.

Personally, I like to link the decline of TVtropes to general stagnation; people find it cool, then add stuff, eventually the insightful and great material slowly gets watered down as the mass of material gets larger. While my own musings behind its decline are subject to poking with a hot iron, it doesn't exactly fulfil the role of story maker, and a lot of the Sci-Fi writing resources I've encountered make TVtropes look good, which is sort of sad.

[NGTM-1R]

Oh I have lots of experience with it, and it's a hilarious and genuine source of entertainment while also being a terrible place to learn to tell a story.

I'll agree it's bad place to learn to tell a story, but then I don't think that was ever the purpose. It was supposed to bring order to the chaos of building blocks, not show how they should be put together.

[General Battuta]

Oh I have lots of experience with it, and it's a hilarious and genuine source of entertainment while also being a terrible place to learn to tell a story.

I'll agree it's bad place to learn to tell a story, but then I don't think that was ever the purpose. It was supposed to bring order to the chaos of building blocks, not show how they should be put together.

I can get on board with that. It can make conversations between sensible folk easier just by providing convenient labels.

[Ashrak]

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