The Science of Sex...In Space

I couldn't help the title. When I was thinking of how to start this post the first thought that came into my mind was the fortune cookie joke. You know, adding "in bed" to the end of the fortune. "You will meet a new friend...in bed", "A surprise will greet you...in bed" and so on and so forth...

Well, AR record met. I've managed to derail my post before it even really started. Let's see if I can get back on track. Or even get on track to begin with.

Any-who. Sex. In Space. Science of. Got it.

I was working on my current WIP and one of the storylines entails two people travelling in a small transport, which has no gravity. (I can talk my fictional brain into believing people will figure out artificial gravity in big vessels but I just can't get it to justify artificial gravity in a small transport.)

In this subplot, the two characters become attracted to each other. I began to write in a love scene and no matter how many times and ways I started, it wouldn't mesh. In zero gravity, all the smooth moves of the foreplay and well, the act, are gone.

He goes in for the kiss and as their lips meet, she floats back into the small transports wall and bangs her head. She leans in to kiss his neck and they both go twirling out of control. He brushes her arm and fights to keep from drifting away.

Ugh...that would get old fast. Making love should be natural and if you're spending the whole time fighting thoe whole "equal opposite reaction" thing to stay physically connected, it'll break that spark of emotional and sexual connection.

Romance needs weight. All those subtle and arousing moves that lead to a rewarding night needs gravity. Yes, their eyes can meet, the flirtatious comments can be bantered, but beyond that it becomes awkward.

Intercourse itself faces challenges. There's no natural way in space for the body to manage its heat, which causes people to perspire more in zero gravity. That leads to hot sex...literally.

And you think that challenge is awkward? Remember that gravity is what drives blood circulation. You get where I'm going with this. The male will face...Oh, how to put it?...a minor decrease in performance ability.

So, in the future of zero-g, love scenes might just end up being a pragmatic experience. The flirtation will lead to the very detached discussion of:

"You want to have intercourse?"

"That sounds enjoyable"

"Okay, well let's move to the intercourse anchor bag and turn up the AC."

"Okay, but don't forget the Viagra."

"Oh yeah. And the motion sickness pills."

*     *     *     *     *

A.R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/authorarnorris/home

Space Stations and the Road to Hell

I am so excited to have blogger buddy Krista D. Ball back for a visit. This time she's talking space stations and her new SF release, Road to Hell. Stop by if you have a chance.

http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/2011/12/guest-blogger-krista-talks-space.html

Author Interview: Marva Dasef

Heehee! I get to twirl my Hercule mustache and start the interrogation of the wonderful author Marva Dasef. In particular, I'm going to being asking her about her SFR release, ULTIMATE DUTY.

So, my friends, let's work our little grey cells. Shall we?



****


ULTIMATE DUTY
Marva Dasef
Eternal Press PDF
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print
Book Trailer


Thank you for joining us today. Why don't you tell everyone a bit about your book?

ULTIMATE DUTY is space opera with a bit of romance. From the cover:

Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.

Where did the concept for the book come about?
I wrote a short story titled "Pressure Drill" years ago. I got a good response from my critique group, but back then, submitting was entirely by snail mail. I didn't pursue publication. When I retired from real work, I hauled out the story, along with a few others and gave them a fresh look and rewrite. That first story, plus one more with the same main character were published. From that I expanded the story and it eventually became a novel.



How long did it take you to finish, from concept to final product?
Only thirty years in the making, but I was busy doing other things most of those years.

Are there any authors that have influenced your own writing?
Mark Twain, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov. Plain, simple stories well told.

For the full interview and to read an excerpt, click over to Adventures of a Sci-Fi Writer.

Science Update

Happy Tuesday Brigaders!

All us SF Brigaders know the science is as important as the romance in SFR. In my opinion, where we SFR writers excel at bringing out the human and social elements of the story we also excel at infusing the small details of future technology without nauseating the reader with thesis-like paragraphs and chapters. We're good at the details and the subtle world building of the future. So, today I've got pretty cool stuff on some great Science Updates that have great opportunities in SFR.

First up, bandages that change color to let you know your wound is becoming infected. How cool is this futuristic medical treatment? Expand this and you'll have patches, gauze, and medical tape that indicates...whatever. Maybe even blood pressure, heart rate, healing progress...


Next, the sad news that chocolate is going the way of the dinosaurs. Don't fret, it's not anytime soon but still, it gives pause for thought. When you're writing, what of today's commodities will not be around, in proximity, or evolved into something else? To tell the truth, I haven't really explored this concept in many of my works but it has intrigued by the ideas and will definitely infuse some of this in my next works. Thinking beyond just the fact that a yummy treat will be going away, we need to think of the full implications. Cocoa beans are a commodity ...

Okay, I'm starting to get too excited so I better hurry and get to the most exciting find. What we Sci-Fi geeks have been waiting for...Light bending camouflage. 'Nuff said. Check it out. I'm struck speechless and typeless yet again at this news. There's been work on military flight camouflage but this new metamaterial research is going to open up doors for all kinds of smaller scale ideas and more field battle uses. I imagine a futuristic Patton play. Not just creating a false military site, but hiding our military posts, our men in the field, our ground vehicles, and our small reconnaissance flyers...

For the full article, please feel free to stop by Adventures of a Sci-Fi Writer.