Writing a Killer First Line - A Science Fiction Case Study
Science Fiction has been around for ages, not necessarily the most popular genre but definitely fascinating. So let's look at the first lines of some popular SciFi books
Hello and Welcome to Writer Story!
I cannot believe the First Line series has taken off so unexpectedly. If this is the first one you are reading, I have done two other first line case studies you are welcome to peruse.
Today we are focussing on a different genre - Science Fiction.
SciFi has always held a special place for me. I have loved all the star trek, star wars, comics, and have been reading my fair share of scifi books too. Last year, I read the Three Body Problem series by Cixin Liu which was one of my top reads. Also, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which was absolutely beautiful. And one day, maybe, just maybe, I wish to write one too.. Shhh…. don’t tell anyone yet..
Anyway, let’s dive right into the first lines of some bestselling SciFi books.
In the Lives of Puppets by T. J. Klune - In an old and lonely forest, far away from almost everything, sat a curious dwelling.
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown - Our sun floats in darkness attended by moons made of trash.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi - I learned about the death of my uncle Jake in a deeply unexpected way, which was from CNBC Squawk Box morning show.
The Marriage Act by John Marrs - Roxi glared in disbelief at the YouTube video playing on her tablet.
System Collapse by Martha Wells - Dr. Bharadwaj told me once that she thought I hated planets because the whole thing with being considered expendable and the possibility of being abandoned.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - She felt their eyes, all those executioners.
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton - Frida watches Kirby from the kitchen window while she washes Yukon Golds beneath a thin trickle of water.
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin - Dawn is breaking when she creeps from the house.
The Future by Naomi Alderman - On the day the world ended, Lenk Sketlish- CEO and founder of Fantail social network— sat at dawn beneath the redwoods in a designated location of natural beauty and attempted to inhale from his navel.
Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Thousands of years ago the humans of Earth reached out to the stars.
Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang - I fled to that country because I would have gone anywhere, done anything, for one last taste of green sharp enough to pierce the caul of my life.
I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane - The kid is born with two shadows.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - Everyone my age remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the contest.
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu - The Red Union had been attacking the headquarters of the April Twenty-eighth Brigade for two days.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - “What’s two plus two?”
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - I love Thursday nights.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells - I could have become a mass murdered after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig - I am old.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone - When Red wins, she stands alone.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - Perhaps he’ll die this time.
The HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - The house stood on a slight rise just on the edge of the village.
So, what do you think of the first lines from these wonderful Science Fiction novels? What is your first instinct? My first instinct is that they are all so different. Some are poetic, some to the point, some have a comic edge to it, some are dead serious. Any ideas why’s that?
Because Science Fiction is not a story genre, it’s a marketing genre. And there’s a huge difference between the two. This is where SciFi books are different from let’s say Romance or Thriller, for which the marketing and story genre are the same.
A story genre or fiction genre pertains to the core plot of the story, is it a romance, crime drama, mystery, social comedy, thriller etc. And in my opinion, the voice of a book is much dependent on the story genre even when they are marketed as Science Fiction.
Anyway, that’s all for this SciFi Case study. Do tell me in the comments which ones are your fav lines and why.
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Until next week,
~Toodle-oo~
Very cool case study!