I am going to make the same assumption
Tolkien did at least have the advantage that the understanding of the science that would make nonsense of his world was only in its infancy at the time of writing. But I think what you're saying still holds true. I've listened to nearly 500 contemporary fantasy novels over the last couple of years, and most of the worlds they generate seem to be about as sensible as mine!
I quite agree for the most part. In the beginning I always thought of it as a pure fantasy, but I was told that time travel was really a sci-fi thing, and I do have 2-3 main characters who travel through time between books. I also have a time machine in the prequel, and a moon base, and... I think I'd better stop revealing too much about the plot line
Ok, so that's workable and I won't have to weave too many spells around it to make it fit.
Hmmm. I think my immortal sentient AI/genesis pod thing has a pretty good reason for picking the habitable zone closest to Errispa (namely the need to cross the void and colonise Errispa before Ethran breaks apart), so I could have a corresponding habitable zone on the other side. Its just not mentioned in the novel because the focus is in the inhabited habitable zone.
That's the main problem - the not being habitable for long aspect. Its why the late medieval people of Ethran have to find a way to migrate to Errispa. I'm going to use a bit of artistic license here and overlook to mention the dust and the cooling - pure fantasy
You're right. Space Fantasy it is
I'm happy with that.
The only reason I've spent so long not knowing what to do about any of this is because I've heard there are people in this world who like to pull authors apart as if to destroy them for all the pseudo-science they use. But, you know what? Maybe I'll just stop worrying about it and get on with the writing
I will use the really important stuff, like how far apart would be sensible to have two Earth-sized planets, but I'm going to veer away from accuracy where the (relatively speaking) smaller things like climate are concerned. Things will be as I say they are - to fit the story I want to tell
Thank you all - Azelor, Waldronate, Diamond, rdanhenry, and Kacey - for helping me make what to me was a mammoth decision![]()