How To Write Sci-Fi For Children

Science Fiction is one of those genres that has never gone out of fashion. Ever since it began in the late 19^th century with writers like HG Wells, Sci-Fi has become one of the most popular forms of fiction.

It is not just about writing serious novels with scary tales of invading Martians or people doing amazing things in time machines, however; the theme has been expanded into various areas.

Some, like Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, have mixed it with comedy. Others have sought to make it more family-friendly, with TV shows like Doctor Who making hiding behind the sofa terrified of the Daleks and Cybermen a rite of passage for youngsters since the 1960s and films like E.T. being chiefly aimed at youngsters.

Science fiction certainly makes a great topic for children’s fiction. Young imaginations can be enthralled with exciting stories about space adventures, aliens, futuristic technology and other novel ideas. If you want to write a science fiction book for children, it makes sense to have a look at what others have done.

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, you may get some great ideas and inspiration. Secondly, and by contrast, you don’t want to end up writing anything too similar to a story that has already been done.

For that reason, you should prepare yourself to write your kid’s science fiction novel in two ways. Firstly, research what’s already out there. Secondly, find someone who can do high quality children’s book printing and binding to help you self-publish something that will look appealing as well as being a great read.

It should come as no surprise that there are already lots of great sci-fi books out there that are ideal for kids. E-Reads lists 25 of these, including a Wrinkle In Time, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator and Zita the Space Girl.

The list includes not just new titles but some classics for slightly older children such as The White Mountains  by John Christopher, a 1960s novel that was adapted to the 1980s TV series The Tripods.

Others may have more exclusive lists of the best sci-fi books, such as Lindsay Galvin, who picked her best five for the Book Trust. These include The Boy in the Tower, The Many Worlds of Albie Bright, Mars Evacuees, Phoenix and Strange Star.

What may be notable about some of these books is how they often pick up with themes in other novels and run with them, but in a different way for children.

For instance, just as John Christopher envisaged a world in which the Martian tripods had triumphed instead of dying from the first bacteria they encountered, The Boy in the Tower envisages a world dominated by the killer plants of John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids, but set in a modern tower block.

Whatever you plan to write, make sure that if you self-publish, it looks great and is well illustrated. Getting a children’s book illustrator in will help, but so too will making sure it is professionally published to look fantastic and exciting. Only by making it look compelling enough for youngsters to start reading it will they get to realise how good the story itself is.

Childrens book printing service.