books someone should write: 3
in which I give you an outline and you write a story
Another outline for a novel(la) that someone else should write.
I don’t especially like Science Fiction as a reader or writer or even viewer, but I sometimes come up with what I think are good ideas for novels. So here’s another SF idea.
I was specifically thinking of The Thing or Alien while writing this outline, but I suppose you could take it whatever direction you want.
Also, if you are someone who ends up writing a version of this story, I’d love to read it so don’t be shy.
Genre:
Science Fiction - First Contact - Psychological/Body Horror
Characters:
Every character has a specific job as part of the crew, but they all wear many hats, and have gone through significant medical and technical training. These roles are more just a general idea but it may be interesting to take this crew in different directions. Possibly a very interesting direction would be to have more blue collar crewmembers who are more expendable because the project is launched by a private company like Amazon rather than a government agency.
Captain
Biologist
Chemist
Psychologist/Archaeologist
Mechanic
Setting:
Spaceship is similar to a submarine – small and claustrophobic. Once on planet, it becomes a mobile lab/home. While the design is utilitarian in nature, attention has been paid to aesthetics since it’s understood that the crew will need to live there for an extended period (months? years?)
The planet is much larger than earth with dozens of moons and a minor ring around it. Each day lasts longer than one on earth (30 hours? 50?) but the dense stratosphere and numerous moons make the sky resemble a permanent twilight.
Most of the planet is ocean, like earth, but the storms are absolutely wild, making the ocean and coasts dangerous for settlement. Some continents are entirely covered by massive fungal forests. Fungus seems to be the primary form of life on the planet’s surface, taking the place of most of earth’s vegetation. Insects fill out most of the biodiversity on the planet. Some insects are as big as elephants while others are more similar in size to ants, with great variety in between.
Outline:
Begin with crew back on ship for the return journey to earth.
At least one crewmember has been left behind.
Either confirmed dead or assumed dead.
They left the planet a week ago and tensions are high.
At least one crewmember feels incredibly guilty and ashamed.
At least one crewmember implies that the dead crewmember nearly killed them all.
This leads to an argument with complex emotions full of guilt, condemnation, condescension, shame, and threats (physical and professional in nature).
Intercut flashbacks into this argument of what happened on the planet.
Flashes of violence, bizarre behavior, and the crew cowering in a forest of massive mushrooms during a storm while being hunted by massive insects.
Flashes of celebrations, hook-ups, lab equipment repurposed to distil liquor, etc.
Argument ends with nothing resolved.
An uncomfortable rhythm of life on the ship follows as weeks or months go by,
Awkward meals between two or three crewmembers at a time.
Scenes of immense boredom and isolation.
The Captain becomes increasingly isolated in the viewing deck, constantly staring out into space.
The POV discovers the Captain attempting to hang himself.
Rather than comfort or console or reason with the Captain, the conversation turns bitter.
Here’s where the reveals of what happened on the surface emerge.
The rest is up to you.