A good yarn is a good yarn, no matter if the science it is based on is or becomes outmoded.

I keep some of my short stories sufficiently far ahead that I think it might take the science quite a while to catch up.

For the record, my head (and ego) is still the same size

I’ve read some historical fiction where I’ve never felt the “time” was right, and some where I felt very much as though I was in the time period, with characters and surroundings behaving accordingly.

Any thoughts on this?

That said, I think too much research can delay story. So when I feel the story muse is strong but I don’t have the research, I just write through that section anyway, and put notes in brackets about stuff I need to look up. Mostly just because I’ve had too many past experiences when I’d go to look something up in thel library or online, only to emerge knowing about half a dozen new things, but not having written a scrap.

Diana: Excellent point. I feel stupid for not having thought of it.

I remember reading this article about Jean Auel (Clan of the Cave Bear) and how she was all embarrassed by her earlier caveman books because they’ve discovered so much is wrong since then, but then, in researching for her later books, she met all these scientists who were dying to show her their unpublished findings (even though that’s a huge no-no in scientific circles) and take her on private tours of caves where they found paintings and such, saying “I became an anthropologist because of your books!” and she felt better.

Similarly, stories abound about people who go work for NASA or become physicists because they loved Star Trek. Doesn’t matter if the science is bad or outdated or not discovered yet (after all, a lot of the original SF writers were writing about things that seemed preposterous but are now actually true). It still gets people excited about science, about discovery, about time periods. Fiction writers are doing their small part to make these things accessible to the non-researchers, which not only makes things easier for the researchers, but also inspires a new generation of them. Everyone wins!

Someone could say, “I became a history student because I fell in love with this historical period in your novel.” They’re not going to hold some paltry inaccuracy against you for awakening in them a vast love of the field in general.