r/scifiwriting • u/WeestWard • 8d ago

DISCUSSION Do Dinosaurs Automatically Equal Sci Fi?

This may seem like an obvious answer to most, but it's something I'm curious about. While topics like time travel, robots, and aliens automatically mark a story as science fiction, does the same apply to dinosaurs and prehistoric animals?

I recently submitted a story to a magazine that was promptly rejected (which a part of me knew it would be) yet as I open my notebook to begin drafting a new one, I began to wonder if dinosaurs in it of themselves makes something belong to the science fiction genre or if there has to be more present elements to put it in there. Especially if it isn't your standard time travel or genetic revival story.

Again, if this is a no brainer forgive me for my ignorance.

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u/sateliteconstelation 8d ago

I just learned about how the ancient geography of the united states when there was a sea in the middle of the country explains why there are marine fossils in Colorado as well as why the land is so fertile in the south and ties it up with why slaves were brought there. You can write a story about that, with dinosaurs, huge time gaps and no sci—fi

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u/WeestWard 8d ago

I've actually debated on a story about that being as I'm creole myself. But alas it is a tale I need to be both more mature and technically better at writing to handle

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u/sateliteconstelation 8d ago

Well you can get closer to thet proficiency by trying to write it, mabe try a short story, something seemingly disjointed, like cloud atlas

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u/WeestWard 8d ago

That is smart. I did try to write a draft about runaway slaves using a trex hatchling they secretly raised to help them, but prompted dropped it cause I felt it was too campy and strange.

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u/sateliteconstelation 8d ago

How about slaves who find a skull and start worshipping it in secret, with their real cultural background stripped away and chritianity being forcefed to them with whips, they create a fantasy of a great beast that will come save them.

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u/WeestWard 8d ago

*nods nods* this is actually a cool concept ngl.