I have noticed that writers are using G-forces as a means to discribe both what it actually means (force on the body) and speed of travel.
Can anyone explain why this is happening? It seems to me as a cheap way out of doing the actual math and stating the actual speed the ship is moving at.
Personally I could understand if a writer created a obatray unit to discribe speeds as every 100,000 km = 1S or some such, but to say thinks like "the ship can only reach the speeds of 1g-force tops" both cheapens the book and the entire genera in my view.
What do you think?
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Science fiction writing and the use if G-forces
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Quote by RobertHildenbrand
I have noticed that writers are using G-forces as a means to discribe both what it actually means (force on the body) and speed of travel.
Can anyone explain why this is happening? It seems to me as a cheap way out of doing the actual math and stating the actual speed the ship is moving at.
Personally I could understand if a writer created a obatray unit to discribe speeds as every 100,000 km = 1S or some such, but to say thinks like "the ship can only reach the speeds of 1g-force tops" both cheapens the book and the entire genera in my view.
What do you think?
Hi Robert. I'm not really a science fiction reader so I can't tell you what I think about it. I will say, though, that it might be helpful if you narrowed down who the writers are that you refer to. Are they here at Stories Space, or are the works published by authors in books, either hard copy or electronic, or people publishing stories in magazines? Knowing that might help you to get the discussion going with those readers who are familiar with the genre. It would also make it of interest to someone like me, even though I don't read science fiction.
Quote by RobertHildenbrand
I have noticed that writers are using G-forces as a means to discribe both what it actually means (force on the body) and speed of travel.
Can anyone explain why this is happening? It seems to me as a cheap way out of doing the actual math and stating the actual speed the ship is moving at.
Personally I could understand if a writer created a obatray unit to discribe speeds as every 100,000 km = 1S or some such, but to say thinks like "the ship can only reach the speeds of 1g-force tops" both cheapens the book and the entire genera in my view.
What do you think?
Well, G-Force would be a result of acceleration, not speed. I, too, would like an in-context example, as I think it might help us see exactly what you're talking about.
Crazy old ape
Quote by RobertHildenbrand
I have noticed that writers are using G-forces as a means to discribe both what it actually means (force on the body) and speed of travel.
Can anyone explain why this is happening? It seems to me as a cheap way out of doing the actual math and stating the actual speed the ship is moving at.
Personally I could understand if a writer created a obatray unit to discribe speeds as every 100,000 km = 1S or some such, but to say thinks like "the ship can only reach the speeds of 1g-force tops" both cheapens the book and the entire genera in my view.
What do you think?
Actually, G-force isn't related to speed. It is related to acceleration.
If you are moving outside a gravity field at a constant speed, there are no G-forces on the body because there are no accelerations happening. In that case, you would not write G, you would give a speed.
1G acceleration means accelerating at the same rate as when you fall towards the Earth under gravity, approx. 9.8 m/s squared. So 2G would be twice that, an so on. Authors use G rather than speed because if you are accelerating, your speed is constantly changing. And writing it in m/s squared is even more complicated than using G.
(yeah, it's an old thread, but I figured it doesn't hurt to correct his misunderstanding for others)
Footnote: Deceleration is just acceleration in the opposite direction to your direction of travel so G also applies.
Can she find the silence again?
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Chasing Dragons
Just to add my pennyworth (I am not an aficionado of the Sci-Fi genre either).
As a technician on fast jets, back in the eighties, the aircraft I worked on (F4M Phantom II) had 'G' counters fitted in the nose wheel well.
This had to be checked after every flight and, if a reading of 8G (Eight times the force of gravity) was recorded, then the aircraft had to be immediately removed from service and a full inspection for fatigue damage carried out.
Fun Fact: Fun fair rides such as the Tower of Terror ride at Disneyland, have to be powered into the descent because, if they were not, the riders would fall at the same rate and there would be no feeling of weightlessness!
As a technician on fast jets, back in the eighties, the aircraft I worked on (F4M Phantom II) had 'G' counters fitted in the nose wheel well.
This had to be checked after every flight and, if a reading of 8G (Eight times the force of gravity) was recorded, then the aircraft had to be immediately removed from service and a full inspection for fatigue damage carried out.
Fun Fact: Fun fair rides such as the Tower of Terror ride at Disneyland, have to be powered into the descent because, if they were not, the riders would fall at the same rate and there would be no feeling of weightlessness!
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
Crazy old ape
Isn't 8G around the tolerance level for the pilots??
Can she find the silence again?
Scream Away The Silence - The Sound of Silence comp entry
Chasing Dragons
Quote by Mendalla
Isn't 8G around the tolerance level for the pilots??
Maybe but they have 'G' suits which inflate to keep their blood in all the right places. 8G was the tolerance for the Airframe.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana