I’m reading The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck, who decided to outfit a covered wagon and revisit what is left of the Oregon Trail. He spends a couple of chapters talking about wagons. The Conestoga Wagon may be what most people remember from history class, but that wasn’t the wagon that went west. The Conestoga Wagon, which Buck compares with an 18-wheeler on our highways today, could carry eight tons of cargo and was used in the 1700s for agricultural transport. The wagon of the Oregon Trail was the prairie schooner, which Buck compares to modern minivans. It was so common as to be unremarkable, mentioned in histories and memoirs, but rarely documented on its own.
As a science fiction writer, I immediately thought of how my world-building could benefit from looking at what is so commonplace, so unremarkable, and yet so essential to the smooth running of my life. I’ve thought about the type of energy my aliens might use to power their dwellings, but never about what they might use in place of light switches. I’ve considered what my future humans will eat, but not about how it will get to their version of a grocery store.
Starting now, I will explore road surfaces, the nature of fences, and whether or not slippers survive to the 23rd century. Knowing what is available for my protagonist under ordinary circumstances will give me an opportunity to develop her character when she is deprived of these items, or perhaps be a plot twist all on its own, or even the basis for an entire novel. Waiting for “Sharing” function to be restored may not have the ring of Waiting for Godot, but it could make a hoot of a short story.
Great idea, Lani. I’ll have to keep this tip in mind when writing.