Like in any book, regardless of genre: a good plot, well-developed, fleshed-out characters, a lot of really good dialogue (dialogue moves a story along better than just prose). More specific to sci-fi: a well-developed, believable universe (think, “Star Trek” or “Star Wars”, et al), have as the foundation of the fictional science/technology, REAL science/technology. One thing to leave OUT: lots of technical descriptions (it’s a STORY, not a technical manual). For example, the reader doesn’t need to know the science behind WHY a light turns on when you flip the light switch. The reader just accepts that it DOES.
Something different and original. Something outside the mainstream.
But this is me.
Like in any book, regardless of genre: a good plot, well-developed, fleshed-out characters, a lot of really good dialogue (dialogue moves a story along better than just prose). More specific to sci-fi: a well-developed, believable universe (think, “Star Trek” or “Star Wars”, et al), have as the foundation of the fictional science/technology, REAL science/technology. One thing to leave OUT: lots of technical descriptions (it’s a STORY, not a technical manual). For example, the reader doesn’t need to know the science behind WHY a light turns on when you flip the light switch. The reader just accepts that it DOES.