In a post on the SFWA blog, Albert Zhang says writers can enrich science fiction worldbuilding by focusing on economics. “Science fiction is often much more concerned about the physical than the organizational reality of a setting,” he says. “But a good fundamental economic story can facilitate plot development and lend realism to a setting.”
Rather than merely considering the what and why of your world’s economic history, Zhang suggests asking the following questions:
- What is the payoff?
- What is the cost, and who is paying it?
- What are the main externalities?
Using the fictional example of the discovery of an asteroid containing $100 quintillion in gold, Zhang first examines the payoff. With that much available gold, demand would likely plummet, meaning mining companies would rush to get there first, while demand lasts. In contrast, what if the availability of that much inexpensive gold changes Earth culture? Perhaps mining or transporting is more difficult than expected or maybe demand shifts to different materials that weren’t considered valuable in the short term. Any of these scenarios could create additional layers of worldbuilding behind your main story.
Next, Zhang examines costs. Who is investing in asteroid mining and why? What is the payoff for people who take mining jobs? Are governments in charge or corporations? How do these dynamics intertwine or shift over time? What happens when the cost is too high?
Finally, Zhang examines externalities. “Externalities are the tangled patterns of cause and effect that spring from singular events, and they can be arbitrarily complex,” he explains. For example, who benefits from asteroid mining besides the investors and workers? What side businesses or economic cultures arise around this industry? Does the availability of this gold affect the cost and value of other goods? Who is losing out? Is the local area affected by the strip mining of asteroids or pollution? Does travel become more dangerous? Are residents displaced? What happens to the gold mines of Earth, which are now less attractive investments?
“Economic events create a rich and evolving tapestry of competing interests,” Zhang concludes. “By picking these out, we can find unique dynamics that can inform realistic worldbuilding.”
