Tom Monteleone said he ran out of material for sci-fi stories, because the hardcore sci-fi readers wanted stories that centred on the technology rather than the characters, so once you've run out of techno ideas you've had it as a sci-fi writer. I think Battlestar Galactica worked very well with a lower level of techie stuff than Star Trek TNG. I like the backdrop of space exploration for a story, because it provides the writers with new possibilities/situations brought up by the technology and the effects it has on people. I think the best stories tend to be about the human condition, don't they?
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