The facts about Hard Science Fiction can be tricky.

It is not the easiest thing to write Hard SF or even do the research for. Not because the information you need is hard to obtain or difficult to understand but because not everyone believes certain sciences apply to the subgenre. Many believe that Hard SF should have its name used only for stories entirely based on either Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science. Sure all of those are great things to have in stories, without them we wouldn't have Alastair Reynolds, Greg Egan or damn near anybody. But shouldn'tother sciences be in that list as well as long as they are the main theme or driving force of the story?

As it turns out biology is often debated for its "hard" factor but why should it? It is a natural science! You can create rich science based stories with biology as the major plot point. I have found myself in distress because I am worried Falidon's Whistle will not be seen as SF because it deals with such things as Ontogeny, Embryology and a form of Epidemiology with many detailed astronomical dscribtions. But will this be good enough for readers of SF? Does considerably detailed scientific writing count or does scientific activity have to occur?

I personally think Hard SF is the best you can find and want my work placed under that category but most of the stories deal with scientific restrictions so will detailed plentful accurate scienctific mention cut it for the genre?

Recently I stumbled upon a fantastic essay which asks many of these questions and questions many of the current beliefs about Hard SF.

But first here is my definition of Hard SF which I will place in introductions because I believe the work I have been writing and thinking of is Hard SF (when everything is finally written I mean... It will be). Hard SF is a subgenre of science fiction which has its plot and main narrative revolve extensivly around any of the natural sciences in a highly detailed and highly accurate manor.

Please read this page and you may see what I am talking about.

http://www.sff.net/people/moriarty/hard-sf.html