Gentle SciFi Manifesto

Gentle Sci-Fi exists because the world needs stories that don’t wound to be memorable. It’s not here to compete, to trend, or to sell. It’s here to make space—for imagination, for hope, for connection.

This is science fiction that refuses the false choice between meaning and kindness. It dares to believe that futures can be built on care, that courage can be quiet, and that wonder doesn’t need spectacle to last.

We are free from the clock and the market. That freedom lets us make stories on our own terms—crafted slowly, shared deliberately, and shaped with the patience of someone planting trees they’ll never sit under.

We commit to:

• Creating worlds that welcome the reader, even when they challenge them.
• Letting gentleness be deliberate, not defensive.
• Writing with honesty, depth, and joy, without rushing to meet anyone’s schedule but our own.
• Holding the line against cynicism—offering a soft place to land without looking away from truth.
• Treating every story as part of a lifelong conversation, not a product cycle.

Gentle Sci-Fi is my vocation, my gift, and my contribution. Not because it must sell, but because it must exist.

What Makes Gentle SciFi different?

Feature	Gentle Sci-Fi (A Whim Away)	Mainstream Sci-Fi
Tone	Calm, hopeful, playful	Often intense, dramatic, high-stakes
Content Boundaries	No graphic violence, sex, horror, or drug use	May include explicit content, violence, or dystopian elements
Emotional Impact	Soothing, uplifting, thought-provoking	Adrenaline-pumping, often emotionally heavy or confrontational
Audience	All ages, especially sensitive readers, neurodivergent audiences, and those seeking comfort or recovery	Adult or YA audiences seeking excitement, complexity, or catharsis
Themes	Connection, imagination, curiosity, healing	Survival, rebellion, apocalypse, artificial intelligence, space war
Worldbuilding	Light, immersive, abstract or whimsical	Detailed, technical, often rules-heavy or militaristic
Language and Style	Gentle pacing, accessible language, poetic or lyrical tone	Varies widely; can be dense, jargon-heavy, or experimental
Length & Format	Short-form: novellas, flash fiction, illustrated stories	Typically full-length novels or long-form series
Visual Aesthetic	Abstract art, soft colour palettes, quirky visuals	Futuristic tech, dark themes, hyperrealism
Purpose	Offer safe, imaginative escapes and emotional rest	Challenge the reader, build complex worlds, push boundaries
Comparative Genres	Cozy fantasy, slice-of-life, magical realism	Cyberpunk, space opera, hard sci-fi, dystopia

By ChatGPT