See you next time

And we've reached the end of the lesson!

We looked at how to build a description of an artefact that is so alien or ancient that it's unfathomable; incomprehensible. The object's physical features are described with both precise and vague language, the reader's attention is drawn to key features of interest, and we're told how to react to this artefact through the character's thoughts and feelings about it.

This one confused us too!

Both spellings are valid and widely used, but British English (and countries that use British English, such as Australia) tends to favour 'artefact', while American English (USA and Canada) tend to use 'artifact'.

S.F. Said is a British author, so we chose to use the British English spelling, 'artefact', in this lesson.

An artefact is an object made by humans (or aliens, when in the science-fantasy genre), and usually has cultural or historical importance.

Look around you and pick any object that you can see. How might you hype up this object and describe it in such a way that it sounds magical, mysterious, or futuristic? What details might you add to really sell it as a piece of supernatural or cosmic technology?

Think of a book you've read recently where a magical, mysterious, and/or futuristic artefact was introduced. How did the author capture your interest about this object? What did the characters think of this artefact, and did that influence what you thought of it? How did the description make it seem special?

Phoenix is a novel by S .F. Said, with amazing illustrations by Dave McKean.

Lucky thinks he’s an ordinary Human boy… until he starts dreaming that the stars are singing to him, and he wakes up to find an uncontrollable power rising inside him. Lucky is forced to leave his home planet—Phoenix— on the run and in search of his father, who he hopes can give him answers.

The galaxy’s at war, there are deadly enemies among both Aliens and Humans, Lucky befriends an Alien starship crew and an Alien warrior girl who’s got neon needles in her hair… Oh, and he needs to find a way to save the galaxy. No big deal!

Where did the inspiration images come from?

This is (yet) another illustration from Bruce Brenneise—can you tell that we like his work?

This image is by Bristol-based artist and illustrator Luke Oram, whose work also featured as an inspiration image back in Lesson 2.

The last image is by German 3D artist Frerk Güntzler, who does general 3D art but also specialises in hard surfaces (like this image) and weapons.

See you in the next lesson!

Science fantasy worldbuilding in Phoenix 5: Exotic technology