I’m in a rare situation. In the world of authorship, you generally have to finish a book, shop it out to a zillion publishers and agents, and (this part is the most important) learn how to deal with rejection.

What happened to me is that I was offered a book contract before the book was finished. While I’m completing the first draft now, I’ve already got a contract in place with Science, Naturally! a publisher of fun science education books.

My book will indeed be educational, but it’s also solidly in the camp of entertainment: The League of Scientists is young adult fiction, in which smart kids use science and critical thinking to solve what appears to be a supernatural mystery.

For those of you who grew up reading what I read, my book is most similar to young adult classics like The Three Investigators and Encyclopedia Brown. It also has a sprinkling of The Hardy Boys and — as much as I hate to admit it — Scooby-Doo (minus the talking dogs, ascots, and pull-away facial disguises).

The book’s full title is The League of Scientists and the Ghost in the Water. If it manages to make enough money for the publisher, we’ll turn it into a series.

Before I first conceived of The League, I knew my goals were:

1. To demonstrate to young adults that intelligence and interest in science are very good things.

2. To demonstrate that, when unraveling mysteries and learning about the world, critical thinking and the scientific method are essential.

3. To demonstrate real-world science applications, answering the perennial question of students everywhere: “When is this stuff ever useful?”

4. To pen an enjoyable story with interesting characters. Even non-science geeks can appreciate a good mystery!

It’s always easy to talk goals. Now I’d like to hunker down and talk about the grit, the meat, the bedrock of what I hope will be an excellent book. And I’d like to solicit your help in solving some problems inherent in such a project.

Young adults are enthusiastic and love to try new things. They also have a naturally powerful crap-o-meter. To quote Dr. Seuss, “kids can see a moral coming a mile off.” With this in mind, I have some options.

Option one: Write a story with “morals,” such as the pro-science ones articulated above, and make sure the story’s so perfect, so well-written, so ingeniously designed, that any educational themes are processed by the subconscious.

Yeah, right.

Option two: I integrate my “morals” with the story so that they come as a result of the storytelling process, and not just plunked there without a darn good reason to have them in place. Perhaps a visible moral can be a good thing, particularly if presented as an essential, natural part of the storytelling process.

There may be a third option. What educational methods best introduce children to science and critical thought? Teaching by example? Or having specific questions/answers in a chapter that readers can stop and answer (as seen in Encyclopedia Brown)? Yes, I have cool science facts here and there. Teaching critical thinking and skepticism is trickier, though, because they’re not a set of facts, but a process. How best to teach a process while keeping it fun?

Swift readers, I’m wondering: Do you have favorite young adult books that teach skepticism and critical thinking? If so, what aspect of those books drew you in? Characters? Plots? Scientific concepts? A setting? (My own books will take place in the “real world” — there’s no fantasy, sci-fi, or vampires.)

These are not rhetorical questions. Your advice will contribute directly to the quality of my finished book.

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written by ConTester, December 22, 2009

(Aha, David Mabus returns.)

I’ve always found that the entire picture – i.e. plots, characters, settings, etc. – must fit together seamlessly. Miss any one of them and the whole thing misses. One thing that I did often miss is when an unfamiliar concept (e.g. a scientific idea) was raised in the narrative but not sufficiently fleshed out in terms of an explanation and/or its broader implications. As for conveying “morals,” this aspect seems to work best in the form of dialogue when two or more of the book’s characters discuss it, à la David Hume’s Demea, Philo and Cleanthes. Even if no definite conclusion is apparent from the fictional discussion, it can be a very instructive device for clarifying the questions themselves, quite apart from adding some drama or excitement if deftly done.

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written by MadScientist, December 22, 2009

Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

I hope it all goes well; there's too much just plain weird fiction.

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written by popsaw, December 22, 2009

Morals and science don't mix. Some think homosexuality is moral some think immoral.How can science provide the answer?

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Hope it goes well!
written by JimD, December 22, 2009

and the junior league are good for a series. (maybe even tv? MacGyver did it for adults!)

Oh, and I think option two. Sticking the moral in too blatently will probably guarantee no episode two.

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written by Chris Jackson, December 22, 2009

Morals and science don't mix. Some think homosexuality is moral some think immoral.How can science provide the answer?

Perhaps by demonstrating that it is a biological or otherwise innate aberration that is harmless to a person and their surroundings, and therefore is undeserving of scorn.

But I agree with your statement – morality is about defining right and wrong/good and bad. Science is about uncovering the answers behind observable phenomena using empirical data. The two have different paths. They can both inform each other, but they are not the same.

However, I think the term ‘morals’ in this case was meant as a synonym for ‘practical lesson’. English is a jumbled hodgepodge of a language.

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written by GeekGoddess, December 23, 2009

@popsaw: Morals and science don't mix. Some think homosexuality is moral some think immoral.How can science provide the answer?

That's a religious issue, not a moral issue. You wouldn't think homosexuality is immoral unless you are using some ancient 'revealed' text as a basis for your morality. Morals are about doing no harm to others. Science can inform morality, for example, by showing that humans are essentially the same, regardless of race.

Paul Kurtz wrote:

As secular humanists we believe in the central importance of the value of human happiness here and now. We are opposed to absolutist morality, yet we maintain that objective standards emerge, and ethical values and principles may be discovered, in the course of ethical deliberation. Secular humanist ethics maintains that it is possible for human beings to lead meaningful and wholesome lives for themselves and in service to their fellow human beings without the need of religious commandments

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written by KingMerv00, December 23, 2009

OK drdeath,

I've reported your spamming from the last 4 articles. That should be enough to get you banned. (I hope.)

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written by popsaw, December 23, 2009

Geek Goddess...
If as you say "Morals are about doing no harm to others"It follows that hard drug use (in private) and
consensual incest between adults(using contraception) are not actually immoral. However, many folk , and governments, believe these acts are immoral and seek to prevent them. Not on any religious basis either. Furthermore, it cold be argued that homosexuaity and fornication are responsible for the spread of AIDS, which has caused much harm, even killing children in the womb! If science has a role here, it is to show how diseases occur but not to explain the morality. Morality is fluid and changes with culture and geography. Science seeks truth only and therefore cannot adapt until there exists only one point of reference for morality.

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written by Rustylizard, December 23, 2009

I attempted something similar with Dreamtrial - The Complete Series (see Amazon). However, much of the setting took place in a fantasy world (so strict separation of fantasy vs. reality based elements was not possible. My goals, therefore, were slightly different from yours, but I believe I met your criteria for an Option 1/Option 2 morality mix that contained humanistic and skeptical elements. Will contact you later via your web site with more details – too long to go into here.

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Congratulations!
written by Griz, December 23, 2009

This sounds like it will be an awesome series of books. I am by no means qualified (other than as a heavy consumer of fiction of all sorts) to give you advice, but I think there's a fourth option as to how to approach this. Like you said, kids can see the moral coming a mile off. Just write a story with cool people doing cool things and leave the morals out. If you do a good job of that, you don't need to preach or teach, kids who read the books will want to emulate the characters. Scooby Do is a very good example. There was no need for any one character to go around saying "if you say there are ghosts then prove it to me". After watching a few episodes, you get the idea pretty quick. The same will be true for well written fiction.

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written by GeekGoddess, December 23, 2009

Geek Goddess...
If as you say "Morals are about doing no harm to others"

It follows that hard drug use (in private) and
consensual incest between adults(using contraception) are not actually immoral. However, many folk , and governments, believe these acts are immoral and seek to prevent them. Not on any religious basis either. Furthermore, it cold be argued that homosexuaity and fornication are responsible for the spread of AIDS, which has caused much harm, even killing children in the womb! If science has a role here, it is to show how diseases occur but not to explain the morality. Morality is fluid and changes with culture and geography. Science seeks truth only and therefore cannot adapt until there exists only one point of reference for morality

I actually intended to say 'do no harm to people' which would mean yourself. Incest is a cultural taboo in nearly every society known, meaning it's likely hard-wired into us. I think the 'folk' you mention still get their idea from a bible or other holy text, since some hard drug use *is* harmful.

Strangely enough, you seldom see the word 'fornication' used for consensual sex between adults except by religious people. Using AIDS as a 'moral' reason to not have sex is missing the bigger point, since it didn't exist, as far as we know, until very recently in human history.

Science can teach humanistic, valuable moral lessons about how to treat humans, animals, and our environment. It has taught, for example, that there is essentially no difference between races, that animals form bonds, that what we do now has repercussions to the future - such as environmental issues, or how society's viewpoints can cause great harm.

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written by GeekGoddess, December 23, 2009

Oops, I meant to but the first paragraph in quotes...

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Recollections of budding skeptic
written by MrIncredible, December 23, 2009

Andy – You are bringing back some great memories because I voraciously read The Three Investigators and Encyclopedia Brown books as a young fellow. Allow me to share an unforgettable moment that may help you with your question. I likely have a detail or two incorrect but here’s the gist of it:

In one of the Three Investigators books (can’t remember which one – I read a lot of them), the boys were in a dark cave looking for something pertaining to the mystery at hand when a skull appeared and began talking to them. The author had built up the suspense to the point where two of the three (and me as the reader) were gripped by abject fear. But brainiac investigator Jupiter Jones, despite the darkness and the horror unfolding in front of them, remained cool and said “Skulls cannot talk. To speak you need a larynx and a voice box. Therefore I deduce that you did not speak”. Then it was revealed that another boy was playing a joke on them and was behind the skull manipulating it and talking. Mystery solved!

So, this was something that stuck with me for a long time, how cold logic could blow away fear and explain the unexplainable. Things are not always as they seem. Look for a second right answer, so to speak. To me, that’s how science and reason are best taught, by showing that knowledge is far cooler than woo.

Best of luck with your book.

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written by popsaw, December 23, 2009

Geek Goddess.
What I am trying to put forward is that an immoral act can be committed against oneself and that just because another person is not harmed, it does not follow that the act is moral. I used drug use fornication and incest as examples of activities that are a sin against ones own body (an immoral act)even if no othe person has been harmed. I agree that his is hardwiring, conscience if you like. That which intellectually separates us from the animals, and speech of course.

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As a young reader, aspects of books that drew me in
written by MDeaver, December 23, 2009

Andy: When I was a young reader at about ages 10 - 15, I was a sci-fi fan. The stories I recall that are closest to what you are looking for as examples, and which were some of my favorites, were Isaac Asimov's robot stories, e.g., his "I Robot" short stories and his novels such as "The Caves of Steel".

What drew me to those stories? Several things:

(1) Interesting plots - Not so simple as to be boring, but not so convoluted as to be unintelligible to my young mind;

(2) Although of the sci-fi genre, these stories were also mysteries, and I love a good mystery story;

(3) Good clear writing - Asimov always excelled at writing clearly, he didn't try to show off in his writing style;

(4) Good explanations of the science in his stories, and reasonable explanations of the science fiction - I've always been interested in science, and Asimov's stories stimulated that interest.

Good luck with your book.

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written by Willy K, December 23, 2009

Andy, take some of the lessons right from these JREF commenters for the moral of the stories!

Solving a mystery using scientific methodology is many times hampered by the meandering babbling from folks like popsaw. The antagonists of the stories always seem to be be preaching some sort of absolute morality based on their own selfish interests and/or ignorance. Circular logic, argument by authority and other logical fallacies also provide a challenge to critical thinkers.

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written by KingMerv00, December 23, 2009

. I agree that his is hardwiring, conscience if you like. That which intellectually separates us from the animals, and speech of course.

I think what separates us from the animals is the desire to defeat the arbitrary moral aspects of our brain. I do not think drug use is immoral, though it may be unwise. I don't think incest is a sin, though it may be instinctually "icky". Fornication without harm is just plain awesome.

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written by BBC, December 23, 2009

“Do you have favorite young adult books that teach skepticism and critical thinking? “

For me it was the Homer Price series. I think my first aha moment in skepticism may have occurred when I read about the traveling salesman who came to town selling a mysterious tasteless, odorless, colorless substance known as “Ever-so-Much-More-So.” This remarkable product would make a soft pillow ever so much softer when sprinkled on it, when added to water would make the water ever so much wetter, and deposited on a squeaky hinge, it would become ever so much squeakier (not a recommended application). In the years since reading the story, I have seen “Ever-so-Much-More-So” repackaged and sold hundreds of times, under different names and claims, and always wonder to myself, if exposed to the “Ever-so-Much-More-So” man in their childhood, would the people buying these products be so ready to give their cash away?

Best of luck in your endeavor.

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@King Merv
written by popsaw, December 23, 2009

According to the dictionary, morality is defined as follows...
mo⋅ral⋅i⋅ty
–noun, plural -ties for 4–6.
1. conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct.
2. moral quality or character.
3. virtue in sexual matters; chastity.
Surely the three activities I mentioned (hard drug use, fornication and incest)must be considered as immoral (even when no person is harmed)by the definition of the word morality. Without going into details,I believe this shows that it is possible that an individual can commit immorality against their own bodies. Put another way, sin against ones flesh.

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written by GeekGoddess, December 23, 2009

According to the dictionary, morality is defined as follows...
mo⋅ral⋅i⋅ty
–noun, plural -ties for 4–6.
1. conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct.
2. moral quality or character.
3. virtue in sexual matters; chastity.
Surely the three activities I mentioned (hard drug use, fornication and incest)must be considered as immoral (even when no person is harmed)by the definition of the word morality. Without going into details,I believe this shows that it is possible that an individual can commit immorality against their own bodies. Put another way, sin against ones flesh

Using the third definition of that, maybe. However, you realize that dictionaries are descriptive rather than prescriptive, right? That they show how words are used? So if a lot of people use the word in that sense, the dictionary lists it with that usage.

Sex between two consensual unmarried adults isn't 'sin' which is usually defined as a transgression against a divine law, against the will of God (s), etc. Again, a religiously-based moral.

The synonyms for 'morals' include: upright, honest, straightforward, open, virtuous, honorable. When can be addressed by science and philosophy, outside of religious contexts.

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written by Kitti, December 23, 2009

there was a series called "The Mad Scientists Club". I loved it. They even built their own lake monster (very cool).

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Thanks, everyone!
written by abkaiser, December 23, 2009

(Andy Kaiser here, the League of Scientists author.)

Thanks for all the comments, everyone! From specific book recommendations to writing techniques, this is extremely helpful stuff.

Griz:

There was no need for any one character to go around saying "if you say there are ghosts then prove it to me". After watching a few episodes, you get the idea pretty quick. The same will be true for well written fiction.

You got that right (or, perhaps "write"). It's one thing to plan it, though. Actually writing the sucker, that's a different thing entirely, and is more difficult than I thought. But still, point taken. I'll work towards this method.

MrIncredible:

I know exactly what you're talking about. It's from "The Secret of Skeleton Island". That scene stuck in my head, too.

Keep it coming, everyone, and thanks again. In the meantime, looks like I've got some writing and research to do. Hello, library!

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written by KingMerv00, December 23, 2009

According to the dictionary, morality is defined as follows...
mo⋅ral⋅i⋅ty
–noun, plural -ties for 4–6.
1. conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct.

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Surely the three activities I mentioned (hard drug use, fornication and incest)must be considered as immoral (even when no person is harmed)by the definition of the word morality.

Nope. I don't see drug use, fornication or incest as "not of right conduct". The other two definitions are either vague or outdated.

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written by KingMerv00, December 23, 2009

Looks like drdeath is gone.

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written by MadScientist, December 23, 2009

@popsaw: "It follows that hard drug use (in private) and consensual incest between adults(using contraception) are not actually immoral. However, many folk , and governments, believe these acts are immoral and seek to prevent them. Not on any religious basis either."

Actually, #1 is entirely on a religious basis and #2 can be argued to be ancient taboo which predates contemporary religions but in reality is also a 100% religious dictum. Laws against #1 have all been instituted based on individuals' religiously afflicted morals.

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written by feldesq, December 24, 2009

Put aside the goal of teaching morals for a moment (except for the notion that it is morally desirable to promote a basic understanding of and appreciation for science in children).

Books and any other media (think here in particular television) should (1) expose children to science (in a positive way) at a very early age, (2) be exciting and entertaining enough to promote greater interest in the underlying science, and (3) effectively distinguish science from pseudoscience.

Science fiction has historically been an effective means of promoting science. As a child, I loved science fiction -- even the science fiction that appeared to violate laws of physics (e.g., faster-than-light travel, time travel, etc.). I grew up in the 1950's during which time movie science fiction had a profound influence on my early thinking. Many of the themes of these movies were silly, particularly the repeated notion that Earth's scientists would (usually via a secret crash program) overcome and defeat the invading aliens who arrive in their faster-than-light flying saucers. And of course how can you forget the various monsters and aliens who carry off or menace the "damsel in distress" who is then usually rescued by our young scientist? But I maintain that even "bad" science fiction (from the point of view of its being routed in bad science) is of great value in promoting science appreciation in children -- who may not be sufficiently knowledgeable to comprehend the subtleties of the "good" underlying science truths.

When we address the issue of children's science books, we of course recognize that the age and intellectual skills of the reader effect the usefulness of the story lines in promoting any underlying science.

So I found almost all of the science fiction I was exposed to of great value in honing my interest and appreciation in science: the black-and-white Superman cartoons, the Classics Comic Book version of "War of the Worlds," television like "Captain Video" and "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet," and movies like "The Thing (from another World), Tarantula, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Kronos, This Island Earth," etc., and books like the "Tom Swift Jr," series and later all of Asimov (the Robot series, the Foundation series, etc.). Actually it was the television series "Tom Corbett" which led me to want to read the Tom Corbett books....clearly illustrating the synergy.

And last (but not least), I loved all those science-based toys like the water-compression-pump plastic rockets, those five-inch plastic figurines of spacemen (with which I played early versions of "Star Wars" on imaginary worlds -- years before the movie), and gyroscopes and kites, Mister Machine, that non-sexual version of the Visible Man (and much later, woman), Erector sets, the Laboratory Junior chemistry set, etc., etc.

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written by GeekGoddess, December 24, 2009

@feldesq Very good points. At this year's Dragon*Con panel on raising skeptical kids, several of the panelists, including myself, talked about the importance of a home library in developing an educated child. In preparing for the panel, I called both of my own sons to ask what they remembered from childhood that helped them to become skeptical, critical thinkers. My oldest specifically mentioned the rows of science fiction books that I kept at his eye level. He was intrigued by the cover art and chose those books very early, and said that science fiction, as well as the history and science books, helped him formulate a worldview based on reason. My own interest in science was developed by Star Trek (TOS) and science fiction. I begged for all the science toys like chemistry sets and microscopes, but never received any of them, except the Visible Woman.

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Not a kid's show, but...
written by MightyDrake, December 25, 2009

I'm a big fan of the show House. One of the things I really like about it is how the cast can be certain that the symptoms point to one ailment. But then a new symptom comes up and they have to reevaluate their conclusion. They usually go through that process two or three times each episode. It strikes me that this formula might be useful for your stories. Start with a conclusion that is simple and obvious. And then knock it down with new information. Sometimes they have to go all the way back to first principles and they find that what they think of as a cause is actually a symptom or vice versa. And often something that they're certain is a cause turns out to be irrelevant.

Also, while the show has become a bit soapy lately, the first couple of seasons spent a lot of time exploring philosophical and moral issues. Probably too heavy for young readers all at once. But, there may be some issues in there to touch on in passing, just to get the kids to start pondering them.

I read Hardy Boys starting about 4th or 5th grade. Hard sci fi later, Asimov, Heinlein, Pournelle, Niven, Saberhagen, Zelazny. Born in '62, so Star Trek was huge for me, both original airings and then in syndication in the afternoons after school. I watched Time Tunnel and other Irwin Allen shows, but they didn't stick with me the way Star Trek did.

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written by gacrowell, December 28, 2009

I read the 'Homer Price' series (Scholastic Book Services) and the 'Mad Scientists Club' books (by Bertrand Brinley). Brinley's books were reprinted in 2001. There was also a really good series of electrinics-inventor young adult short stories that I believe appeared in 'Popular Electronics' in the '60's (or maybe QST?). I've purchased and reread Homer Price and the Brinley books, but I'd really like to find the Popular Electronics stories - they really should have been gather and published in a book.

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Popular Electronics
written by GusGus, December 28, 2009

It was Popular Electronics. Two high school boys the first time I saw the series, maybe it started with them in junior high or even elementary school. Eventually they went to "Parvoo University" (obviously a take-off on Purdue and Harvard). For some reason I don't remember their names. I do remember a couple of the stories, though...

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written by gacrowell, December 28, 2009

And here they are! http://www.copperwood.com/carlandjerry.htm Carl and Jerry were the names. 'Parvoo' was the key that took Google there. Thanks!

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As a 7th grade science teacher....
written by huonia, January 07, 2010

My two cents about "the moral of the story" would be, find some opportunity in the story to show that the people who believed the supernatural explanation were worrying themselves silly for no good reason -- in other words, what a silly waste it was to believe it was supernatural, when all the time it had a natural explanation.

That premise helps point out how the seeker of a natural explanation lives a far less stressed existence. When you believe in supernatural causes, it leaves you helpless.

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written by latsot, January 13, 2010

Children can deal with a lot more subtlety than many authors seem to appreciate. Rather than name and shame some of the worst examples (you can probably guess I'll give you a counter example. Orson Scott Card's books deal with morality in a subtle way, with lots of ambiguity. He sometimes leaves it up to the reader to resolve this ambiguity.

I think the enduring popularity of his books might have something to do with this. Kids don't like to be treated like fools and can easily handle complex moral ambiguities. So my advice is to avoid patronising the audience by spelling out the moral message. Have kids who *aren't* interested in science or even scoff at it and still prosper. Raise some issues about the questionable results of some science and don't resolve it by telling the audience what the 'right' view is at all. Leave it up to the audience to decide.

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written by abkaiser, January 15, 2010

latsot,

Orson Scott Card's books deal with morality in a subtle way, with lots of ambiguity. He sometimes leaves it up to the reader to resolve this ambiguity.

Speaking ONLY for myself here, I know that when I was a kid reading Card (Ender's Game, specifically), I never caught any of the subjectively-defined morality. I just loved the books for the action, and having a universe in which kids could make such a big difference.

With that said...

Leave it up to the audience to decide.

I agree completely.

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