This, very much this. My guess as the most likely galactic colonisation scenario is space habitats migrating from Oort Cloud to Oort Cloud. If you have the tech to build a multigenerational colony ship, then you have the tech to create a multi generation space habitat. In fact, the space habitat can be an open system, mining material from local resources. So, you migrate to the Oort cloud and hop over to a neighbouring one when convenient.
I had the same issue with season 2 of V. One of the ironies was that the series was made post the Voyager visits to Jupiter and Saturn and we then knew that there were whole moons out there made of water ice.
That's the trouble with science fiction: the science has to support the fiction. Yes, the Kazon would have been able to figure out water chemistry long before they figured out FTL travel. But that's boring, it doesn't create conflict or serve the plot. Without that water shortage, there's no story.
Why? Star Trek replicators are pretty out-there, and nothing else assembles complex molecules quite so well as living beings. We certainly show no sign of lessening our dependence upon our surrounding biosphere anytime soon.
I expect my sci fi writers to know some actual science and now that I think of it technology also.
Same here. It makes writing the fiction harder, but a lot more rewarding IMO.
Maybe don't just hand out matter energy converters willy nilly?
Agreed. I wouldn't say it's "willy nilly" if doing so would end the enslavement of an entire species, and prevent countless wars, though.
Such as? Are you saying they’ll cross the galaxy to harvest our poop?
If life was exceedingly rare and interstellar travel turned out to be relatively (ha!) easy, it might be a motivating factor.
