[Slick]

Yeah, I really think the trick is in making it believable to the usually well educated SciFi reader without giving away too much detail that would let the reader realize that it wouldn't work, or would conflict with something else. This is harder than it seems at first. I would think the author should work out "the way things work" conceptually in the universe of his story before writing so that there is a consitency throughout as well as allowing future sequels/installments to pick up the story without having to reinvent all the technology. The story should focus on being a "good story" over the fancy techs. George Lucas once said that essentially if the story isn't good, it won't be saved by special effects. This is probably even more true in written stories over movies.