Help on a book

[Prometheus 1]

Ok I'm writing a scifi book where a group of people crash on an alien object. They're unlikely heroes who have done crimes such as theft, murder, etc. Now its up to them to stop the destruction of the galaxy and I'm stuck with something. There's a lot open for a sequel but part of me feels a very emotional ending would having all the main characters die at the end. I'm not sure which to go with. Any insight?

[knowles2]

Have them all die a heroic/not so heroic deaths. It so rarely done.

[Prometheus 1]

good point. i can't really think of anything where everyone does die. thanks =)

[AvatarIII]

also, you could still do a sequal with different characters, assuming they manage to save the galaxy and die, or maybe just one character survives.

[Wyrminarrd]

Some kind of mind download that happened without the main characters knowing it and thus being very surprised when they wake up in robot bodies in the sequal?

I´d go with what fits the final solution best, it´s better to write one good book then two ok ones. That said you can have the best of both worlds with just some of the characters dying while the others survive.

[Brain_Child]

In a perfect world you would have a plan where you would either tie up everything and have them all die or keep them alive with solid plans for a sequel. so you have to decide whether or not you want that sequel

but its sci fi. use your imagination!

What about an alternate reality, or brain recovery where their consciousness and bodies were duplicated by a scientist

I think there is a saying that in SF, no one ever really dies

[eviladam]

I like the idea of killing them all off and having a sequel with different characters. Think about this: it could be X number of years later and a team lands on the object looking for the missing prisoners or just to see what it is or something. Kinda like 2010.

And good luck. When I get bogged down with my own writing and I feel like tossing the whole manuscript out the window I try and remember something Douglas Adams said: "It takes an awful long time to NOT write a book."