Don't mistake a good setup for a satisfying conclusion - many beginning writers end their stories when the real story is just ready to begin.

As for sticking strictly to presently known science, I will simply point out that we have already experienced at least two major revolutions in science in this century alone.

Through our entire history we have become accustomed to pushing [animals] around in ways dictated by our own wants and needs without much regard for theirs.

Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance.

Of course, the way writers think about those things is almost certain to be affected by their own cultural background, and it would be hard to deny that, for whatever reasons, a lot of SF writers come from Anglo or European backgrounds.

When something hasn't been around much for a while, and one example of it turns up and catches people's eyes, they go looking for more like it - until they get tired of it again.

intricately and intriguingly woven, lots of fun, and extremely thought provoking.