I'm writing a science fiction novel (well not right now I'm on a bit of a hiatus). I felt it necessary to express MY OPINION on what good and bad things come with writing in this genre. It's not always easy, and I'm finding a lot more challenges than I had planned, but it's crazy fun when you're on a roll. Pros:
You get to create a realistic view of a high tech (usually) world
ALIENS
If you luck out, you'll end up with the most loyal, wonderful fans ever
The ideals portrayed get at the heart of modern human civilization
The most graceful writing style is not required
Cons:
You HAVE to make a realistic view of the world
Fleshing everything out takes a lot of thought and reason
You can't have something weird happen and be like, "Screw it!" and just leave the reader hanging
The balance between action and waiting is dangerous to mess with
The characters are easily drawn into stereotypes if you're not careful
A lot of Sci-Fi novels blend together (hard to make something different)
That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something more to add sooner or later. I'll also most likely add more pros and cons posts about different writing genres. Later! -Sydney :)