I've been playing around with ChatGPT for a while now, experimenting with its ability to generate and refine stories, especially those rooted in science. One of my latest projects was crafting a science fiction short story that balances scientific accuracy with a sense of curiosity and wonder—something in the flavour of Carl Sagan.

The process? A mix of notes, structured planning, AI-assisted brainstorming, research, and a lot of tweaking:

• Story Concept & Playtime: I started with a basic idea—a Type Ia supernova unfolding across different cosmic distances—and played around with ChatGPT, bouncing ideas back and forth.
• Academic Meets Creative: I had ChatGPT analyze and draw from one of my old university astronomy papers to reinforce the scientific foundation of the story.
• Outlining the Narrative: I structured the story into five chapters, each set at a different vantage point, from the doomed white dwarf, to an autonomous research probe, to a crewed space ship, to the Earth, to the Andromeda Galaxy. One focus was scientific knowledge, but another was evoking that deep sense of cosmic wonder.
• Experimenting with ChatGPT Models: I tested different inputs, played around with phrasing, and fine-tuned the best output before mixing in my own edits.

To enhance the experience, I experimented with Sora to create short videos for each chapter, the title screen, and ending. I compiled these into videos for the story, trying two different approaches:

1. Text-Based Generation: I copy-pasted the chapter text directly into Sora and went with whatever it generated.
2. Prompt-Based Generation: I asked ChatGPT o3-mini to come up with suitable Sora prompts—one for each chapter, the title screen, and ending. I then put those prompts into Sora with minimal editing. This worked somewhat better but Sora still had issues generating text correctly.

Both videos turned out alright, but still left much to be desired. Sora has potential, but there’s plenty of room for improvement—at least for us humble ChatGPT Plus users.

On top of that, I wanted an atmospheric soundtrack, so I used ChatGPT to craft a dungeon synth instrumental prompt for Suno. I’ve been really into dungeon synth lately, and this story felt like the perfect inspiration for something melancholic, immersive, and cosmic. 

Suno generated two versions:

• Luminous Shadows - Version 1

​After all that experimenting, refining, and assembling, here’s the final outcome: ‘Echoes of a Dying Star’—a story that explores the cosmic scale of a supernova through the perspectives of a doomed autonomous research probe, a distant spaceship, Earth-based observers, and even the Andromeda Galaxy.

Check out the story, and watch the accompanying videos below!

First, I experimented with ChatGPT 4, using the following prompt:

     Write a fairytale in the style of the Brothers Grimm to communicate the         meaning of the following quote: “insert quote here.”

​I then tested ChatGPT o1 with the same prompt. 

With this straightforward instruction, I watched as ChatGPT spun imaginative fairy-tale narratives, each crafted to illuminate the core message of the quote in question. Despite the simplicity of the prompt, the stories that emerged were rich in imagery and moral depth, perfectly capturing that timeless Brothers Grimm flair. ChatGPT 4 tended to produce more intricate plots with rich symbolism and nuanced character development, while ChatGPT o1 tended to generate simpler, more straightforward tales that still conveyed the meaning of quotes effectively. Both versions demonstrated a strong ability to distill meaning into compelling folklore-style narratives.

One of the things that impressed me most was how easy it would be to adapt these short stories for story time programming at public libraries. Librarians can quickly generate age-appropriate tales with built-in morals, lessons, or pop culture phrases, then share them with young audiences in a fun, engaging way. And if you add an image generation tool—like DALL·E or another AI art generator—you can produce simple illustrations to accompany each story, making the entire experience even more magical and visually appealing.

​There’s real value in these stories, not just for children but for adults as well. Narratives are a powerful way to communicate values, spark imagination, and provide insight. They allow us to see ourselves in characters and situations, giving life to abstract ideas in a relatable form. Whether you’re reinforcing a personal mantra, teaching a life lesson, or simply entertaining an audience, stories transcend age and background. They capture the heart and the mind all at once.

​For those looking to explore creative writing or enhance their library programs, I highly recommend experimenting with ChatGPT. It’s an enjoyable and effective way to bring fresh, imaginative content to life—whether you’re spinning your own fairy-tale world or passing on time-honoured wisdom in new and exciting forms.