Science fiction - how much world building?

We read a book and we put ourselves in that world, whether it’s Roman Britain, the court of Henry VIII or vast spaceship ploughing its way through a distant galaxy.  That’s one of the joys of reading, escaping to places in our imagination that we can never, ever visit in person.  I use those examples because not so long ago I read Wolf hall, then on my recent holiday another in the excellent ‘Macro and Cato’ series by Simon Scarrow.  The last example is because I write (and read) science fiction and if you want a great example of that particular scenario try Iain M Banks.  I know everyone’s vision of those places is personal and different to everyone else’s.  However, I do enjoy a writer that puts me in the scene and allows me to form that mental picture.

As a writer though knowing how much detail to include is always a difficult decision.  My blog:  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1nY