If I were to write a Sci-Fi novel about people stranded on an alien planet...?

[TheKittentevolvedt]

Sorry... My question wouldn't fit. Just hope I caught the attention of someone who can answer this as plainly as possible, please.

Earth finally decides to send a colony to another planet. They somehow manage the technology and a first attempt is made.

In the ship, they get lost, equipment begins to fail. They find a closer planet that computers tell them are habitable, they land there. Earth loses sight of them and they're assumed dead.

What I want to do is write their history over the generations:

So my question is this: How many colonists should be on the ship for it to be plausible that they repropduce and form a viable population in the long term without too much genetic problems from interbreeding?

Thank you for reading all the way if you're still with me.
The ship can be as large as it needs to be.

It's a novel. I'm allowed to fudge the physics.
I'm interested in other aspects.

 

[AugiL]

The thing about interbreeding and genetic problems could be an interesting factor to explore in the story and may be an interesting obstacle even . But it could pose a risk of making readers not taking it seriously if not told well.

One other thing is that I don't know the size of the ship. Why not play it safe and say 100-150..

 

[emucompboy]

See the links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_Harlequin's_Moon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovelock