Authors, please do some research.

Read a few stories recently where authors *really* should have done some research.

In a SF series, the author has colonies on planets around Type O, B, and A stars.

Sorry, won't happen. Type O and B stars aren't on the mainsequence long enough for planets to *form* much less become habitable. Not sure about Type A stars but it'd need to be looked up.

These things aren't just "color" for the stoiries, they are physical details that need to be checked.

Then there's the fantasy series I've been reading. Medieval setting, with dragons and some magic.

They've got a captured dragon (magically bound so it can't *easily* get free. This was not exactly planned. But they've got it in a courtyard, and have a chainmail "net" over the courtyard. Aside from the fact that I don't think a 100 foot or more span of chaimail could support its own weight, there's the fact that it'd take months, if not a year or more, to *make* the chaimail. That's all hand labor.

There are also mentions of gunpowder but no evidence of it being used for anything.

Finally, they are drinking water with meals. Now some of this is likely because it's a YA book. But historically, and *practically* they'd be more likely to be drinking wine (perhaps watered, but still wine) or small beer.

This is because of water putity issues.

Details do matter.