Category: Genesis Earth

R is for Rebel

Just as sprawling interstellar empires are a staple of space opera, so are the plucky rebels that fight against them.  From Star Wars to Battlestar Galactica, Firefly to FTL, there’s no shortage of characters in science fiction trying to stick it to the man. I’m not sure how it is in other cultures, but in… Continue reading R is for Rebel

L is for Lost Colony

As we discussed in I is for Interstellar, space colonization is a major theme of science fiction, especially space opera.  Of course, things don’t always go smoothly.  Space is a really, really, really big place, and sometimes, due to war or famine or simple bureaucratic mismanagement, colonies get cut off from the rest of galactic… Continue reading L is for Lost Colony

D is for Droids

Some of the best-loved characters in science fiction don’t even have a heartbeat.  Why?  They’re robots, that’s why! Unlike the mechanical “slaves” (the original meaning of the Czech root robota) that built your car or enable your GPS devices, these robots are a lot more human.  In fact, the word “droid” is short for “android,”… Continue reading D is for Droids

C is for Cryo

I think every science fiction writer has a cryo (aka “human popsicle“) story sitting around somewhere, even if it’s just in the back of their head.  It’s one of those tropes that keeps coming back, just like the alien invasion, the robot apocalypse, and the Adam and Eve plot. The basic concept is pretty simple,… Continue reading C is for Cryo

A is for Aliens

Alien races–what would science fiction be without them?  They’re as fundamental to the genre as elves and dwarves are to fantasy.  If you’re reading a book and an alien being from another planet shows up on the page, that in itself is usually enough to make the story science fiction. My first exposure to aliens… Continue reading A is for Aliens

LTUE 2013

Man, LTUE 2013 was this weekend, and it was AWESOME.  One of the best conventions I’ve ever attended.  I spoke on my first panel, attended my first book signing event as an author, and got to meet up with some old friends, as well as some amazing new people. Since I live tweeted most of… Continue reading LTUE 2013

Trope Tuesday: Settling the (Final) Frontier

I love stories about colonization, especially when they’re set in space.  There’s just something about a small group of rugged pioneers striking out into the harsh, unforgiving wilderness to make a new life for themselves.  Maybe it’s just something about my American heritage, or all those 4x games I played as a kid, but I doubt… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Settling the (Final) Frontier

Trope Tuesday: I Choose To Stay

The hero’s journey can be divided into three basic phases: departure, intiation, and return.  In the departure phase, the hero receives the call to adventure and eventually leaves the familiar world.  In the initiation phase, the hero passes through a series of tests and trials eventually leading up to the climax and final confrontation with… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: I Choose To Stay