Title: The Infiltrator Genre: Science Fiction Word Count: 3,945 Time: 2 days For my first story for Operation Short Blitz, I took a story idea that’s been bouncing around in my head for some time: that one of the best way for aliens to spy on us without being detected would be to send an infiltrator disguised… Continue reading Operation SB #1: The Infiltrator
Tag: ideas and concepts
Y is for Yesteryear
They say that the golden age of science fiction is about twelve years old. That’s definitely true for me. My first exposure to the genre was Star Wars: A New Hope. I saw it when I was seven, right around the height of my dinosaur phase. Everything about the movie completely blew me away, from… Continue reading Y is for Yesteryear
X is for Xenocide
This post isn’t just about the third book in the Ender’s Game series–it’s about the genocide of an entire alien race, which is actually a fairly important trope in science fiction. Of all the evils of our modern era, perhaps the most heinous is the systematic extermination of an entire race or ethnicity. These acts… Continue reading X is for Xenocide
Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson
Almost seventy years ago, the mysterious alien beings known as the Hypotheticals encased Earth in a force field and built a network of giant arches facilitating overland travel to other habitable planets. With access to the fossil fuel resources of half a dozen worlds, humanity is slowly killing its homeworld, even as it expands to… Continue reading Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson
Thoughts after finishing Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson
Whoa. If I had to sum up my thoughts with one word, that would be it–though of course, by itself that word is hopelessly inadequate. Let’s just say that, for me at least, this was a truly astounding book, a literary journey that left me wide-eyed with my mouth hanging open, blinking wearily as I… Continue reading Thoughts after finishing Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson
Goddesses by Linda Nagata
From the book description: Michael Fielding is the newly appointed site director of the Four Villages project in rural India, tasked with guiding the economic development of the region. But a chance encounter with an ailing, homeless, and very young widow plunges him into the maze of an ossified and violent traditional culture, while putting… Continue reading Goddesses by Linda Nagata
The interior designer’s approach to story
I recently read a fascinating post on John Brown’s blog with an interesting exercise for analyzing the kinds of stories you most like to read. By finding out what really turns you on in a story, you can have a much better idea what to write, and how to make your own stories better. He… Continue reading The interior designer’s approach to story
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
Ana was a washed-up zoologist turned programmer looking for work; Derek was an avatar designer for the Data Earth virtual reality platform. The thing that brought them together: Blue Gamma Inc., manufacturer of autonomous self-aware AI pets known as digients. Like any pet, each digient requires constant attention as they learn and grow. Soon, Ana… Continue reading The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
Sholpan, or The Great Novella Experiment
So now that I’m finished with Desert Stars, the next project I’m working on is a companion novella to Bringing Stella Home titled Sholpan. While Bringing Stella Home is about James and his quest to rescue his brother and sister, Sholpan is entirely from Stella’s point of view and traces her rise in Hameji society, from prisoner… Continue reading Sholpan, or The Great Novella Experiment
Story Notebook #4
Alright, it’s been too long since the last time I posted any story ideas here on this blog, so I thought I’d go back to my old notebooks and post a few of them here. Currently, we’re on notebook #4, which basically covers the second half of 2009. And so, without further ado…here goes! A… Continue reading Story Notebook #4