We Write!
Everyone remembers those decisions, those actions (or inactions) that, well, could have changed your world -always in our belief, for the better. Of course, many of the other decisions, the other actions (or inactions) that DID change your world... most of those are forgotten. Not all, naturally - we remember wedding anniversaries (or we can... Continue Reading →
I am not in a hurry to read Neville Shute's ON THE BEACH again. Suicide pills are not my idea of a good ending. There are of course, many great books that don't end 'happily ever after'. Good for them. For me, I like at least a satisfactory end to a book. Real life is... Continue Reading →
At the moment I am listening to audiobooks a fair bit. When one is working with your hands, particularly on fairly undemanding things, they're a great distraction (and yes, I am still needing distraction. Dear bureaucrats...) From the very fast reader who also writes (very slowly) point of view, it has been interesting. You see... Continue Reading →
I have been fascinated by the rise in the number of people believing that really, there is a free lunch. And that somehow, they will get it. It seems that 1960's sf (I'm thinking of Pohl and Kornbluth, but there are others) had a better idea of the gods of the copybook headings than has... Continue Reading →
Over-engineer. Over-calculate. Over-everything. I have spent a fair amount of my life undertaking things I knew far too little about, except I could see they were potentially dangerous. Whether we're talking about opening new routes up cliffs no human (and few monkeys) would consider as 'a good idea' (even the good idea fairy left, shaking... Continue Reading →
In the end it ALL comes down to motive - whether you speak of the character OR the author. Why are you doing this? What are you writing this book for? What do you wish to achieve? Who cares? If you can't answer motive questions... well, good luck. Your book will ramble. You might be... Continue Reading →
Or 'what happened after'. Writers are very much divided on 'what happened after' and just how important it is to have or leave out. It is, after all, by its basic nature, somewhat anticlimactic. Is it better to leave that to the reader's imagination? Or does the reader want the satisfaction of seeing all the... Continue Reading →
The world has changed, and changed fast. Doubtless people will too. But... the generation time for a bacterium - or a computer program is a lot shorter than that for humans. We adapt pretty well, we fake it pretty well... but really, it's going to take generation and lots of selective breeding pressure to change... Continue Reading →
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2023 PROMETHEUS AWARD FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR BEST NOVEL Works by Carey, Freer, Gallagher, Hanka and Van Stry selected as finalists The Libertarian Futurist Society, a nonprofit all-volunteer international organization of freedom-loving science fiction fans, has announced five finalists for the Best Novel category of the 43rd annual Prometheus Awards. The... Continue Reading →
Pretense. Waiting in a castle of make-believe... I think at the root of my conflict with our dear bureaucrats is they want me to accept their version of ‘reality’ and pretend it’s all about my safety and the safety of others. This reaches the 5 lights or 2+2=5 level of the denial of reality. Building... Continue Reading →
Mad Genius Club 